Nasio Fontaine

b. Dominique, West Indies. Fontaine was the youngest of seven siblings and spent his childhood immersed in the local music scene, although it was the neighbouring Jamaican sounds that had the most influence on him. In 1981, Fontaine migrated to St. Martin where he worked for five years to finance his first recording in 1987. The sessions resulted in the singer’s debut, ‘Born To Be Free’, that proved a hit throughout the Caribbean. He promoted the release touring the islands, which led to his arrival in Jamaica. By 1992 he embarked on sessions at the Mixing Lab studios where he recorded his debut, Reggae Power. The album surfaced in 1994 and led to a US promotional tour where Fontaine signed with Aphelion Productions Inc. The partnership led to the album’s re-release, and it was selected as Best Reggae Album in 1996 by Reggae Roots International Magazine. He was recognised as Best New Artist by Gavin Magazine, as well as receiving nominations from the Tamika Reggae Awards and The Canadian Reggae Music Awards. Fontaine also enjoyed acclaim for the promo-video that accompanied ‘Wanna Go Home’ from Rockers TV and The Beat Magazine. Fontaine had embraced the Rastafarian religion and his works demonstrated his commitment to his faith. The video was filmed on a plot of land donated to the Nyahbinghi men by Bob Marley and the Dominican singer was granted permission to film in the sacred tabernacle. His second album included the classic ‘Black Tuesday’, a condemnation of the oppression of Rastafarians in Dominique, where the authorities tried to subdue the increased assemblage of the creed. Other notable tracks included ‘Rainbow Generation’, the prophetic ‘Truth Will Reveal’ and ‘Jah Glory’. In 2007, Dominique presented Fontaine with the Sisserou Award Of Honour.

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