Sonbeam
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| “Son of God; Beam of Light” - the name passed via wise dread - Sonbeam started out vocal sparring in Jamaica, Mo' Bay area. Moving to the States in the 90’s, he began sparring with the burgeoning talent of the time and won a dancehall chanters’ competition right off the bat. After that, Sonbeam teamed up with a DJ collaborative called “Black & Fresh,” and released a few songs out of various studios.
Seeking a band to showcase their talents, the group sought out Dub Station as one of the top U.S. bands capable of delivering culture beats & dancehall rhythms - both original and popular/contemporary - with power and accuracy. Soon, it became clear that Sonbeam was the "leader of the pack," and he began headlining his own shows. Aside from performing New England down to New York (including a tour opening for Mikey Dread), Sonbeam headlined the Bob Marley Festival in Dallas, Texas (2002).
Producer & manager Kyle Russell began recording Sonbeam in 2000, released a few singles, and put out Sonbeam's debut CD release "Get it Together" in 2001. It was so successful, that a 2nd pressing in 2002 got a national press push, garnering playlist-verified airplay on at least 200 reggae stations in the U.S. alone. BEAT Magazine gave the album 4 stars and claimed it was a "niceness too sweet for words." One reviewer raved "what did you do, cut out the filler and just leave the best cuts?!" Sonbeam's unique singjay style was praised, and the studio work continued. A 45: "Be My Baby" came out later in 2002 and 3 new Sonbeam songs were included on Dub Station's "Forward Ever" compilation in 2003. That album charted in the top 40 CMJ/World charts, and Sonbeam's songs are still in heavy rotation on the Digital Choice & other cable music channels. Several more songs remain "in the can" stateside, but Sonbeam has been working out of Jamaica mostly, on a variety of cuts, and we're looking for his next works to come out of Yard, Europe, and the States later in 2005. |
Visit the official Sonbeam web site. |
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