:This article is about the Jamaican reggae singer. For the fictional characters from the His Dark Materials trilogy, see Gyptians.
Gyptian (born Windel Beneto Edwards, 25 October 1983, Oldham, England) is an English-born Jamaican reggae singer. He often appears with roots reggae songs within the reggae subgenre dancehall.
Gyptain best known hits include Serious Times, Mama, Beautiful Lady, I Can Feel Your Pain, Love Against The Wall, Hold You and She's My Lady
Biography
Born to a
Seventh-day Adventist mother and
Rastafarian father, Gyptian received his musical calling at the age of seven, when he began singing in the
church. Recognizing his talent, his parents introduced him to Mr. Wong, a
record producer from
Portmore,
St. Catherine. "I did not take it seriously," said Gyptian "My family members have always been carrying me to Portmore to see him, but I usually disappear. One day, they dropped me off at his studio and left me and it all began there."
Under the guidance of Mr. Wong and Earl Chinna Smith, Gyptian honed his sound, winning the 2004 Star Search talent competition at Kens Wild Flower Lounge in Portmore, earning him a spot at Sting 2004, dubbed the 'greatest one night reggae show on earth'.
The singer earned his nickname from his habit of tying a shirt around his head and twisting his chin hair like an Egyptian pharaoh.
In 2005 he scored two hits, "Is There A Place" on the Seasons Riddim and "Serious Times".
Nominated for Best New Entertainer at the 2006 International Reggae and World Music Awards, the singer has been dominating the Jamaician charts with hits including "Is There a Place", "Beautiful Lady", and the chart-topping ballad, "Mama, Don't Cry".
His style of reggae music is considered lovers rock and roots reggae, with songs about political issues and love. His musical and lyrical style has been compared to established Jamaican artists, such as Sizzla, Luciano and Beres Hammond.
On 12 September 2006, Gyptian released his first album on VP Records. On 12 December 2007, Gyptian, while in New York, shot the music video for his new single, "I Can Feel Your Pain" (Cloud Nine Riddim) Produced by Jon FX. The song was the first to be confirmed to appear on his album "I Can Feel Your Pain" which was released in 2008.
2010 & Crossover success
As of the end of May 2010, his single "Hold Yuh" had peaked at number 91 on the
Billboard Hot 100, number 33 on the
Billboard R&B;/Hip-Hop Chart, number 6
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US Heat
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My Name is Gyptian
Released: 18 September 2006
Label: VP Records
Genre: Reggae music
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I Can Feel Your Pain
Released: 3 November 2008
Label: VP Records
Genre: Reggae music
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|rowspan=2| 2010
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Revelations
Released: 8 June 2010
Label: Flava Mcgregor Rec
Genre: Reggae music
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Hold You
Released: 19 July 2010
Label: VP Records
Genre: Reggae music
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Singles
See also
Reggae
Reggae fusion
Bob Marley
References
External links
Article about Gyptian in the Jamaica Star
Conversation with Gyptian from celebrityplus.net
Hold You MV
Category:Jamaican reggae musicians
Category:Reggae fusion artists
Category:1983 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Oldham
