Gyptian
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gyptian | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Windel Beneto Edwards |
| Born | October 25, 1983  St. Andrew, Jamaica |
| Genre(s) | Reggae |
| Years active | 2004 - Present |
| Label(s) | Real Lyfe Music Productions VP Records |
| Associated acts | Lutan Fyah I-Wayne Bascom X Sizzla Chuck Fender |
This article is about the Jamaican reggae singer. For the fictional characters from the His Dark Materials trilogy, see Gyptians.
Gyptian (born Windel Beneto Edwards, 25 October 1983, St. Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae singer.
[edit] Career
Born to a Seventh-day Adventist mother and Rastafarian father, Gyptian received his musical calling at the age of seven, when he began singing in the church. Recognizing his talent, his parents introduced him to Mr. Wong, a record producer from Portmore, St. Catherine. "I did not take it seriously," said Gyptian "My family members have always been carrying me to Portmore to see him, but I usually disappear. One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there."[citation needed]
Under the guidance of Mr. Wong and Earl Chinna Smith, Gyptian honed his sound, winning the 2004 Star Search talent competition at Kens Wild Flower Lounge in Portmore, earning him a spot at Sting 2004, dubbed the 'greatest one night reggae show on earth'.
Nicknamed from his habit of tying a shirt around his head and twisting his chin hair like an Egyptian pharaoh, the young singer was very protective of keeping his sound 100% Gyptian. "You have to think about what people think and how they feel, the real things that people see. Any track at all you hear from Gyptian, right by my fingers out of my head."[citation needed]
In 2005 he scored two hits, "Is There A Place" on the Seasons Riddim and "Serious Times". The latter was considered by many people to be the best reggae song in 2005 (beating out Damian Marley's, "Welcome To Jamrock").[citation needed]
Nominated for Best New Entertainer at the 2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards, the twenty-three year old singer has been dominating the Jamacian charts with hits including "Is There a Place", "Beautiful Lady", and the chart-topping ballad, "Mama, Don't Cry".
His style of reggae music is considered lovers rock and roots reggae, with songs about political issues and love. He is in the same vein of music of established artists, such as Sizzla, Luciano and Beres Hammond.
On 12 September 2006, Gyptian released his first album on VP Records. On 12 December the same year, Gyptian, while in New York, shot the music video for his new single, "I Can Feel Your Pain" (Cloud Nine Riddim). The song is the first to be confirmed to appear on his new album, which is to be released in 2008.
