Jamaican singer Zamunda combines the lyrical stylings of traditional, conscious reggae with slick, contemporary R&B production and songwriting. After two self-produced albums, he broke out internationally in 2021 with a remixed version of his hit "Jah Love Surround Me," featuring Popcaan. Born Christopher Gayle in 1985 in Seville Heights, St. Ann, he came to music early, writing his first song at the age of seven. He suffered from a stutter, which went away when he sang; friends told him he should just sing what he wanted to say. Taking his stage name from that of the fictional African country in the film Coming to America, he started as a deejay, but switched to singing in his late teens when he found the gruff toasting style was hurting his voice. Coming to attention in his 2010 hit collaboration with I-Octane, "Badder than Dem," he blew up the following year with his own smash, "Jah Love Surround Me," which went on to become his signature song. His blend of reggae and R&B, rich baritone, and positive message of love and justice struck a chord with listeners, and a string of further hits followed, including "One People," "Still A Pray fi Dem," "Working 9-5," "Science Dem A Work," "Talk and Stutter" -- in which he self-deprecatingly poked fun at his own speech impediment -- and "Cyaan Program Me." Zamunda digitally released his self-produced debut album, Scripts and Scrolls, in 2017, and delivered the follow-up, Paradise on Earth, in 2020. His international breakout came in 2021 after rival singer Popcaan beat him in a soundclash by dropping his own biggest hit, "Jah Love Surround Me." Reflecting on the continued popularity of the song, he contacted Popcaan and asked him to collaborate on a remix. The new version, also featuring Dre Island, rode on the added star power to become an even bigger hit than the original, and saw Zamunda draw international attention for the first time. The singles "Live On," "Running from Love," "Valley," and "Protection" followed swiftly, all in the same year, and Popcaan returned the favor by featuring Zamunda alongside members of his Unruly Camp on the Solid Focus Riddim EP. ~ John D. Buchanan, Rovi

Zamunda

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