Andru Branch

Andru Branch
Birth name Andru Reginald Arnold Branch
Born (1968-06-27) June 27, 1968
Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres reggae, world
Instruments keyboard, percussion
Years active 1985 – present
Labels Kingston Muzik
Website halfwaytree.ca

Andru Branch is a Canadian reggae musician. He is the lead singer-songwriter of the reggae band Andru Branch & Halfway Tree. He was nominated for a Juno Award for his debut 1998 album What If I Told You.

Early life

Branch was born Andru Reginald Arnold Branch on June 27, 1968 in Sackville, New Brunswick.

Career

Branch was signed to independent Jamaican record label Kingston Muzik in 1996.[1] Branch recorded his 1998 debut album What If I Told You at the Kingston Muzik Studio's in Kingston, Jamaica.[2] Its title was taken from a popular saying ("the only constant in life is change") favoured by Andru's late mother.[3] It was mixed and mastered at Common Ground Studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The album was distributed with modified artwork in Europe and the United States by Tabou 1 Records and features Earl “Chinna” Smith and members of Bob Marley’s backup band “The Wailers”; Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Tyrone Downie, and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson. Branch was nominated for a Juno Award at the Juno Awards of 2000 for this release in the category Best Rap Recording.[4]

His second album The Only Constant was released in January 2008 and features Squidly Cole and Chris Meredith of Ziggy Marley's band along with Alvin “Seeco” Patterson from The Wailers. The Only Constant is straight-up roots-reggae, brimming with lush horns, placid backbeats and spiritual proclamations".[5]

Andru’s traditional roots-reggae style is wide-ranging, varying from African high-life to suggestions of country influence and has been described by Exclaim! Magazine as “some of the rootsiest bottom-heavy music ever to come out of the Great White North”.[6] He performed at Jamaica’s 1998 Reggae Sunsplash Festival [3][7] and as a percussionist, has backed musicians Brinsley Forde, Gregory Isaacs, Glen Washington, Vybz Kartel and Sean Paul.

Studio One’s original Soul Vendors bassist Brian “Bassie” Atkinson joined Andru Branch & Halfway Tree in 2002 and the band is currently making new reggae music.[8]

Andru developed a profound love for reggae music while growing up in multicultural Toronto, Ontario where he was mentored by Tony "Raffa" White and Bernie Pitters before moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2000.[5] Andru Branch graduated from Lawrence Park Collegiate and received a "Sound & Music Recording Diploma" from Recording Arts Canada.

Discography

Albums

Appears On

Video

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Andru Branch". halfwaytree.ca. Andru Branch. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  2. ↑ What if I told you, WorldCat, OCLC 299743452, retrieved January 5, 2012
  3. 1 2 MacIntyre, Genevieve (2008), "Reggae Inventor Reclaims Music", The Daily News, Halifax, NS (published January 24, 2008)
  4. ↑ "Juno Awards Database". Juno Awards. Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Aikins, Matthieu (2008), "Andru Branch's New Album, The Only Constant", The Coast, Halifax, NS (published January 24, 2008), retrieved August 23, 2008
  6. ↑ Hagerman, Brent (May 2008). "Reviews » Soul, Funk & World » May 2008 » Andru Branch The Only Constant". Exclaim!. Toronto: 1059434 Ontario Inc. www.exclaim.ca. p. 38. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Andru Branch's Reggae Connections", The Sunday Herald, Kingston, Jamaica (published March 15, 1998), 1998
  8. ↑ Robinson, Andrew (2008), "Reggae Musician Strums World Rhythm" (PDF), The Halifax Commoner (published February 8, 2008), 10 (9), p. 1, archived from the original (PDF) on June 11, 2009, retrieved August 25, 2008
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