Alex Duncan
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Alex Duncan

| Established. Jan 01, 1990 | SELF

| SELF
Established on Jan, 1990
Band World Reggae

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"Alex Duncan Taking Things to Another Level"


REGGAE TIME. Alex Duncan plays Ethnic Fest at 6 p. m. July 27.

Alex Duncan taking things to another level
By John Larson
Tacoma Weekly
jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: July 24, 2008


Spend an hour with Alex Duncan and one can hear him sing snippets of famous songs in a range of voices as well as philosophical observations on business, music and human nature.

The local reggae singer satisfies his fan base with a steady schedule of gigs in clubs and outdoor festivals, while reaching out to new listeners with the sort of upbeat, socially- conscious mindset common to so many reggae musicians.

“If you have a microphone, you have a certain responsibility,” he said

Duncan was born in St. Kitts, an independent island in the Caribbean. Sugarcane is a major export. “Everything was sweet,” he said fondly.

He grew up listening to the sounds of the Caribbean – reggae and soca – as well as jazz and surprisingly, a fair amount of country. His family was too poor to own a radio or television, so his exposure to music came from listening to people play it around the neighborhood.

He knew at age 4 he would have a career in music.

He stuttered as a young boy. Determined to overcome the problem, he studied people singing. He does not stutter anymore, and developed a vocal range that goes from high to low, deep to sweet.

He moved to Bellingham in his youth. He became the lead singer of Jumbalassy, a reggae band formed in the mid-1980s that went on to become the most popular act in the genre in the Northwest.

He began working as a solo artist while still in that band. He also was lead singer for a while for Inner Circle, a Jamaican band known for the “Bad Boys” song for the television program “Cops.”

The Jumbalassy fan base is still here and many attend Duncan’s shows. Several members of the group are in his backing band, he added.

He traveled back and forth between here, where he kept busy with Jumbalassy, and the Caribbean, where he focused on solo material.

Lately he has been shuttling frequently between Seattle and Tacoma, where he is busy with Platinum Reign, a recording studio and production company that recently opened up shop in an office downtown.

“You have got to keep growing to keep your mind active,” he said.

He is confident the operation can sell records by him and other artists.

“I want to find a good local base here.”

He has been recording tracks at the studio for his next album, which he is confident will be his best work yet. Over the past two years he has written 90 songs. He is also working on his first video. “I am very excited about that.”

Communication breakdowns are the biggest problem facing individuals and society, in Duncan’s view. “It always comes down to a lack of communication in some way, shape or form.”

He truly views music as a healing force that can brighten spirits and end poverty. “As an artist I look at a different side of things,” he said.

Fear of the unknown is a major stumbling block for humanity, he continued. He pushes education as a tool for people to overcome hurdles in life.

Reggae is huge in the Caribbean and is big in certain areas of the United States, notably Hawaii. Given its sunny vibe and danceable rhythms, it is somewhat puzzling the genre never achieved the popularity level of rock or country.

Duncan finds several reasons for this. One is that many promoters consider it summertime music, fitting for outdoor festivals, but overlook it when booking venues year round.

Another reason is many clubs have shifted from live music to DJs, he added.

Duncan truly feels he can make a difference in people’s lives with his music. “I look at success as the amount of people you can impact.”

The female fans appear to have had an impact on him. “I want to thank the ladies. I continue to make albums for them.”

For more information go to http://www.alexduncanreggae.com

Alex Duncan plays Ethnic Fest at Wright Park in Tacoma at 6 p.m. July 27.



- Tacoma Weekly


"First Night Tacoma"

Original Dankster
10:30 p.m. at the Pierce Transit Main Stage — Alex Duncan is not to be missed. If you haven’t seen him, shame on you. He plays Tacoma about every other day. Originally from the island of St. Kitts, Duncan is a performing machine, and has been for more than 10 years. Duncan changes up reggae, dancehall and Soca styles, and never misses a beat. Go see him. Trust me.
- Weekly Volcano


"Club Juno Opening Night"

April 11, 2008
Alex Duncan tonight
BRAD ALLEN: JUNO OPENS TONIGHT >>>

My boy Paul Schrag did a lovely job previewing the Alex Duncan show at the new Juno club tonight.

It will be interesting to see who shows up, crowd wise. Duncan packs Jazzbones every time.

It’s not hard to understand the music’s appeal. In addition to its infectious grooves, reggae lyrics typically present a fantasy life to listeners, one in which positivity and love always win out and partaking in large amounts of shrub is a good thing. The latter reason seems to be the key to why audiences of reggae and jam rock have largely merged into one baked body. This has led many reggae bands to dumb the music down and perform reggae-fied Grateful Dead covers to appeal to that lowest common dominator.

Not Alex Duncan.

He favors upbeat rhythms over the lazy, laid-back tempos preferred by too many of its contemporaries. This gives the songs an exceptionally strong rhythmic backbone. Though he plays straightforward reggae, the band isn’t afraid to throw in some unexpected tricks, like calypso and dancehall.

[Juno, 9 p.m., $10, 933 Market St., Tacoma,
- Weekly Volcano


Discography

Say a Little Prayer (full length album)- 1997
Midnight (EP) - 2006
Sweetness (EP) - 2008

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Bio

Alex Duncan, Reggae, Dancehall, Soca Sensation has been packing in the audiences for over ten years. Originally from the island of St. Kitts, he became the lead singer of the Seattle based music ensemble Jumbalassy. He has won awards for the Best World/Ethnic band and the Best World/Ethnic album which brought international recognition. A native of St. Kitts, Alex has a broad base in all types of music. But for him, Reggae is the most influential. His inspirations range from Bob Marley to New Edition, and include dancehall pioneers such as Buju Banton and many more.
His first solo album, titled, “Say A Little Prayer” released in 1997, received critical acclaim. Other albums followed: “Show Me Love,” “Time,” “Warning, Live Jumbles,” ”- a 3 song EP “Midnight, as well as his latest EP “Sweetness”.
In 2008 the hot new single "We Fly" hit the airwaves featuring Alex Duncan, Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs in Harmony, and AG- a talented rapper out of Tacoma WA. “We Fly” earned a spot on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales, peaking at number four (#4) on the charts.
In 2010 Alex Duncan teamed up with gospel singing sensation Eva Sabiniano with the song "He is the Way" and was nominated for a 2010 Stellar Music Award. He had the great fortune to work with gospel greats Kirk Franklin, CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurken and many more on "Is Anybody Listening" benefiting the 2010 earthquake victims of sister island Haiti. Also in 2010, his newly released single “No More Lonely Nights” held the #1 spot on Energy Radio on the East Coast of the United States for three consecutive weeks. Alex is currently gearing up for the much anticipated release of his long awaited fifth full-length album.
His high energy and versatility dazzles, leaving a powerful impression of the music he stands for. With his passion for the respect of human life, Alex is a unique artist in our time. His appearances include the Unlimited Hydroplanes Races in Pearl Harbor, Goodwill Games, and many benefit concerts supporting AIDS and homelessness. Other prestigious events include Reggae Sun Splash, Sierra Nevada Music Festival, California Reggae on the River, Phoenix Arizona Reggae on the Plaza, Bumbershoot, Bite of Seattle, numerous college events and the St. Kitts Music Festival. Alex Duncan has headlined and shared the stage with international superstars such as Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Capleton, Beres Hammond, Eek-a-Mouse, David Rudder, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, Arrow, and Inner Circle.
For more information about Alex or to find his music, go to:
www.alexduncanreggae.com
www.myspace.com/alexduncanmusic1
www.facebook.com/alexduncanreggae
“No More Trouble” the video, acapella version, can be found at youtube.com/alexduncanreggae
“If we champion our challenge, we can eliminate some of our pain.”
Alex Duncan – Say A Little Prayer 2002©