King Shadrock and the Untouchable
Biography :
Carried by a charismatic leader and determined to break through on the international scene, the reggae lyrics from the 2012 silver recipient of the Syli d’or des musiques du monde call for freedom, peace and justice.
Born Howard Johnson in Jamaica, King Shadrock is now one of Canada’s most appreciated reggae singers. Sometimes called “Little Buju,” in reference to reggae master Buju Banton, he has in common with him a powerful, raucous voice, ideal for conveying his messages. But among his influences, he mostly cites Bob Marley, Sizzla and Lenny Kravitz.
When he arrived in Canada in 1994, he settled first in Toronto and then moved to Québec. It has been nearly 20 years since King Shadrock left his Jamaican homeland, 20 years that he has been singing, recording and performing on stage in Canada and abroad, almost non-stop. Soon after arriving in Canada, he played with the High Energy Band. In the following years, he also accompanied artists such as Sanchez, Singing Melody, Everton Blender, Scare Dem Crew, Louie Culture, Big Youth and Dobby Dobson.
In the early 2000s, King Shadrock was part of the group Full Vibes, with which he brought out the albums People Get Ready and United States of Africa. In association with Morgan Heritage and Chaka Demus & Pliers, they took part in a major tour of South Africa in 2002. During those years, King Shadrock also went several times to the Seychelles for tours and educational projects. He was No. 1 in record sales there several times.
In 2005, he recorded his album Moving Forward, which earned him the Toronto International Reggae Music award for best song, with Shotta. Since then, he has toured worldwide. In 2009, he brought out a disc titled Mr. Untouchable and then resume touring. His travels have brought him in particular to Montréal, to the 2010 edition of Nuits d’Afrique, and then throughout the Caribbean in 2011. That same year, his latest album, Golden Voice came out. He later won the 2012 Syli d’argent.
King Shadrock and the Untouchable
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