BRINSLEY FORDE of ASWAD - MUSICAL BIO BRINSLEY FORDE has been at the centre of the international reggae scene for more than 30 years as the former front-man and founder of British reggae greats Aswad. Taking their name from the Arabic word for black, Aswad were formed in West-London in 1975. The British band was able to successfully appropriate Jamaican music with social issues more pertinent to their London climate. Their self-titled debut was well received and highlighted the plight of the immigrant Jamaican in an unfamiliar and often hostile environment - a subject prevalent throughout much of Aswad's work. Aswad recorded two albums with CBS before returning to Island Records for Live And Direct. Recorded at London's Notting Hill Carnival in 1982, Live and Direct is considered by many to be the best live reggae album ever made. By 1984 they were making an impression on the UK charts with 'Chasing The Breeze' and '54-46'. The album Distant Thunder gave Aswad a UK Number 1 hit with 'Don't Turn Around' in 1988. 'Shine' climbed to UK number 5 in 1994, while the attendant Rise And Shine reached the Billboard Reggae Top 10. As a Grammy-nominated act, Aswad remain one of the most successful reggae groups ever to come out of Europe. Brinsley Forde, also star of the British film Babylon, left Aswad in the late 90s and became a radio host for the BBC. Poised to release three singles in 2008, Forde is gearing up to join forces with Jamaica's formidable production team of Sly and Robbie this autumn to record his new album. Canadian fans can catch up with Brinsley Forde when he once again joins Jason Wilson on tour in August.
BRINSLEY FORDE/ASWAD - SELECT DISCOGRAPHY: (Brinsley Forde) 2008: (work in progress) (Aswad) 1997: Big Up * 1995: Dub: The Next Frontier 1995: Rise and Shine Again! 1994: Rise and Shine * 1993: Firesticks 1990: Next to You 1990: Too Wicked 1989: Aswad: Crucial Tracks 1988: Jah Shaka Meets Aswad in Addis Ababa Studio 1988: Distant Thunder 1988: Renaissance - 20 Crucial Tracks 1986: To the Top 1984: Rebel Souls 1983: Live and Direct 1982: A New Chapter of Dub 1982: Not Satisfied 1981: New Chapter 1981: Showcase 1978: Hulet 1976: Aswad *nominated for "Best Reggae Album" - Grammy Awards
JASON WILSON - MUSICAL BIO As leader of the internationally-acclaimed progressive reggae act Tabarruk, JASON WILSON has been pegged by the Canadian media as a "reggae-visionary" and the "future of reggae". Nominated for a Juno Award for 'Best Reggae Recording', Wilson has recorded and performed with some of the world's biggest reggae acts including; UB40, Sly & Robbie, Brinsley Forde, Jackie Mittoo, Ernest Ranglin and many more. Wilson has made a profound impact on Canada's reggae scene in the past fifteen years and with Tabarruk, has performed over 2,000 shows around the globe. Yet, Wilson has also worked outside the reggae world including collaborations with Alanis Morissette, Percy Sledge, Ron Sexsmith, David Francey, Pee Wee Ellis, the Mighty Sparrow and others. Still, it is within the reggae genre that Wilson is best known. Wilson is also the current on-stage musical director for the award-winning project Jamaica to Toronto (NOW Magazine Album of the Year 2006), and co-leader of the popular Marley/Dylan tribute act The Two Bobs. No other Canadian reggae band has toured as much as Jason Wilson in the past ten years. After feature documentaries on CBC Television (The National with Peter Mansbridge) and BBC radio in England, this Toronto-born Scottish-Canadian is only now being recognized for his role as a reggae ambassador. Last year Wilson was presented The Karl Mullings Memorial Award for commitment to reggae in Canada. Jason Wilson is currently working on his fifth studio album entitled, The Peacemaker's Chauffeur (2008).
JASON WILSON - SELECT DISCOGRAPHY: (Jason Wilson) 2008: The Peacemaker's Chauffeur (Jason Wilson & Tabarruk) 2004: dREaD & BLUE: A Canadiana Suite 2000: Jonah * 1998: Dark Corners 1994: Tabarruk *nominated for "Best Reggae Recording" - 2001 Juno Awards
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