Ken Marlon Charles (KMC)
Encyclopedia
Ken Marlon Charles a.k.a KMC (born January 5, 1971) is a soca
artist from Trinidad
. Famous for hits like "Soul on Fire", "Soca Bashment" and "Bashment to Carnival" KMC is signed to the US-based record label Sequence Records. Considered to be one of Trinidad's top soca artists, KMC has over sixteen years experience in the music industry. He has made a name for himself as a solo artist, songwriter, producer and frontman of the band Red, White & Black.
KMC started his musical career as a dance-hall artist, recording and releasing a total if sixteen records. In 1998, he decided to test his skills in the Soca genre, bursting onto the scene with songs like "Kaya", "Bashment to Carnival" and "Soca Bashment". These were well received by his fans and helped to establish KMC as a leading Soca artist.
With over ten independently released Soca albums and compilations to his name, KMC is responsible for the Voodoo, Drunk Man, Concubine, Party Alliance, Thunderbirds, X-Out, Stinging Nettle, and Tear Drop Riddims, amongst others. He has also produced songs for some of the leading Soca artists, including Machel Montano
, Bunji Garlin
, Maximus Dan
, Destra Garcia
, Denise Belfon
, and Jungle. KMC is known for songs like "Doh Want to Know", "Carnival Rags", "Rough Wine", "First Experience", "Flopping Up", "Cyah X Me Out" and "Animal".
In April 2005, KMC was signed to the American music label Sequence Records. His debut album on the label was entitled Soul on Fire
after the album's first single. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 at number 84 and has sold approximately 285,000 copies worldwide.
"Soul on Fire", the single, was the first track released from the album in June 2005. The song’s remix, featured Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man
and American disc jockey Fat Man Scoop. The video for the Soul on Fire single was filmed in Tobago and featured the Trinidadian model Teri Bovell.
In October 2005, KMC joined Beenie Man on his US “King of the Dancehall” tour.
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
artist from Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. Famous for hits like "Soul on Fire", "Soca Bashment" and "Bashment to Carnival" KMC is signed to the US-based record label Sequence Records. Considered to be one of Trinidad's top soca artists, KMC has over sixteen years experience in the music industry. He has made a name for himself as a solo artist, songwriter, producer and frontman of the band Red, White & Black.
Early years
KMC is one of nine children. He was born and raised in the village of Rio Claro and then moved to Chaguanas, where he has resided for the past eleven years. The road to success for KMC has been filled with both high and low moments. Probably the lowest was the day when, strapped with hunger, he resorted to cracking open a dry coconut in the yard of his one-room home in Laventille, putting a milk pan on a kerosene burner and flavoring the coconut with only a little end of curry powder.Career
KMC has always has a passion for music. As a young child he used to sneak about and listen to the bands in his village. "At the age of seven, I used to go under the house by the band and when they weren't around I would play the drum set." As time marched on, the same energy and precociousness that brought the young KMC to the drum set also brought him to teach himself how to play music. "Music is something I was never taught. I was never taught to play the keyboard. I learned to do everything on my own. Love is what made me master it. Everything I do is by ear and not by reading," he proclaims.KMC started his musical career as a dance-hall artist, recording and releasing a total if sixteen records. In 1998, he decided to test his skills in the Soca genre, bursting onto the scene with songs like "Kaya", "Bashment to Carnival" and "Soca Bashment". These were well received by his fans and helped to establish KMC as a leading Soca artist.
With over ten independently released Soca albums and compilations to his name, KMC is responsible for the Voodoo, Drunk Man, Concubine, Party Alliance, Thunderbirds, X-Out, Stinging Nettle, and Tear Drop Riddims, amongst others. He has also produced songs for some of the leading Soca artists, including Machel Montano
Machel Montano
Machel Montano is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in the Trinidad and Tobago....
, Bunji Garlin
Bunji Garlin
Bunji Garlin July 14, 1978 is a Reggae Soca artist from Trinidad and Tobago. His real name is Ian Alvarez. He is of saint Lucian and Venezuelan descent. He married fellow Soca artist Fay-Ann Lyons on December 23, 2006, daughter of legendary Soca singer Superblue...
, Maximus Dan
Maximus Dan
Maximus Dan is a soca / dancehall musician. He is also known by his former stage name Maga Dan....
, Destra Garcia
Destra Garcia
Destra Garcia is a Soca singer and songwriter based in Trinidad and Tobago. Destra is noted for her high energy performances, harmonious vocal skill and eccentric fashion style...
, Denise Belfon
Denise Belfon
Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon is a Soca, Contemporary R&B, and Gospel singer, songwriter, and dancer.-Early years:...
, and Jungle. KMC is known for songs like "Doh Want to Know", "Carnival Rags", "Rough Wine", "First Experience", "Flopping Up", "Cyah X Me Out" and "Animal".
In April 2005, KMC was signed to the American music label Sequence Records. His debut album on the label was entitled Soul on Fire
Soul on Fire
Soul On Fire is a 2005 album by soca artist KMC after he was signed to the American record label Sequence Records. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at number 84 and has sold roughly 285,000 copies worldwide.- Track listing :#Soul On Fire...
after the album's first single. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 at number 84 and has sold approximately 285,000 copies worldwide.
"Soul on Fire", the single, was the first track released from the album in June 2005. The song’s remix, featured Jamaican dancehall star Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
and American disc jockey Fat Man Scoop. The video for the Soul on Fire single was filmed in Tobago and featured the Trinidadian model Teri Bovell.
In October 2005, KMC joined Beenie Man on his US “King of the Dancehall” tour.
External links
- http://www.jouvay.com/interviews/kmc.html
- http://www.guardian.co.tt/archives/2005-10-01/entertain1.html