In addition to writing, arranging, and singing his own songs KWESI is a self taught artist who plays the bass guitar, drums, and percussion. This young multitalented artist not only sings in his original tongue, Fanti; he has captured the hearts of many of his fans with his ability to speak fluently and sing in English, French, Jula and 10 other African languages. Kwesi has 5 CDs, 2000 Years of Love released 2000
Judgement Day released 1999 (Nominated at the 1999 Canadian Reggae Music Awards for Top Album of the Year) November 1999 (Nominated at the African Music Awards for the Best Band, Album, Composer, Awarded the Best Producer - The Only artist nominated in four of ten categorys.)
False Prophets 1997 Nominated for the 1997 Canadian Reggae Music Awards for the Top Reggae Album of the Year
John Kwesi Selassie 1993
Mr. & Mrs. Konkonsanyi 1992
Kwesi Selassie is loved by millions of fans around the world and is the sole multilingual artist from Ghana Africa. According to Larry Leblanc of Billboard Magazine "Kwesi's music is an intoxicating mix of High Life Dub Reggae.
Kwesi Selassie is an artist of unsurpassed character, boiling with enthusiasm, charismatic, and has the ability to mesmerize his fans with high flying energy, and his sterling audience interactive performance second to none!
Judgement Day screams of the awareness that we must proclaim for what the future holds. Exclaiming the importance of the past, present and future. KWESI SELASSIE encourages us to concentrate on the fact that the future lies in our own hands lies in our own hands. “Whatever we do today we must account for it tomorrow, sometimes we think we can run but we can't run away from ourselves. " We reap what we sow. " .........Says the Lion.
Kwesi Selassie, also known as “The Lion Of Africa”, was born in Sekondi Takoradi,into the Agyekum Royal Family, from the capital city of the Western region of Ghana, in West Africa. Although he was raised in Takoradi, Kwesi hails from Agona Nsaba in the central region of Ghana, the hometown of his parents.
At the tender age of 11, Kwesi began singing and playing the guitar. He would sit under palm trees, exploding with curiosity while experimenting with wires placing them over empty tomato cans and successfully manufacturing his own guitar. Other instruments, such as the bass guitar, drums, percussion and piano would continue to arouse his interest and he would not be satisfied until he learned of each of their worth. It would not be long until his Takoradi secondary school classmates and everyone in his hometown would know Kwesi as the "Musical Prince".
Having been strongly influenced by Mom and Dad, Kwesi decided to move to London in pursuit of a career in law. Like all parents Mr.,. Isaac Sackey-Selassie and his wife, the Queen Mother Nana Baah Agyekum I, encouraged their son to strive for a professional career fit for his title "Prince'' However, Kwesi's drive to become a musician was far too strong to be reversed. After three years of pleasing his parents, Kwesi ended his preliminary studies in law and returned to Ghana to embrace his first love, music.
It was Kwesi's return to Ghana that would earn him his title "The Lion of Africa". Kwesi reappeared in the music scene with the rage of a true African Lion. He began singing and playing the guitar with many spectacular bands such as the Keletigui et ses Tamborini of Conakry, Guinea and The Osabarima Band of Takoradi, Ghana. One of his most remembered performances in West Africa was in Nzerekore, Guinea in honor of the President, Lansana Conte for a traditional ceremonial event.
Kwesi, now a multitalented songwriter and self taught musician would begin traveling, touring and recording his own albums. He first moved to Quebec City, (Quebec), Canada, in 1993, by invitation of his ex-manager, Mario Gauthier where he would begin his upward trend in the music scene, in a hard hitting fury. In 1995, Kwesi Selassie was the first continental African to be invited to perform at the Canadian Reggae Music Awards.
In 1997, Kwesi moved to Toronto, (Ontario) from Montreal, (Quebec) where he was the First African to perform at the 11th Annual Canadian Reggae Music Awards in 1997. The album False Prophets catapulted him to the top brackets of the Canadian reggae music charts and again in 1999 for his Judgement Day CD for the Top Reggae Album of the Year. In November 1999, Kwesi took the African Music Awards by storm as he was the ONLY artist nominated in four of ten categorys for the Bast Band, Album, Composer and was awarded the Best Producer of the Year. Since then the achievements have been steady.
Kwesi definitely has the "reggae music in his brains, Ragga muffin style in his heart, dancehall music in his bones and the Highlife rhythm in his blood". Just like he says in his song "Jungle Road", the Lion's version of John Denver, B. Danoff and T. Nivert's "Take me Home, Country Roads".
Yes, Anywhere in the world. I love playing live, this gives me the oportunity to interact with my fans, and they love it.
Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Culture
Kwesi is a self taught artist, who plays bass drums, persussion.
Kwesi Selassie was the First Continental African to be invited to perform at the 1995 Canadian Reggae Music Awards and the First African to be nominated in 1997 for his boom shaka lacka album False Prophets and again in 1999 for his Judgement Day CD for the Top Reggae Album of the Year. In November 1999, Kwesi Selassie took the African Music Awards by storm as he was the only artist nominated in four of ten categories for the Best Band Album, Composer and was awarded the Best Producer of the Year.
Kwesi presently has ten albums to his credit and is presently working on his eleventh CD " Songs Of Freedom "
Watch for Kwesi's 11th CD " Songs of Freedom" coming soon.
check out his web site @ http://www.kwesiselassie.com
