Nesbeth

Jamaican reggae artist Nesbeth grew up in  Trench Town neighbourhood of  West Kingston on the island of Jamaica, referred to as “The Concrete Jungle” because of high crime rates and widespread economic hardship. Throughout his childhood, music was the sun in his life, and his curiosity about using it to communicate and to offer comfort to himself and others grew as he began to experiment with recording and discover his own voice.

He recorded his first single, “Reflection Of Love” in 1993 with singer Camera and since then has gathered an impressive list of accomplishments, both on his own and alongside other talented artists on stage and in the studio. His music has been released by labels such as Jack Scorpio, No Doubt Records, Down Sound Records and Shocking Vibes Production, a company that produced Nesbeth’s beloved single “So Let It Be” in 2002.

In early 2007, he was introduced to renowned music producer Flava McGregor, with whom he has recorded well received songs which offered hope to people vulnerable to a culture of violence and uncertainty. Songs such as “Board House” and “Guns Out” just to name a few.Each of his songs illuminates the animated emotional layers of his resonant voice , along with his ability to create striking melodies and improvise on unusual international rhythms.

His solo work, various collaborations with other talented artists and on-going philanthropy illustrate his own perseverance, and express his passionate political ideologies it reflect the colourful works and narratives of the artists and groups that continue to move him, including Bob Marley, Whitney Houston, Lauryn Hill, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, K’naan and others.

Nesbeth connects to his audiences through joyful, socially conscious music that tells authentic tales about his life’s most inspiring moments and his communities; past, present and future. His energetic live shows brighten stages worldwide, and he turns each performance into an intimate platform on which to share his viewpoints and experiences and to spread his free-spirited optimism.

During the past two decades, Nesbeth has been a force at international festivals such as “Reggae Sumfest”, “Bob Marley Birthday Bash”, “Sting”, “Rebel Salute” in Jamaica, “Irie Jamboree” in New York, “Reggae Summerfest” in Washington D.C.”, “New Jersey Reggae Fest” and has played shows at venues in Ottawa/Canada, Antigua, Saint Kitts, Anguilla, Grenada and cities throughout the United Kingdom.

In February 2010, he hosted “A nuh suh mi waan live”, a love and unity concert in the Arnett Gardens community where he and other native artists performed. The event brought together thousands of residents that had been isolated in their communities for years by violence.

After the successful release of his EP “Victory” in 2014, Nesbeth moved on in 2015 to perform at the world-famous “Rebel Salute” in Jamaica again and traveled to Europe to sweep away reggae crowds at the “Reggae Jam” in Germany and “Reggae Geel” in Belgium. To add to what was a great year for Nesbeth ,MTV Iggy named Nesbeth one of “11 Jamaican reggae artists that is keeping roots reggae alive” , amongst artists like Chronixx, Protoje, Jesse Royal, Jah9, Etana and more!

Following his return from an almost two month stint in Europe and the United Kingdom Nesbeth released his latest effort “My Dream” in the latter part of 2015, the infectious ballad quickly catapulted him into the upper echelons of Jamaican entertainment. This new found level of stardom saw him easily becoming one of the most soft after acts on the global reggae circuit headlining various top tier events amid the song becoming his first official hit for 2016.

During the high point of 2016, we saw two major political parties campaigning for Gordon House general elections in Jamaica using Nesbeth’s monster hit “ My Dream”. Nesbeth was invited to perform at the Elected Prime Minister’s inauguration to perform the song in what has gone down in the annals of Jamaican politics as a historical moment when Prime Minister Holness joined him on stage to sing and share in the momentous occasion.

The monster hit opened a plethora of career opportunities for Nesbeth, from winning song of the year at the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association – JARIA award ceremony to receiving premium rotation on BBC 1Xtra. His single “My Dream” went number one and garnered air play on all of the major stations including Capitol Xtra (UK) and Hot 97FM (New York) to name a few. It also occupied the No.1 spot for five consecutive weeks in Jamaica, and bullied its way to the top of the Barbados and St. Kitts & Nevis charts respectively.

If 2016 can be noted as one of the highlight in Nesbeth’s career thus far, it is also the year during which he lost his sister…… and his beloved wife AnneMarie Elliot Nesbeth.

Knowing from experience that faith is the only way to be truly alive and to reunite with those we love, Nesbeth dedicates his upcoming debut album to his late wife. The album entitled A.M.E.N. carries a dual meaning: (colon) it’s his late wife’s acronym and serves as a reminder that the family trust in a higher power was central to Annmarie’s way of life.