jamarchAward winning reggae crooner Tarrus Riley, who set Catherine Hall ablaze with one of the best performances of the recently held Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, is now confirmed for this year’s Irie Jamboree festival slated for Labor Day Sunday, September 6th at the York College Outdoor Complex in Jamaica, NY. Riley, whose new album ‘Contagious,’ boast tracks like ‘Lion Paw,’ ‘Beware,’ ‘Start A New’ (Cut it Off) and his current smash hit, ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ will be featured in the ‘Roots’ segment with singer Gramps Mogran (currently on tour with John Legend and India Irie), Etana, Queen Ifrica, Tony Rebel, Natural Blacks, Ras Shiloh, Bushman and Ras Penco.
Tarrus Riley is one of the most powerful voices in reggae right now,” states Irie Jamboree executive Louis Grant. “Tarrus is a heavy-hitting talent and we are excited about his performance on Irie Jamboree 2009.”
Tarrus Riley (born Omar Riley) is the son of veteran Jamaican singer Jimmy Riley, formerly of the vocal trio The Uniques, and nurse Lavern Tatham–he therefore refers to his songs as “healing music.” While Tarrus recorded his earliest singles as a precocious teenager for his father’s Love and Promotion label, it was his mother who played the primary role in encouraging his musical talents; she suggested he adopt his birth sign, Taurus, as his stage name back when he initially began deejaying over dancehall beats. Finding deejaying somewhat limiting, Tarrus began to further explore songwriting and singing.
By the time Tarrus released Challenges in 2004, he had tweaked the spelling of his name and sang on each of his self-penned tracks. Impeccably produced by Dean “Sax” Fraser, Challenges (re-released by VP Records in 2008) yielded several Jamaican hits including the unwavering Rastafarian statement “Barber Chair” and a joyous celebration of music “Take Me Higher”. In October 2006, he released his sophomore album Parables, another brilliant production by Dean Fraser, which Billboard Magazine cited as “the quintessence of Jamaica’s roots reggae revival”. The album yielded chart toppers such as the touching acoustic tribute to his infant daughter “Can’t Sleep”, a haunting reggae rendition of John Legend’s “Stay With You” and the indomitable “She’s Royal” which extols female regality and made Tarrus Riley a household name across the Caribbean. “She’s Royal” won almost every music award for which it was nominated throughout the year, including a six trophy royal sweep at Jamaica’s inaugural Reggae Academy Awards in February 2008. Tarrus’s latest album Contagious was released by VP Records earlier this month, and contains the hit single “Human Nature,” a soul-stirring rendition of late Pop King Michael Jackson’s original 1983 hit.
Other acts confirmed for Irie Jamboree 2009 are Grammy winner Sean Paul, Mr. Vegas, TOK, Assassin, Spice, Chino, Barbee, Anthony Cruz and Laden who will perform in the ‘Dancehall Hotshots” segment. Pinchers, Daddy Lizard, Shinehead, Flourgon and Lady G will be featured in the “80s/90s Rub A Dub Session while singers Freddy McGregor, Ken Boothe and Sugar Minott will perform in the “Vintage” segment. Steele, Humble and Tasha T from Toronto, Canada are performers also.
Media Writer
