CAPLETON & THE PROPHECY BAND WITH KULCHA KNOX & JAH THUNDER

NORTH AMERICAN "TURN IT UP" TOUR – OCTOBER / NOVEMBER, 2012

The Jamaican artist Capleton, "The Prophet" is currently the hottest entertainer in the worldwide reggae fraternity. In Jamaica, he is one of the most popular reggae artists on the island itself. On the major Jamaican shows he is consistently towards the top of the billing. This year he is billed as a top artist on Rebel Salute. This October / November, 2012 he is touring North America with his Prophecy Band and Kulcha Knox as the opening act.

When Capleton dropped the tune Alms House in 1992, he established himself as more than an entertainer, but as a guiding light of righteousness through music. "United we stand and divided we fall," he sang for the benefit of his fans and dancehall comrades. "Nuff of them nah go know themself till them back against the wall." Other of his anthem songs are Lotion Man, Good So, Prophet, I-Testament, One Mission and  More Fire.

Many of Capleton's songs "and most of his critics" make mention of this blazing fire. Capleton hopes to clear up the confusion once and for all. "Is not really a physical fire. Is really a spiritual fire, and a wordical fire, and a musical fire. You see the fire is all about a livity. But is people get it on the wrong term. People get confused.So when a man say 'more fire' him think that mean say you fi go light the cane field or go light the church." Fire, Capleton explains, is a way of reminding one‚s brother that they are going astray. "That way a man know say him doing something wrong. That even give him the urge to know say Yo check up on yourself. What you're doing is not right, or else him would not say 'Fire fi dat,' or 'Burn dat' or 'More fire.'" "If we go check it back now," he continues, "fire is for the purification of earth, anyhow you check it. This earth itself have to even emerge from the literal fire also, which is the volcanic activity, we a talk bout lava. The hottest element to rise up in the morning is the sun. The water cleanse, but it's still the support from the fire that burn the water, burn out of the bacteria so the water coulda heal we fi cleanse. The herb heal, but it's still the fire fi burn the herb so the herb coulda heal we also."

The opening act on this tour, Kulcha Knox, also called Naki, is the son of the great Jeff "Free I" Dixon, a well loved Jamaican JBC radio personality and musician. Kulcha Knox' musical calling came at a young age, starting with his uncle's sound system King Majesty. He then moved on to others including Destiny Outernational, where he worked alongside good friends like Garnet Silk, Everton Blender, Utan Green and Tony Rebel. These young talents emerged at a time when reggae had reached a low point and slackness had dominated the Jamaican music scene. Kulcha Knox was a part of the cultural movement of conscious young artists who changed the tide, reviving morality and positive vibes to the dancehall once again.

Entertaining audiences with his uplifting message and high-energy live performances, Kulcha Knox is well received wherever he goes. From community centers to big stage shows, nightclubs to major festivals, he never fails to deliver an exhilarating experience. Kulcha Knox has traveled the world, with many tours to Ethiopia, Rwanda (where he was first given the name 'Naki'), Malawi, Gambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, Europe, the Caribbean, Japan, Israel, Venezuela and North America.

 With songs like One Word, Break Free, Home of Music, Things That You Do (let them be true), and Jah Jah A Me Heart, Naki continues to blaze his own trail, leaving a lasting impression and true representation of Roots and "Kulcha." One of the first things that comes to mind when you hear Naki perform is his great lyrical ability, filled with melody, style and pattern – 100% conscious from the start. Naki considers himself a naturalist whose love of life and the elements is reflected in his works. Kulcha Knox is revered by all who know him as one of solid faith, who walks his talk and brings joy to those around him! When asked what he has to say to the people, his answer was, "Let the word remain 1, the word is LOVE, and the main ingredient of love is honesty."

This North American I-Ternal Fire tour is getting immediate attention being Capleton's  first major US tour since 2009. 

BIOGRAPHY: CAPLETON

Born Clifton George Bailey III on April 13, 1967, in the rural parish of St. Mary, Capleton earned his future stage name from friends who were so impressed with his sharp reasoning skills that they named him after the most famous lawyer in town. From a tender young age, he was a lover of the traveling sound systems, sneaking out at night to catch the vibes until dawn. But it wasn't until he turned 18 and moved to Kingston that he was able to realize his destiny.

In the fast-moving world of dancehall reggae, fame and success are hard to obtain and easy to lose. Fans can be fickle, and trends change in the blink of an eye, leaving most entertainers with painfully short career spans. Only a rare few can remain relevant from year to year, holding their audience's attention and leaving them crying for more. Capleton's lyrics are deep, precise, and thoughtful. His live stage shows are consistently dynamic, explosive performances. Capleton's remarkable staying power and longevity may be his greatest gift.

While the veteran DJ‚s words and works long ago earned him the title of "The Prophet". He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman. His record label, office, and home for his direct supporters is called David House Productions."Anytime you try to uplift righteousness and upliftment of the people them, then you ah go get a fight", says the hottest entertainer in the worldwide reggae fraternity. "Bob Marley come do it and them fight him. And when Bob Marley dead, that's when they start to endorse him. I already aware of this, I am not unaware. So I know the more them fight I is the more I get stronger"

It was Stewart Brown, owner of a Toronto-based sound called African Star, who gave the untested artist his first break, flying him to Canada for a stage show alongside giants like Ninjaman and Flourgon. The audience poured out their appreciation, and he never looked back. When Capleton first burst on the scene in the late 1980s, the dancehall was a very different place than it is today. Slackness and gun talk were the order of the day. This bright promising newcomer announced his arrival with a string of hit songs from "Bumbo Red" to "Number One on the Look Good Chart" and "Lotion Man." Everything he touched hit the sound-good charts, and the youthful artist with the nimble vocabulary and hardcore voice quickly established himself as one of dancehall‚s most reliable hitmakers. But even he could not have predicted that eleven years later, at the start of the new millennium, he would be dancehall's ruling voice.

"I think the people dem see say me really deserve that because of the amount of years me put in," Capleton says, "and we never really bow and we still hold the faith. We stand up for whatever we a say. Yeah and we really work for it. And them say by your works, a so you get your pay. The people them see the amount of fight me face and the whole heap of accusation. And me still never give up"

When he dropped the tune "Alms House" in 1992, Capleton established himself as more than an entertainer but as a guiding light of righteousness through music. "United we stand and divided we fall," he sang for the benefit of his fans and dancehall comrades. "Nuff of them nah go know themself till them back against the wall." A few years later he came back with yet another antidote to the clashing and rivlary that had taken hold of the dancehall business. "Music is a mission," he reminded his fellow artists, "not a competition. Some man use the music to cause confusion." The path of this dancehall Prophet was clearly established in 1994 with a string of songs that declared his newfound faith in Rastafari. "INI sight up the light and see say really, yunno, Rasta is real," he recalls. "founder of the world, because Rasta did come set the trend. Y‚unnerstand. Rasta is life."

The first words of his mega-hit "Dis The Trinity" made it plain that the DJ had experienced some kind of revelation. "I was once lost but now I‚m found," he stated, "Selassie I live every time." Capleton became a strong advocate of the teaching of the Jamaican National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and advocate of universal black repatriation. "Babylon rewarded us with hatred for our love," he declares. "They taught us to rape, steal and kill. For instance, they stole our literature and taught it back to us in a different manner so as to infiltrate our minds with foolishness and other misconceptions. Now we as black men do not see ourselves as prince and prophets, but as punks and guys. Our women do not see themselves as queens, princesses or empresses anymore, but as harlots and concubines." The only solution, as Bob Marley advocated, is to emancipate oneself from mental slavery.

"Over the years INI as a nation and a people, them no really teach INI nuttin‚ bout INI black self. You know I mean? Them teach INI them give we European philosophy. So INI and some other youths a try emerge now, we ask certain question and we ask fi certain things. Caw we know say an institute, or in a college, or in a certain organization we need we Ethiopian curriculum, we need the black man thing. We need to know about weself. Becaw the prophet Marcus Garvey did show we say, A nation without no knowledge of them own history is like a tree without a root. And if you don‚t know where you‚re coming from, you‚re not gonna know where you‚re going."

Even as he uplifts the black race, Capleton always makes a point of clarifying that he does not seek to alienate any race. "We are not being racial nor prejudiced star," he says. "Becaw we know Jah is for everyone. But where history and prophesy in concerned, that is our witness and we have to be ourself, and we cannot hide from the truth. Caw we woulda be a traitor and a sellout to ourself. And you cannot sell out yourself."

Soon thereafter came the song "Tour" a blazing state of the dancehall report written in the weeks following the slaying of Panhead and Dirtsman, two of Capleton's fellow artists. That song not only became an anthem of the roots revival within the dancehall, but a hip hop flavored remix of that song hit the Billboard charts, opening up a huge new audience to Capleton's messages of righteousness.

There followed a relationship with Def Jam records, who released two Capleton albums, Prophecy and I-Testament, which featured memorable collaborations with rap stars like Method Man and Q-Tip. Both records were warmly accepted by the international audience, but as the millennium drew to a close, Capleton sensed that it was time to return to his core audience. He had work to do. "I have to be myself, right? And I only can be me," he reasons. "So whichever way fi make me be me, I work with dat. Y'understand."

Capleton is now at the height of his powers. 1999 and 2000 brought a ceaseless string of sound system favorite and dancehall chart toppers like the anti-violence anthem "Jah Jah City" and "Good In Her Clothes," a message of respect for the sisters who carry themselves like Empresses rather than. But even as he completes his mission of upliftment, Capleton has had many critics. One of his biggest hits, in fact, is addressed the naysayers in the press and the ivory towers of power. "Critics won't leave I alone," chats the Prophet. "They say they can't take the fire weh me put pon Rome"

Many of Capleton's songs "and most of his critics" make mention of this blazing fire. Capleton hopes to clear up the confusion once and for all. "Is not really a physical fire. Is really a spiritual fire, and a wordical fire, and a musical fire. You see the fire is all about a livity. But is people get it on the wrong term. People get confused.So when a man say 'more fire' him think that mean say you fi go light the cane field or go light the church." Fire, Capleton explains, is a way of reminding one‚s brother that they are going astray. "That way a man know say him doing something wrong. That even give him the urge to know say Yo check up on yourself. What you're doing is not right, or else him would not say 'Fire fi dat,' or 'Burn dat' or 'More fire.'" "If we go check it back now," he continues, "fire is for the purification of earth, anyhow you check it. This earth itself have to even emerge from the literal fire also, which is the volcanic activity, we a talk bout lava. The hottest element to rise us in the morning is the sun. The water cleanse, but it's still the support from the fire that burn the water, burn out of the bacteria so the water coulda heal we fi cleanse. The herb heal, but it's still the fire fi burn the herb so the herb coulda heal we also."

Capleton's discography includes Number One Pon the Look Good Chart — 1991, Lotion Man — 1991, Alms House — 1993, Good So — 1994, Prophecy — 1995, I-Testament — 1997, One Mission (compilation) — 1999, More Fire — 2000, Still Blazin' — 2002, Voice of Jamaica, Vol.3 — 2003, Praises To The King — 2003, The People Dem — 2004, Reign of Fire — 2004, Duppy Man (featured with Chase & Status), Free Up — 2006, Hit Wit Da 44 Rounds — 2007, Rise Them Up — 2007, Bun Friend — 2008, Yaniko Roots — 2008, Jah Youth Elevation — 2008 and Iternal Fire — 2008.

BIOGRAPHY: KULCHA KNOX

Kulcha Knox i.k.a. Naki was born April 15th, 1965 in the lush mountain parish of Manchester, Jamaica. His father was the great Jeff "Free I" Dixon, a well loved JBC radio personality and musician amongst many other achievements. The musical calling came at a young age for Knox Dixon, starting with his uncle's sound system King Majesty. He then moved on to others including Destiny Outernational, where he worked alongside good friends like Garnet Silk, as well as Everton Blender, Utan Green and Tony Rebel, all of whom emerged at a time when reggae had reached a low point and slackness had saturated the Jamaican music scene. Knox was a part of the cultural movement of conscious young artists who changed the tide, restoring positive vibes in the dancehall once again.

It's a hard road to travel and a mighty long way to go, but this humble singjay with an original sound and style has been chanting roots & culture all the while. His first album PRAISE JAH AGAINwas released in 1997 on the Kariang imprint. He has also worked with other top labels over the years including Digital B, Xterminator, Jammy's, Penthouse, Roof International and Star Trail… He has combined forces with numerous veteran artists such as Sade "King of Sorrow" remix), Charley Pride "Kiss An Angel Good Morning", Capleton "Big Time Event" and "Punch Line Fi Hit", Everton Blender "Ethiopia Calling" and Jack Radics "Let My People Go". Knox also voiced the international hit single "Anything For You" with Snow, Nadine Sutherland, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Louie Culture & Terror Fabulous, "More Problem" with Mystic Revealers, as well as songs with Jah Mali, Doniki, Josey Wales, Messenjah Selah, Toussaint, several recordings with Garnet Silk… and the list goes on.

Entertaining audiences with his uplifting message and high-energy live performances, Kulcha Knox is well received wherever he makes an appearance. From community centers to big stage shows, nightclubs to major festivals, he never fails to deliver an exhilarating experience. Whether on a solo mission, with King Shango and the David House Crew or other major artists, he has traveled the world, with many tours to Africa — Ethiopia, Rwanda (where he was first given the name 'Naki') Malawi, Gambia, Angola, Ivory Coast, all of Europe, most of the Caribbean, Japan,Israel, Venezuela and across America. His recent performances on the West Coast, particularly in California, have brought much recognition and critical acclaim. With various new projects and collaborations in the works, look out for Knox to receive continued major exposure on the international reggae scene. 

With songs like "One Word", "Break Free", "Home of Music", "Things That You Do" (let them be true), and "Jah Jah A Me Heart", Naki continues to blaze his own trail, leaving a lasting impression and true representation of Roots and "Kulcha." One of the first things that comes to mind when you hear Naki is his great lyrical ability, filled with melody, style & pattern. 100% conscious from the start, he considers himself a naturalist whose love of life and the elements is reflected in his good words & works. Kulcha Knox is revered and respected by all who know him as one of solid faith, who walks his talk and brings joy to those around him! When asked what he has to say to the people, his answer was simple and to the point:

"Let the word remain 1, the word is LOVE, and the main ingredient of love is honesty." ~ Kulcha "Naki" Knox

"Naki is an authentic, organic roots & culture artist! One of the few remaining and I admire and raspect him for that. 'One Word' is one a my favorite songs, 1 Naki, there's none like him, original deejay from longtime!" ~Tarrus Riley

"Naki is the epitome of humility" ~ Sister Carol

"I have known Kulcha Knox over 20 years, and also had the pleasure to work with him in studio and also on the road. He is the most humble and kind artist I know, pure vibes, powerful vocals and lyrically strong, conscious and skilled. Kulcha Knox is an example." ~ Prezident Brown

"It's pure joy to watch this artist perform. The stage presence and confidence take the audience on a trip to a place I call Paradise, for lack of a better word. Being around him is a feeling of love and brotherhood. For an artist so talented, and I mean this; I truly feel honored to know and work with this bredren! Straight up, He's the best at what he does!" ~Messenjah Selah

"On and off the stage, Kulcha Knox is a benevolent Incient soul that has a positive irits to Rasta music and it is a pleasure to have warriors like these on the front lines of the battle of Good over Evil."  ~ Steve Newland -The Lightning – Rootz Underground

"Kulcha NAKI is one of the tuffest dj in the reggae biz… A GREAT PERFORMER, GREAT LYRICIST and most of all very humble…Definitely one of the unsung heroes of reggae music…."~Mikey General

"Naki is the original riddim rider, one of the foundation deejay's that influence a generation or two, and still hot like fire!" ~Jesse Jendah

"Naki is a good-hearted Rasta man from birth who show Raspect to everyone, if I had to describe Naki, I would use one word — LOVE. Naki full up of nothing but love and that's a true sound coming from Bobo Rems and the Rebellion Camp" ~ Bobo Rems

Contact: Peter Wardle
King's Music International
Phone: (510) 326-8445 or online at reggaeangl@aol.com
http://www.kingsmusicinternational.com