Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
2002 was a very Blessed year for the artiste known as Blessed. He won an Urban Music Award and also the Juno for the single "Love". Blessed's career has only gone uphill from there. Since his arrival in Canada his career has been on the fast track. He has been hard at work in the studio at his home base in Toronto. Working alongside some of Toronto's best reggae music producers he continues to pump out more music for the masses. His first recorded single "Tek Weh" is on the "Spragga Roots Presents Brethrens" CD. Another recent release called "Smile Girl" is on the Explorer label. Look out for much more from this up and coming artiste.
http://www.calgaryreggaefestival.com/html/news+events/events/2004/ev081404festival_artistes.htm - Calgary Reggae Festival.com
This four-time JUNO nominee (who has scored one win in 2002 for his single "Love (African Woman)" and three-time Canadian Urban Music Award winner is creating his path to International success.
Born in St.Thomas, Jamaica, Blessed immigrated to Canada at age 12 and was intensely focused on what he wanted to accomplish. Composing his own songs and performing in solos, musicals and the Church Choir, he was dedicated to preparing himself for his musical career.
He now shares the stage with internationally-known artists such as Lauryn Hill, Beres Hammond, Morgan Heritage and Sizzla. Blessed has also performed at the International Reggae Festivals in Calgary, Montreal and Toronto as well as Canadian Music Week. He also makes sure to connect with youth by speaking and performing at events such as FLOW 93.5's Black History Month assemblies.
Blessed is truly at the turning point of his musical career and he truly believes that "a bright and prosperous future awaits." He has his sights set on inspiring a world-wide audience and we can definitely anticipate great projects from him in the near future, including his debut full-length album slated to be released later this year.
Blessed, UMAC salutes you...2006 JUNO Nominee for Reggae Recording of the Year.
- Urban Music Minute umac.com
Hard To See Humble
Xrated Korexion
Kulcha Connection
Kulcha Connection
Survival Kwesie Selassie
In The Streets Trinity Chris feat. Blessed
http://ca.music.yahoo.com/promo-39444155-101-20051208-137 - Yahoo Music.com
REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Reggae Time Blessed Explorer**Universal
http://www.junoawards.ca/PDF/2006_winners.pdf - JUNO
The nominations for Canada's Juno Awards are now out. The nominees in the Best Reggae Recording category are Hard To See by Humble, Xrated by Korexion, Monte Le Son by Kulcha Connection, Survival by Kwesi Selassie and In The Streets by Trinity featuring Blessed. The Junos are Canada's equivalent to the US Grammy awards.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20070208T210000-0500_118895_OBS_CHURCH_HEATHEN_IS_SHAGGY_S_SIXTH_CHART_TOPPER_IN_NEW_YORK.asp - Jamaican Observer
The SuperPages Global Grooves Stage takes you on a trip around the world with Toronto based reggae band, Small Axe, African drumming and dance group Sankofa, and the Somali pop sound of Shego. Spotlighting hot young urban artists, the Urban Soul Stage ignites with Juno award-winning reggae artist, Blessed, the fast paced lyrical rhymes of G-Stokes, the smooth silky voice of Wade O. Brown, and the captivating soul of Graph Nobel.
http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/0/4c399753288ae3ac85256df60045f15e?OpenDocument - toronto.ca
The evening's performances included a musical montage by Maestro, rapper Kardinal Offishall and Monday night winners Jully Black and Fito Blanko.
Other winners included:
Reggae recording: Blessed, Reggae Time.
Music video of the year: Mr. X, Does He Love Me by Keshia Chanté.
Producer of the year: Saukrates.
This year was the first time the Urban Music Association of Canada split the presentation of its annual awards into a two-night event. Awards were handed out in 25 categories, ranging from gospel to soca, during a show that executive director Aisha Wickham called an "amazing showcase of talent."
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2005/11/30/urban-music-awards-051130.html#skip300x250 - cbc.ca
From the 1980s, a number of prominent Canadian reggae artists have dominated the music scene in Vancouver (Mango Dub, Chester Miller, and Ras Lee), Montreal (Kali & Dub) and Toronto (R. Zee Jackson, Lazo, Noel Ellis, Truth & Rights, Mojah, Adrian Miller, 20th Century Rebels, Jimmy Reid, Nana McLean, Blessed, Sattalites, and Snow). Messenjah, an influential group recognized as one of Canada's leading roots-reggae bands, was formed in Kitchener, Ont, in 1981. Along with Nana McLean in the 1990s, Tanya Mullings was a pioneering female reggae artist based in Brampton, Ont, who won multiple Canadian Reggae Music awards 1991-7. Sonia Collymore, who began her career by providing background vocals for Nana McLean, also won Juno awards in 2003 and 2005 for best reggae recording of the year.
http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1SEC882551 - Encylopedia of Music in Canada
Selected Discography
Errol Blackwood Chant, Chant. (1987). Blade CCR-9240
Blessed Love (African Women). (2002). Spragga Roots Records
- Reggae Time. (2006). Explorer Universal
Leroy Brown Rent A Tile. (2004). Dakarai
Sonia Collymore You Won't See Me Cry. (2003). Fiwi/XeS
http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1SEC882554 - Encyclopedia of Music in Canada
Discography
Singles -
Love "Natural African" - Spragga Roots
*Empty Barrel's featuring Kardinal Offishall - Black Shadow
Unexpected - Black Eyes Entertainment
*Reggae Time - Explorer Records
**In The Streets featuring Trinity Chris - Startin Lineup
*denotes Juno Award winner
** denotes Juno Nominee
Music Video's
My Mother
Unexpected
In The Streets
Reggae Time
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Blessed was born in the small parish of St. Thomas, Jamaica, island of reggae, sun and fun. From an early age he exhibited musical talent, first for family and friends, soon followed by appearances in school sponsored musical dramas and the church choir. By the time Blessed immigrated to Canada at the age of twelve, he was already writing his own songs. Shortly after commencing high school, Blessed was introduced to the soundsystem culture, and did his first recordings in the form of dubplates and DJ specials.
In 2002, he received critical acclaim for his break-out international urban hit Love (African Woman), which earned him a JUNO for Best Reggae Recording. This single, produced by Firehouse Crew charted in the number one position in many key reggae markets including Trinidad, Germany and Canada and peaked at number three on IRIE FM radio in Jamaica. The single rated highly on FLOW 93.5’s Top 50 Requested Songs for the year 2001. In 2002, Blessed also won a UMAC award for Best Reggae Recording with the single Can’t Say No More. Blessed was nominated for JUNO awards in 2003 for Smile and in 2004 for the single Empty Barrels featuring Kardinal Offishall. Blessed went on to win the UMAC award for Best Reggae Recording with Empty Barrels in the same year. Blessed has recently won the JUNO and UMAC award for Best Reggae Recording in 2006 with Reggae Time.
Blessed has shared the stage with artists such as Lauryn Hill, Gregory Isaacs, Beres Hammond, Marcia Griffiths, Wayne Wonder, Capleton and Sizzla. Blessed performed on the first International Reggae Festivals in Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. Appropriately named by friend Lindo P, Blessed, looks towards his music reaching and inspiring people around the world.
Reggae Time is the lead single off of his highly anticipated debut album due out on the Explorer Label and has received high rotation on FLOW 93.5 FM and IRIE FM and the video is airing on HYPE TV, BET, Much VIBE, Much More Music and affiliate stations. Blessed has recently been nominated for another JUNO award for In The Streets with Trinity Chris.
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