Andrew Bees was born
Oneil Norman Beckford on May 17,1972 and grew up in the Waterhouse community of Kingston, Jamaica, an area with a very rich history in Reggae/Dancehall music.
In this podcast you will hear in the artist's own words his experience growing up as a youth during hard economic and political drifts in his native country. Bees extended a real insiders take at what it was like as a young man roaming among some reggae stalwarts and his eventual transition to performing internationally and recording with them.
Bees also spoke about the influence of his father, his solo career, and ongoing relationship with the first Grammy Award winning reggae group
"Black Uhuru." Most shocking of the night was Andrews Bees candid revelation of his very close long time brotherhood and working relations with producer
Fitzroy Francis of Mightyful13 Records, who Bees gave credit for introduced him to
Derrick "Duckie" Simpson among many things.
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| Andrew Bees Better Must Come Cover |
In this candid interview with
Empress Skortcher of
Global Linkz
Radio, Andrew Bees explained the significant if the # 13 and of him recording "Better
Must Come," explaining that while he was an infant at time of the
release of song, his father
"Marmalade" later gave him the history
regarding the song being used in 1972 as a political campaign theme song
to bring hope and motivation to the struggling people of Jamaica.
He
also shared insight that the inspiration to record the song came as he
and Fitzroy Francis was on the Black Uhuru 2012 West Coast tour and
Francis was singing the song while chilling off stage in a hotel.
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| Mightyful13 Producer Fitzroy Francis |
In 2009 Bees migrated to the US where while now refocused on his solo
career bees remains a "for hire" vocalist for Black Uhuru with their
last tour being a massive 2012 US tour on which they performed in
various West Coast states.
With the reunion with his long
time protegee and New York base Record Producer Fitzroy Francis in
January 2012, Bees recorded
"Something Strange" on the
"Mighty In
Battle Riddim" for Mightyful 13 Records which went # 8 on the Foundation
Radio Network/New York Top 30 Music chart.
Later in September
2012, Andrew Bees officially singed a recording deal with Mightful13
Records commencing his current project with the label, he recorded his
first tribute
"Better Must Come" to the late great
Delroy Wilson which has given rise to a
upsurge in Andrew Bees' presence on an international level as a solo
vocalist. This song has spread like wild fire receiving radio air play
and charting in New York and South Florida. As of the date of this
press release, "Better Must Come" is in the # 2 position on
Clinton
Lindsey's Foundation Radio Network/New York Top 30 Music Chart and # 21
on
South Florida's Top 25 Reggae Chart.
Empress Skortcher predicts that the single will continue soaring
reaching higher heights globally.
Bees is currently working on
his second tribute to Delroy Wilson,
"Cool Operator" which was already
recorded as part of a collaborative album on the
"Operator2013 Riddim
Velocity" under Mightyful13 Records. This Album will include other
artists such as
Zanadu,
BassieDee,
Little Hero,
Shanti High, King
Mellowman and Spain's Reggae artist
Tete Man Levi plus others. Which
will be distributed digitally worldwide by Mightyful13/VP Records (Vpal
Dist).
More About Andrew Bees.
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| 100 Artist Ghetto Bash 1993 |
Andrew Bees started singing at the tender age of 14, when in 1986 he became a regular performer on the popular
"Colgate Cavity Fighters Club" program on
Radio Jamaica (R.J.R.).
As he advanced his skills, he began singing among reggae all-star performers such as
Augustus Pablo,
Half Pint,
Hugh Mundel,
Junior Reid,
Locksley Castell, and
Wayne "Sleng Teng" Smith among others.
1989/1990, Andrew Bees recorded his first songs for Castro Brown's "New Name Music" productions, namely
"Life In The Ghetto," "Struggle and Strive" and
"Be Cool."
His live performance career started in 1993 with Bees appearing on
Bunny Wailer's 100 Artist
"Ghetto Bash Concert" at the Jam World Entertainment Center in Jamaica.
In 1991, Bees and his childhood friend Fitzroy Francis collaborated in the recording and production of the single
"Things A Gwan Things A Go Dun" which led the the production of Bees first solo studio album
"Militant" The was entirely produced by Fitzroy Francis for
Music Lion Production Label later being released and distributed in 1995 by
R.A.S Record in the United States and Sony Records in Japan.
In 1996, Andrew Bees first toured in Brazil as a guest vocalist for "Black Uhuru." In the following year, he officially became rooted as the lead vocalist for the group. Since then Andrew Bees has toured extensively with the group throughout Europe, North American, and South America.
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| Andrew Bees Live |
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| Dubbin It Live DVD |
As a member of the group, Andrew Bees recorded the album "Unification" in 1998 which was produced by the legendary
King Jammy who also produced Black Uhuru's first studio album
"Black Sounds of Freedom" in 1977. In 2000 Andrew Bees recorded his second studio album
"Dynasty" with the group, for the US based
R.A.S. Records Label. In the same year, Black Uhuru toured Europe and the US with the Great
"Sly and Robbie." Subsequently, in 2002
"Dubbing It Live" CD which feature live performances recorded at
Paléo Festival with Black Uhuru and "Sly and Robbie" was released.
As years passed, Andrew Bees decided to continue pursuing a solo career releasing his sophomore album
"Iration" produced by Guyana based
Walter Fraser, released July 24, 2006 on the label
Vizion Sounds.
LONDON,
UK: Pop-reggae diva JC Lodge released her new EP, titled
“Comfort Zone,” Tuesday, February 12, 2013 on iTunes.