Wayne Wonder
Dancehall and reggae provided a foundation for Jamaica-born singer Wayne Wonder (born Von Wayne Charles). But his later albums -- Schizophrenic and Da Vibe -- veered further and further toward hip-hop and rap. His collaborations include work with J'son from Soul for Real, Foxy Brown, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes from TLC. This resulted in even greater success for Wonder. Five tunes from Da Vibe were in rotation by commercial radio stations throughout the Caribbean.
Born in Franklin Town, a small village near Rae Town in eastern Jamaica, Wonder has been singing most of his life. His mother sang with the choir at the Galilee Gospel Church. Writing his first songs at the age of 13, Wonder launched his career when he accepted an invitation to perform every Wednesday night at Metro Media in Allman Town. Although he impressed Sly Dunbar during an audition at Sonic Sounds, Dunbar's commitment to touring with Black Uhuru prevented him from signing the young singer.
The turning point in Wonder's career came when he met influential producer and record company owner King Tubby. Under Tubby's direction, he recorded his first single, "Long and Lasting Love," in 1985. Tubby's premature death shortly afterward put a damper on Wonder's success. He recalled in a late-'90s interview, "In my bed one morning, I heard the news that they shot him in his yard. An' my head mash up 'cause this was the first producer who embrace me an' decide to work with me."
Although he recorded a few more singles with other producers at Sonic Sounds, Wonder continued to falter. Things began to improve after reconnecting with Dave Kelly, a primary-school friend who had become a much-respected recording engineer. Working together, Wonder and Kelly produced a long series of hit singles, including original songs such as "Saddest Day," "Talk About," "Live and Learn," "Excess Amount," "Glamour Girl," "Sweet and Sour," "Bashment Girl," "Rainbow," "Searching Dem Searching," and "Warm Jamaican Christmas" -- and covers of American pop tunes ("Fast Car" and "Anything for You").
Wonder played an important role in the success of Buju Banton, writing Banton's early hits "Murderer," "Deportee," and "Boom Bye Bye"; recording a duet ("Bonafide Love [Movie Star]"); and touring the world together. When Banton signed with United States-based Mercury Records, his decision to work as a soloist was a severe setback for Wonder. Attempting to resurrect his career, Wonder formed a band, Alias, with each musician performing under a pseudonym. Dave Kelly, for example, was known as the Stranger, Baby Cham became Herman, Frisco Kid became Bops, Frankie Sly became Jake Dem, and Wonder took the name Surprise. As an offshoot of Alias, the Entourage featured Demo Delgado and Showki-Ru and represented the only project in which Wonder played an instrument.
Wonder launched his own record label, Singso, in 2000. Wonder's career exploded globally in 2003 when his album No Holding Back and the single "No Letting Go" were released on major-label Atlantic. The smooth single dominated urban radio in America, and a slew of compilations featuring old Wonder tracks flooded the market. One of the best, Trojan's Inna Bashment Style, was released in 2005. He returned with a new album in 2007, when Foreva climbed into the Top Five on Billboard's Reggae Album chart. Five years later, after leaving the VP label and forming his own Singso imprint, My Way landed with guest appearances from Mya and Shaggy. The album also featured production from Stephen McGregor and the Miami-based team Riddim Fingaz.
© Craig Harris /TiVo
Discografia
67 album • Ordinato per Bestseller
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Carrying It
Dancehall - Pubblicato da Frankie Music il 22 giu 2018
Disponibile in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Diwali
Wayne Wonder, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man
Reggae - Pubblicato da Greensleeves Records il 22 apr 2010
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
No Holding Back
Reggae - Pubblicato da VP Records il 1 feb 2016
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Don't Have To
Reggae - Pubblicato da VP Records il 15 mag 2006
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Collectors Series-Wayne Wonder
Reggae - Pubblicato da VP Records il 7 set 1999
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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Penthouse Flashback Series (Wayne Wonder) Vol. 1
Reggae - Pubblicato da Penthouse Records Distributors Ltd il 4 gen 2013
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
Ska e rocksteady - Pubblicato da Maurice Gregory il 16 apr 2021
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Wanye Wonder
Dancehall - Pubblicato da Penthouse Records Distributors Ltd il 22 feb 1999
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
All Original Boomshell
Reggae - Pubblicato da VP Records il 15 ago 2006
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
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Gonna Love You
Reggae - Pubblicato da VP Records il 5 feb 2007
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
The One (ft Shaggy & Wayne Wonder)
Dj Norie, Shaggy, Wayne Wonder
Dancehall - Pubblicato da SE Media Group il 1 mar 2024
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Combo (Back & Forth)
Dancehall - Pubblicato da Maximum Sound il 13 gen 2023
Disponibile in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
One More Chance
Hip-Hop/Rap - Pubblicato da Pickout il 25 feb 2023
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Reggae Generals
Dancehall - Pubblicato da Reggae Library il 30 ago 2024
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
I Dont Know Why
Reggae - Pubblicato da Shhbang Entertainment Records il 10 mar 2023
Disponibile in24-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Da Vibe
Dancehall - Pubblicato da Madhouse Records il 21 lug 2000
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
Too Much Lulaa Lay
Generi vari - Pubblicato da Maximum Sound il 10 nov 2023
Disponibile in16-Bit/44.1 kHz Stereo -
TUN UP
Ska e rocksteady - Pubblicato da SINGSO MUSIC AND MLG RECORDZ il 25 apr 2024
Disponibile in24-Bit/48 kHz Stereo -
Party All Night Long
Africa - Pubblicato da 1 House Records & Kaos Music il 15 apr 2022
Disponibile in24-Bit/96 kHz Stereo