Prezident Brown is a Jamaican roots reggae artist who carries a universal message of love, consciousness and righteousness. Last Saturday night, December 28 he had a sold out show at Crazy Horse in Nevada City.
Prez is a gifted vocalist who has been focusing on his calling as a singer from an early age. He has never wavered in his focus. Prez has been touring the US consistently for the last decade with his I Sound band.
Check out Prezident Brown’s new video – Desperate Times
Another video – Life is a Gift.
Prez recollects – “I remember as a youth I started out from humble beginnings in the country side, hiding from my mother after church on Saturdays so that I’d be able to go to the dance hall. She tried to punish me each time by not letting me into the house until day light or to by making me fill three big water drums from the standpipe down the road before she would let me eat or sleep. No punishment mattered to me, so she finally gave up and told me to do what I wanna do. I would ride on the back of the truck that transports the sound system to the dancehall on weekends through the 14 parishes of Jamaica as an MC. Without fail I would always end up chanting on the mic with steady, conscious and positive lyrics. Over the years I created a name and reputation for myself locally. Driven from then by the intention to entertain, inform and inspire, today I am an independent touring/recording artist delivering the same vibes, now mature and more accurate, creating a fan base internationally.”
Prezident Brown is an influential musical spokesman and grassroots leader. His popularity is steadily on the rise as he continues to carry the musical torch in North America, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and beyond. Prezident Brown is a substantial musical messenger who has knowledge to share in his music. Prez is consistently a hard working artist, who keeps performing live and putting out new CD’s that bring strength and encouragement to his listeners. Prezident Brown is a champion of the new roots and reality consciousness reggae movement that entertains, informs and inspires. Prez’s releases are called To Jah Only, Generation Next and Prezident Brown – Showcase Volume One, Two, Three, 4 Health and Strength, Common Prosperity and I Sound is from Creation.
“It’s a rough road, as I trod along. Guide I Oh Jah with Thy mighty hand. It’s a rough road and I have to make my footsteps sure” chants Prezident Brown.
Influenced by the spirit of Rastafari and the original Jamaican dancehall rub-a-dub sound system movement Prezident Brown is scheduled to release his tenth studio album called The Journeyman Pilgrimage. This project is close to his heart because it brings forth the best of his love in fourteen strong, fun, conscious, positive and spiritual tracks. These musical vibrations display the full maturity of his art, showcasing where he’s come from and where he is now.
“My career is a journey with different phases unfolding as I go. It’s a reggae journey and I believe music is of divine origin and should be invoked with the highest praise, so I’m inviting you all to join me. I call it The Journeyman Pilgrimage because I always go the extra mile with and for the purpose of delivering my music.”
Prezident Brown’s latest release, The Journeyman Pilgrimage was put out on the Tad’s Record label. Prez worked closely with producer/engineer Barry O’Hare, who has also worked with Burning Spear, Shaggy, Sean Paul, and many others. Bassist Devon Bradshaw from Axx of Jahpostles, who has worked with Burning Spear and the late Garnet Silk, has been instrumental in Prez’s sound as the bass player and producer. Ian (Beezy) Coleman, the guitarist for Ziggy Marley, is also featured on this project as well as many of his previous works. Young artist/producer/beatmaker Rivah Jordan of Soundkillaz Music has also been heavily involved. The first single/Video from this The Journeyman Pilgrimage project entitled Boy Baby was released on September 30th 2014.
Co-billing with Prezident Brown the Reggae Angels are a world class roots reggae act based in Oakland, CA with a large music catalog of fourteen CD’s. July 27th, 2019 they performed on the Northwest World Reggae Festival on which they were very well received. In May, June and July 2019 they performed on their fifth US tour backed by Sly & Robbie, co-billing with Mykal Rose. This was a major 5 week US tour on which they headlined 5 festivals across the country. Their last two albums were recorded with Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang. The latest one, Rely On Him was released in October, 2017. The Reggae Angels have been recording and performing conscious roots reggae for over two decades. In February 2019 they completed their forth US tour with Sly & Robbie & the Taxi Gang.
The Reggae Angels latest album Rely On Him is prophetic message music in collaboration with the multi-Grammy award winning Sly and Robbie on bass and drums and the Taxi Gang featuring Franklyn ‘Bubbler’ Waul on keyboards and the late Ronald “Nambo” Robinson on trombone. Also featured on the album are Addis Pablo, Augustus Pablo’s son, on melodica, Dwight Pinkney on guitar and Daniel Casares on alto and tenor sax. The previous Reggae Angels album, The Way was also backed by Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang. Included with both of these albums are dub CD’s called Fox Dubs Taxi Gang.
Rely On Him and The Way were recorded by Fenton and Garfield McDonald in Fenton’s recording studio in Oakland, CA called the Workshop. They were mixed and mastered by the world-renown engineer Jim Fox at the Lion and Fox recording Studio in Washington DC. Both of these albums are distributed by Zojak Worldwide and available for purchase on iTunes and a variety of other major online retailers. Physical copies are also available through a variety of traditional retailers. Rely On Him brings the Reggae Angels catalog from strength to strength. It fires up the listener with it’s words and music – reminders and guidance towards God-centric living.
The Reggae Angels have performed on many US festivals including Reggae in the Hills, The Oroville Rock Reggae Jamfest, Reggae on the River, The Trinity River Jamboree, The Bay Area Vibez Festival, The One Love One Heart Reggae festival, The Northwest World Reggae Fest, The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, The Seattle International Reggae Festival, Reggae in the Desert in Las Vegas, The Fibark Music Festival in Salida, CO, The World Village Festival in Boise, ID, The Caribbean Vibes Festival in Tulsa, OK, The Wild Mountain Fair, The Pitzer Reggae Festival and The World One Festival in El Cerrito, CA as well as also performing on many of the major European festivals.
The Reggae Angels have toured the US, Hawaii, Canada, South America, Europe and Africa. They have done many US and international tours opening and co-billing with conscious Jamaican roots reggae acts such as Mykal Rose, Sly & Robbie, Prezident Brown, Andrew Tosh, Everton Blender, Don Carlos, Anthony B, Junior Reid, The Abyssinians, Sugar Minott, Warrior King and Frankie Paul as well as touring on their own.
The Reggae Angels live performance is well seasoned from years of experience performing in diverse places. They do dynamic high-energy shows with a prophetic message and a happy, uplifting sound. Their musicians are world class and their message focuses on living in remembrance of God, oneness and love.
BIOGRAPHY: PREZIDENT BROWN
Prezident Brown, born Fitz Albert Cotterell, has been called, “one of the most interesting cultural dee-jays since U Roy”. Emphasizing positive messages, Prezident Brown has continued to pioneer his own direction, developing his own approach to dee-jaying that he calls, “The chanting stylee”.
Born to a Seventh Day Adventist family in Colonel Ridge, Clarendon, Prezident Brown grew up in the small town of Oracabessa in the Parish of St. Mary, Jamaica. He was forced to leave school at a young age when his father died leaving him with his mother and three sisters.
Prezident Brown launched his musical career at the age of fourteen, when he began dee-jaying for the Sound King Stereo Mix at the Bamboo Lounge. Initially known as Junior Ranking, Prezident Brown was dubbed, “Slim Brown”, by dee-jay Nicodemus. When he recorded his debut single in 1988 Prezident Brown was named, “Dancehall Doctor”. The late Jack Ruby, producer of Burning Spear’s albums, “Marcus Garvey”, and, “Man In The Hills”, bestowed the title, “Prezident”, upon him. In 1989, he joined Courtney Cole’s label, Roof International, and began performing and dee-jaying at the Rooftop Club in Ocho Rios. In 1990, Prezident Brown became involved with producers Barry O’Hare and Steven Stewart at Grove Music in Ocho Rios. It was Barry O’Hare’s X-Rated Record label that became Prezident Brown’s home base and it was X-Rated Records with Runn Records that launched his career in Europe. In Jamaica the X-Rated label took off as a massive roots revival swept across the country paving the way for Prezident Brown’s conscious style of reggae dee-jaying. In 1999 the Jamaican record label Kariang released the timeless, “To Jah Only” album.
In 2002, Jahmani Productions released a 2 CD disc called, “Showcase Volume 1”. The 46 show tour that followed that release took Prezident Brown across the United States and included performances at The Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, and on Reggae on the River. Jahmani Productions then released “Showcase Volume 2”, and “Showcase Volume 3” which includes a live performance from the 2002 Mt. Shasta Renegade Music Festival. In 2004 the German based label Chet Records with Sony Records released the album, “Generation Next”.
Prezident Brown currently lives in Jamaica. He continues to record and tour. He has developed a strong following in the United States and Europe, and continues to grow musically and in notoriety, as a champion of the new roots and reality consciousness reggae movement. Prezident Brown entertains, informs and inspires. Common Prosperity, was released in July 2009. October 2012 Tads Records released I Sound is From Creation. Influenced by the spirit of Rastafari and the original Jamaican dancehall rub-a-dub sound system he is currently releasing The Journeyman Pilgrimage – his 10th studio album. This project is close to his heart because it brings forth the best of his love in fourteen strong, fun, conscious, positive and spiritual tracks. These musical vibrations display the full maturity of his art, showcasing where he’s come from as well as where he currently is. “My career is a journey with different phases unfolding as I go, it’s a reggae journey and I believe music is of divine origin and should be invoked with the highest praise, so I’m inviting you all to join me. I call it The Journeyman Pilgrimage because I always go the extra mile with and for the purpose of delivering my music.”
The Journeyman Pilgrimage is scheduled to be released on the Tad’s Record label. Prez worked closely with producer/engineer Barry O’Hare, who has also worked with Burning Spear, Shaggy, Sean Paul, and many others. Bassist Devon Bradshaw from Axx of Jahpostles, who has worked with Burning Spear and the late Garnet Silk, and has been instrumental in the sound as the bass player and producer. Ian (Beezy) Coleman, the guitarist for Ziggy Marley, is also featured on this project as well as many of his existing works. Young artist/producer/beatmaker Rivah Jordan of Soundkillaz Music has also been heavily involved. Rivah Jordan has been working making music with Prez since 2011. The first single/Video from this project entitled Boy Baby was released on September 30th 2014. Three more singles should be released in preparation for the full CD in spring 2015 at which time he is scheduled to be touring with The Journeyman Pilgrimage.
Prezident Brown is a serious reggae revolutionary who keeps persevering as a defender of the faith.
