Sizzla
Encyclopedia
Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla (was born Miguel Orlando Collins, April 17, 1976, Kingston
, Jamaica
) in are de reggae
musician
. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy. As of 2011 he has released over 40 solo albums.
parents. Like them Sizzla subscribes to the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafari movement. He was raised in August Town, Kingston
Jamaica where he studied mechanical engineering at Dunoon High School.
explosion, and with the music came the lifestyle: drugs, gun
s, and "slackness
" (vulgarity). Formally adopting the Rastafari faith, with its advocacy of repatriation to Africa
and its use of cannabis
, he joined the ranks of the Bobo Ashanti
in the mid-1990s.
Sizzla began to develop his own style whilst serving his musical apprenticeship with the Caveman Hi-Fi sound system. He has used his music as a vehicle for his message, kickstarting his recording career in 1995 with a release through the Zagalou label, he then teamed up with "Bobby Digital" Dixon for a series of singles. Extensive touring with fellow roots
and culture artist Luciano
followed, earning Sizzla notability.
Homer Harris
, the same man who named and mentored Buju Banton
got him his first break, introduced Sizzla to top Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser
, the musical director for Philip "Fatis" Burrell's Xterminator Family. 1996 marked an important turning point for Sizzla when he began working with Fatis. This union led to a run of successful singles and the release of Sizzla's debut album, Burning Up.
The two allied again a year later with the follow-up, Praise Ye Jah
(JetStar
). Praise Ye Jah was quickly trumped by his release of the Dixon-produced
Black Woman & Child
that same year. The title track was a smash hit and became something of a cultural reggae anthem. Sizzla scored several more hits during 1997, including "Like Mountain," "Babylon Cowboy," "Kings of the Earth," and the Luciano duet "Build a Better World." This hot streak kicked off an enormously productive recording binge that lasted over the next several years, with much of his output still done for Burrell.
Along with universal praise came Sizzla's first nomination for Best International Reggae Artist of the Year at the 1998 MOBO Awards
and a place in various magazines' top 100 albums of the year. Sizzla has since released several dozen albums, including 1998's Kalonji
and Royal Son of Ethiopia
from 1999. 1999 also saw him receive his second MOBO
nomination. Sizzla remains a constant presence in the reggae charts worldwide. Currently, Sizzla has 21 albums that have made it onto the Billboard's Top Reggae Albums music chart, the highest Words of Truth
, reaching the peak position of #5.
Sizzla Kalonji has released over 45 solo albums and over fifteen combination albums, crossing different genres of Reggae
. He has started his own record company, Kalonji Records; which in a joint venture with Damon Dash
Music Group and Koch Records
, released the album, The Overstanding, in November 2006. This was his third album released through Kalonji Records; as well as Black History and Life.
Sizzla, along with reggae recording artists such as Capleton
, Buju Banton
, and Anthony B
, are credited with leading a movement toward a re-embracement of Rastafarian values in contemporary reggae music by recording material which is concerned primarily with spirituality and social consciousness, explores common themes, such as Babylon's corrupting influence, the disenfranchisement of ghetto youth, oppression of the black nation and Sizzla's abiding faith in Jah
and resistance against perceived agents of oppression.
Sizzla's 2008 effort, Ghetto Youth-ology, is produced by the Firehouse Crew, the same who produced Sizzla's debut, Burning Up.
for several concerts, and was among a group of reggae artists who were being investigated by Scotland Yard
for inciting murder of homosexuals
through their lyrics. Some of Sizzla's songs contain lyrics
that advocate violence against LGBT people. In 2007, Sizzla's concerts in Toronto
and Montreal
had been cancelled after protests from Stop Murder Music Canada coalition. Kalonji responded to critics with a song titled, "Nah Apologize". In 2008 he was arrested and sent back to the United States
after he arrived for a concert in Madrid
after Spanish
human right organizations protested against what they said was his call for violence against homosexuals. In 2009 and 2010 several concerts in Germany had been cancelled after public protests against the concerts.
, by Sizzla Kalonji. Although Judgement Yard is an organization of sorts, it is also a geographic location located at 42 August Town Road, which is where Sizzla maintains one of his residences. Judgement Yard is also the home of Kalonji's state of the art studio, as well as his record label, Kalonji Records. As the owner and founder of the Yard, Kalonji is responsible for many youths in the community of August Town, as well as youths who come from other areas to seek assistance and guidance in life as well as music.He is an influence to many. Many of these same youths who are members of Judgement Yard fraternity are musicians or have some direct affiliation with the music through production works, artiste works, etc.
Sizzla has recorded songs with the prominent artists in Judgement Yard, Joseph Shepherd and Bobo David.
to perform at the 86th birthday celebration of President Robert Mugabe
. There was a near-riot during his performance, including beatings of crowd members by police, causing Sizzla to temporarily halt his performance and ask the police to cease the beatings.
Later that year, Sizzla was "rewarded" with a farm in the country, with the artist stating he was "here to stay" in Zimbabwe. He also voiced plans to begin an agro-business and build a recording studio in the country.
The moves were not without controversy, particularly among Mugabe detractors who insisted he not perform for the President. Sizzla refused to condemn Mugabe post-performance, while insisting the land he received was not a reward from the Zimbabwean government, but given to him by the local people in appreciation for his performance. He also stated plans to eventually make Zimbabwe his permanent home.
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
) in are de reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his above-average prolificacy. As of 2011 he has released over 40 solo albums.
Biography
Sizzla was born in Kingston in 1976 to devout Rastafari movementRastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
parents. Like them Sizzla subscribes to the Bobo Ashanti branch of the Rastafari movement. He was raised in August Town, Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
Jamaica where he studied mechanical engineering at Dunoon High School.
Career
The 1980s witnessed a dancehallDancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
explosion, and with the music came the lifestyle: drugs, gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s, and "slackness
Slackness
Slackness refers to vulgarity in West Indian culture, behavior and the music. It also refers to a subgenre of dancehall music with straightforward sexual lyrics performed live or recorded. Its form and pronunciation varies throughout the Caribbean....
" (vulgarity). Formally adopting the Rastafari faith, with its advocacy of repatriation to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and its use of cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, he joined the ranks of the Bobo Ashanti
Mansions of Rastafari
Mansions of Rastafari are branches of the Rastafari movement. Mansions include the Bobo Shanti, the Niyabinghi, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, and others. The term is taken from the Biblical verse in John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions."-Bobo Shanti:Prince Emanuel Charles Edwards...
in the mid-1990s.
Sizzla began to develop his own style whilst serving his musical apprenticeship with the Caveman Hi-Fi sound system. He has used his music as a vehicle for his message, kickstarting his recording career in 1995 with a release through the Zagalou label, he then teamed up with "Bobby Digital" Dixon for a series of singles. Extensive touring with fellow roots
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
and culture artist Luciano
Luciano (singer)
Luciano is a Jamaican second generation roots reggae artist and poet....
followed, earning Sizzla notability.
Homer Harris
Homer Harris
Homer E. Harris Jr. was a groundbreaking African American athlete who became the first black captain of a Big Ten Conference team....
, the same man who named and mentored Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
got him his first break, introduced Sizzla to top Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser
Dean Fraser
Dean Fraser is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Musgrave Medal by the Jamaican government in 1993 in recognition of his services to music.-Biography:Fraser started to play the clarinet at the age of 12...
, the musical director for Philip "Fatis" Burrell's Xterminator Family. 1996 marked an important turning point for Sizzla when he began working with Fatis. This union led to a run of successful singles and the release of Sizzla's debut album, Burning Up.
The two allied again a year later with the follow-up, Praise Ye Jah
Praise Ye Jah
Praise Ye Jah is Jamaican reggae singer Sizzla's third studio album. It was released on Xterminator on October 21, 1997. The songs were written by Sizzla and produced by Philip "Fatis" Burrell.-Track listing:#"Praise Ye Jah" - 3:53...
(JetStar
Jet Star
Jet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
). Praise Ye Jah was quickly trumped by his release of the Dixon-produced
Bobby Digital
Bobby Digital may refer to:*Robert Dixon , an influential dancehall producer, also known as "Bobby Digital"*RZA, a rapper and music producer who has performed under the name Bobby Digital...
Black Woman & Child
Black Woman & Child
Black Woman & Child is the second studio album by Jamaican reggae artist Sizzla. It was released on September 16, 1997 on VP Records and produced by Robert "Bobby Digital" Dixon...
that same year. The title track was a smash hit and became something of a cultural reggae anthem. Sizzla scored several more hits during 1997, including "Like Mountain," "Babylon Cowboy," "Kings of the Earth," and the Luciano duet "Build a Better World." This hot streak kicked off an enormously productive recording binge that lasted over the next several years, with much of his output still done for Burrell.
Along with universal praise came Sizzla's first nomination for Best International Reggae Artist of the Year at the 1998 MOBO Awards
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
and a place in various magazines' top 100 albums of the year. Sizzla has since released several dozen albums, including 1998's Kalonji
Freedom Cry
Freedom Cry is reggae artist Sizzla's fourth studio album, released November 11, 1998 on VP Records as Freedom Cry in the United States and as Kalonji in Europe...
and Royal Son of Ethiopia
Royal Son of Ethiopia
Royal Son of Ethiopia is reggae singer Sizzla's sixth studio album, released on Greensleeves on June 22, 1999. As on his previous record, Freedom Cry, fellow conscious reggae singer Jepther McClymont, alias Luciano, is featured on one track, this time on "In this Time"...
from 1999. 1999 also saw him receive his second MOBO
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
nomination. Sizzla remains a constant presence in the reggae charts worldwide. Currently, Sizzla has 21 albums that have made it onto the Billboard's Top Reggae Albums music chart, the highest Words of Truth
Words of Truth
Words of Truth is Jamaican reggae singer Sizzla's ninth album. It was released on VP Records on August 29, 2000, and contains a bonus live CD recorded at the Brixton Academy...
, reaching the peak position of #5.
Sizzla Kalonji has released over 45 solo albums and over fifteen combination albums, crossing different genres of Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. He has started his own record company, Kalonji Records; which in a joint venture with Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
Music Group and Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
, released the album, The Overstanding, in November 2006. This was his third album released through Kalonji Records; as well as Black History and Life.
Sizzla, along with reggae recording artists such as Capleton
Capleton
Capleton is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions...
, Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
, and Anthony B
Anthony B
Anthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair , a Jamaican musician and member of the Rastafari movement....
, are credited with leading a movement toward a re-embracement of Rastafarian values in contemporary reggae music by recording material which is concerned primarily with spirituality and social consciousness, explores common themes, such as Babylon's corrupting influence, the disenfranchisement of ghetto youth, oppression of the black nation and Sizzla's abiding faith in Jah
Jah
Jah is the shortened form of the divine name YHWH , an anglicized version of the Tetragrammaton . The name is most commonly associated with the Rastafari movement or within the word hallelujah, although Christian groups may use the name to varying degrees. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses use a...
and resistance against perceived agents of oppression.
Sizzla's 2008 effort, Ghetto Youth-ology, is produced by the Firehouse Crew, the same who produced Sizzla's debut, Burning Up.
Controversy
In 2004, Sizzla was barred from entering the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for several concerts, and was among a group of reggae artists who were being investigated by Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
for inciting murder of homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
through their lyrics. Some of Sizzla's songs contain lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
that advocate violence against LGBT people. In 2007, Sizzla's concerts in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
had been cancelled after protests from Stop Murder Music Canada coalition. Kalonji responded to critics with a song titled, "Nah Apologize". In 2008 he was arrested and sent back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after he arrived for a concert in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
after Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
human right organizations protested against what they said was his call for violence against homosexuals. In 2009 and 2010 several concerts in Germany had been cancelled after public protests against the concerts.
Judgement Yard
Judgement Yard was established as a community centre in August Town, an eastern suburb of Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, by Sizzla Kalonji. Although Judgement Yard is an organization of sorts, it is also a geographic location located at 42 August Town Road, which is where Sizzla maintains one of his residences. Judgement Yard is also the home of Kalonji's state of the art studio, as well as his record label, Kalonji Records. As the owner and founder of the Yard, Kalonji is responsible for many youths in the community of August Town, as well as youths who come from other areas to seek assistance and guidance in life as well as music.He is an influence to many. Many of these same youths who are members of Judgement Yard fraternity are musicians or have some direct affiliation with the music through production works, artiste works, etc.
Sizzla has recorded songs with the prominent artists in Judgement Yard, Joseph Shepherd and Bobo David.
Zimbabwe
In February 2010, Sizzla traveled to ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to perform at the 86th birthday celebration of President Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
. There was a near-riot during his performance, including beatings of crowd members by police, causing Sizzla to temporarily halt his performance and ask the police to cease the beatings.
Later that year, Sizzla was "rewarded" with a farm in the country, with the artist stating he was "here to stay" in Zimbabwe. He also voiced plans to begin an agro-business and build a recording studio in the country.
The moves were not without controversy, particularly among Mugabe detractors who insisted he not perform for the President. Sizzla refused to condemn Mugabe post-performance, while insisting the land he received was not a reward from the Zimbabwean government, but given to him by the local people in appreciation for his performance. He also stated plans to eventually make Zimbabwe his permanent home.
External links
- Sizzla at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Judgement Yard
- Sizzla - Ghetto Youth-ology