Queen Omega and David Kirton Touring in December 2009

Queen Omega, from Trinidad is making her mark on the international music scene. In 2008 she did fifteen festivals in North America from California to Toronto, including The Monterey Bay Reggae fest in Monterey, CA, Reggae Risings and Earthdance in Humboldt County, CA. In 2009 she headlined Friday night on the Northwest World Music festival in Eugene OR and she did Earthdance for a second year in a row, as well as numerous festivals on the east coast including Providence, RI and the Vermont Reggae festival. She toured in Brazil in April 2009 and France in early June.

David Kirton, co-billing with Queen Omega, is Barbados # 1 Reggae artist. David has out three albums – Stranger, Modern Roots and Time for Change. He toured on the Peoples Productions Spirit of Unity tour, and with Culture on his Pay Day tour. David has played numerous festivals internationally including Reggae on the River, which he played three times. He has also done numerous US tours on his own.

Over the past few years he has done work in the UK with Right Recordings, and in Canada with Universal, where he ranked #6 on MTV Much Music, with his latest music video. His big song right now is Green Camouflage.  He occasionally does acoustic tours with lead guitarist Andre Johnson, and at SXSW this year he did a well received acoustic set there. He is also doing acoustic sets on some current dates he has in the western US with Inner Circle.

Queen Omega is a roots reggae artist with a conscious message and a happy spirit in her performances. She is a talented vocalist who knows the music itself inside out, having worked as an artist since she was young. She has out five CD’s. She performs all over the world. Queen Omega is one of the stronger young upcoming female artists in the reggae genre.

Together with David Kirton from Barbados, and Queen Omega from Trinidad we are in for a special treat with two frontline reggae artists, backed by a world class west coast band. This is a good vibes crew with a positive “Modern Roots” sound.

BIOGRAPHY: QUEEN OMEGA

Queen Omega hails from San Fernando in Trinidad. Encouraged by her mother, she began entering local talent shows from the age of nine, writing her own calypsos and even rapping on national television. Later on she sang backing vocals for local producer Kenny Philips, accompanying numerous top Soca acts both in the studio and on stage. Raised in a musical family, she grew up listening to soul artists like Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker and Whitney Houston, as well as jazz and the traditional music of Trinidad. Such foundations were to serve her well later on; her favorites however, were reggae and dancehall.

Currently Queen Omega is working in Jamaica on her newest project Love Your Color with Lockley Dixon Musical Director and Master Musician. Tullah Carter of Third World Music Group is her manager. Watch, Listen and Love Your Color!!

BIOGRAPHY: DAVID KIRTON

Barbadian Singer-Songwriter David Kirton captured America’s attention with his 2007 performance at South by Southwest and A Remix Of Video Of Title Track From His Album ‘Time For Change”, featuring The New President Kirton Recently Won Four Barbados Music Awards, including Song, Video (“Green Camouflage”) And Reggae Artist Of The Year

They’ve been two of 2009’s biggest newsmakers, but let’s set things straight—Rihanna is not the only great singer hailing from Barbados, and President Barack Obama wasn’t the only voice who knew it was ‘Time For Change.’

On both counts, the two pop culture icons have a run for their money with David Kirton (www.davidkirton.com), who is part of a musical movement coming from the Southern Caribbean that’s outside the typical reggae box. Forging his own individuality with personal yet universal songs and fresh, organic sounds, the popular Barbadian singer/songwriter is expanding beyond his base and capturing the U.S. and UK with his soul influenced modern roots reggae rock.

Though he toured the States and appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” back in 1999 as part of the Spirit of Unity Tour, Kirton is making his big splash as a solo artist in the States now, in the wake of his new award winning album and eye-opening performance at South By Southwest 2007.  He was awarded the title of Reggae Artist of the Year in 2009 & 08, and has won a total of four Barbados Music Awards, including song and video for hit single “Green Camouflage,” a true reggae anthem embodying the best of the old rhythms and new expressions, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PyNroAyxYA.

The provocative, socially conscious remix of Kirton’s first video, the title track from his latest album Time For Change featuring clips of Obama from the campaign trail, has earned Kirton attention on myspace and YouTube. This can be viewed at (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=31577093)

Perhaps in addition to being a compelling artist, the singer is in touch with the worlds echo’s and emotions, as the song, album and original video for the track—filmed in Barbados by two time Pulitzer Prize and Sundance Award winning cinematographer/director Tom Krueger—were all done before the rise of Obamamania.

Kirton’s unique sound and charismatic showmanship led him to a myriad of eclectic venues this past year, including The Royal Chelsea Flower Show in London—where he met famed Beatles producer George Martin–Fashion Has No Borders (Toronto), the Virgin Atlantic Barbados Music Festival and The World Travel Market, EXCEL London. He performed many of these shows as in a duo setting with American born guitarist Andre Johnson, whose 12 string is the perfect complement to Kirton’s 6-string. In December, his “Free to Fly” music video featuring actor Gary Dourdan and noted painter William Attaway reached # 7 on the MTV Much Music Top 10.

While the title Time For Change perfectly fits this era of cautious hope and optimism, it’s infectious tracks like “Miss The Water,” “Sugar” (a synthesized reggae-funk track that pays homage to Barbados’ onetime largest industry) and the Latin-spiced “Aye Aye” that get people grooving, dancing and singing. Kirton hooked up with Van Gibbs and ventured to Salaam Remi’s Studios (Amy Winehouse, NAS, Fugees) with producer Chris Allman (Rupee, Alison Hinds) to record “Time To Change” and “Free To Fly.” The majority of the album was recorded at Slam City Studios in Barbados and was produced by Allman and De Red Boyz (Livvy Frank); the songs start acoustically with Kirton finding his melodies and lyrics, the seat of the songs is then taken to the studio to be embellished and recorded.

The Sunday Mercury’s (U.K.) Paul Cole wrote: “Already a triple award-winner in the Caribbean, Time for Change has the crossover appeal to break him big in the mainstream pop charts.” The Canadian National Campus Review backed that up with: “Kirton has busted out of the box with this, his third album, by blending elements of reggae, soul, rock and pop into a contemporary yet natural sound, which he
then delivers with his exotically smooth, soul dipped voice.”

The international accolades for Kirton began shortly after launched his recording career in the late 90s with a debut album, Stranger. The success of that release-led to an opportunity to perform at the 1999 MIDEM Cannes showcase at the Palais on World Beat Night, where UP writer John Swenson said, “(he is)…the best new artist at MIDEM.” Sensing the exciting, unique music in Kirton’s future, Miami’s
Caribbean Today wrote, “Kirton has struck the right chord. He brings to the marketplace a refreshingly unique aura…satisfying the mainstream audience, especially those who crave something new.” That Midem showcase lead to the Spirit Of Unity Tour booking where Kirton found himself opening for reggae giants Maxi Priest, Third World, Culture and Steel Pulse. The Midem debut performance also gained him
much critical acclaim and a RAS Records Signing —which he followed in the early 2000s with albums Modern Roots and Island Songs For Children- and numerous solo tours and one off festival performances.

“After touring 42 U.S. cities on the Spirit of Unity Tour with my Jamaican brethren ” the singer says, “I returned to Barbados and realized that I couldn’t make music anymore that was straight reggae. I had to represent my true self, which ultimately led to the original concept behind ‘Time To Change.’ Growing up, I listened to all kinds of music, Barbados didn’t have an international indigenous sound. I never had the spirit to perform Trinidad’s soca music, which is also huge in Barbados. I originally gravitated to the reggae feel, which gave rise to my development as a guitarist and songwriter. But so many up and coming straight reggae artists just wrote lyrics over Beats producers created for them, as I moved forward in my career, I began coming up with my own melodies, lyrics and arrangements—which ultimately took on a more modern hybrid style that also incorporated pop and soul music."

He adds, “It was Roots reggae that captured my senses rather than the Dancehall that became popular these past few years. My progression as an artist came because I was more relaxed, didn’t try to fit into a trendy box, just let my songs flow and represent what I felt inside when I sat down to write them. I feel very comfortable making music my own way, rather than trying to fit in anyone’s boots or letting a producer shape who I am as an artist. I love having the freedom to touch people and find success following my own vision.”

Although Kirton is rising to a new level of international success creating a vibe that defies the trends of Trinidadian Soca and Jamaican Dancehall music, he is still based in Barbados and is proud to reflect the culture and heritage of his homeland and share it with the world. “My parents particularly love my song ‘Sugar,’ he says, “ that’s the industry our country was born from”.

His thoughts on why he writes the way he does are simple, organic and honest: “At heart, my music has a laid back feel because that’s what island life is about. When you are as overwhelmed by nature and can see all the stars in the sky, it’s easy to realize our place in the world, and have a relaxed attitude about it. I’ve got the dreadlocks and that invites people to stereotype me as another reggae artist.  But, I invite people to go deeper into my musical experience and re-evaluate their preconceived notions. I love the way music can make people dance in different ways and feel different emotions. Like Rihanna, I am all about blending the pride of my homeland with a progressive sound that is all my own.”