MARQUIS MELODY BIOGRAFIA

Marquis Melody stands at the crossroads where authentic roots reggae meets world beat. The Oakland, California based singer is a sponge that soaks up a myriad of influences but squeezes them out in the form of solid roots rock reggae.

With his latest release Roots Party he is set to take center stage after recording and performing for close to a decade. The single is a hard hitting composition with the lyrical quest of searching for that place of satisfaction which Marquis describes as a “roots party.” Founded off similar riddim as Sizzla’s “Why Should I” it is the title track for an EP to be released shortly on VP subsidiary VPAL.

He is of Jamaican heritage but born in the United States. During his adolescent and early adult years he spent time living on the island in the Havendale Manning Hills area of Kingston near to the famed districts of White Hall and Cassava Peace that have produced such artist as Turbulence and Mavado. He always knew that music was calling him and learnt to play the trumpet then guitar at an early age. Attending the University of California he took his talents to an even higher level.

Making frequent trips to Jamaica he embarked on a recording career working with some of the island’s top musicians. Breaking the ice taking up residence in studios like Anchor Music Works and Tuff Gong the result was his debut album Straight From The Heart. The nineteen track opus distributed in stores and online featured previously unreleased single Sunshine. With videos for Sunshine and a newer song Hearts of Fire as well as a fair amount of airplay Marquis began to gain a small but loyal following on the West Coast USA and in Europe. So successful was Sunshine that it was even in the early running for a reggae Grammy in 2006/7, though it fell short in votes to make it onto final nominations list. He also made a live performance West Coast run of various clubs and festivals to promote album.

Now with a renewed focus Marquis secured the services of manager Roger Grant in order to make a more serious push towards even greater recognition. Grant is the former manager of Natural Black and explains his reason for taking on Marquis “his sound is unique and his approach is very professional.”

With a music video in the works and a marketing plan in place the only way is up for Marquis Melody and the artist says “I’m ready for it.”