Bryan Art (formerly ''Brah Yhan'' or ''Brahyhan Art''), born Bryan Joseph Grant in Murray Mount,

Saint Ann Parish Saint Ann () is the largest parish in Jamaica. It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the county of Middlesex, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called "the Garden Parish of Jamaica" on ...

is a Jamaican

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

singer, songwriter, musician, producer, and guitarist. He is a former touring member of the Legendary Fire House Crew and band leader/guitarist of the Grass Roots Band. He was named Best New Artist in the year 2002 by Television Jamaica's ''ER'' (''Entertainment Report'').

Biography

Background

Bryan Art was born in Murray Mount, a

rural community Rural Sociologists have identified a number of different types of rural communities, which have arisen as a result of changing economic trends within rural regions of industrial nations. The basic trend seems to be one in which communities a ...

in the Parish of

Saint Ann, Jamaica Saint Ann () is the largest parish in Jamaica. It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the county of Middlesex, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called "the Garden Parish of Jamaica" on ...

, a few miles away from Nine Mile, where Reggae legend

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

was born. Bryan, the youngest of 12 children, was raised in a home where most of his family members were musically inclined. As a young boy, Bryan emulated his eldest brother Ray, a musician and singer who had several recordings. However, it was his mother who first taught him how to play the guitar. Grant left Murray Mount in the late 1980s and moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where he currently resides. In the mid-1990s, Bryan attended The Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts. While attending the college, Grant was discovered and recruited by band leader George Miller (Fyah George) of the Firehouse Crew. He was asked to join the band as lead guitarist, providing musical support for Philip "Fatis" Burrell's Xterminator Production artists Luciano, Mikey General and Sizzla. A few years later, Grant became co-founder and band leader of Grass Roots Band, which supported and toured with Reggae artist Bushman. He also filled in occasionally as a guitarist on tours with Black Uhuru.

Brah Yhan to Bryan Art transition

In 2001, Grant released his first single as a solo artist using the stage name "Brah Yhan", which is a moniker and customized spelling/pronunciation in

Jamaican Patois Jamaican Patois (; locally rendered Patwah and called Jamaican Creole by linguists) is an English-based creole language with influences from West African, Arawak, Spanish and other languages, spoken primarily in Jamaica and among the Jamaican ...

of the name Bryan. The track was titled ''Soon Come Back.'' This song was produced by Grant with Courtney Morrison for FiWi Music Label, who had signed him previously. In 2002, Brah Yhan was awarded the Best New Artiste of the year by Television Jamaica's ''ER''. Over a 3-year period, Brah Yhan recorded and released several other songs, the majority under the FiWi Music Label, including "When Your Eyes Speak," "Stain," "Hug Me Baby", and "Wrong Time". However, Grant's most notable releases are "Rock And Come In" in 2004 and "Get It" in 2005. In the same year, Bryan cut ties with FiWi Music and changed his stage name to Brahyhan Art. In 2009, after his hit song "Murder Dem A Play" was released he changed his name for a second time to Bryan Art. In 2010, Art released his debut album titled ''Bryan Art 20Ten'' on the Junction File/Jah Chin Label. In 2012, he registered his record label, Junction Files. In 2013, Bryan Art repackaged ''Bryan Art 20Ten'' and re-titled it ''Bryan Art'' with some changes to the track line up. He entered into a distribution agreement with AL.TA.FA.AN/ VPAL Music Label. The following year (2014), he formed The File 13 Band which consisted of a few talented young musicians he recruited from his

Alma Mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

. Later that year, he released ''Fresh Start EP'' on his own Junction Files Label.

Career

Art has performed at several local and international shows including the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, Rebel Salute, ATI, Fully Loaded, St. Mary Mi Come From, Unity Splash, and Reggae Month event. He was appointed Reggae Month Ambassador for 2014. Art has appeared on national television shows including TVJ's '' Smile Jamaica'', ''Entertainment Prime'', CVM TV's ''On Stage'' and ''CVM at Sunrise'', among others. His international appearances included tours of the Caribbean, United States, Europe and Canada. In Europe, he performed at Reggae Jam 2011. In Canada, he performed at Calgary International Reggae Festival in 2012. As a songwriter, he has penned songs for artists such as

Etana Etana (, ''E.TA.NA'') was the thirteenth king of the first dynasty of Kish, according to the ''Sumerian King List''. He is listed as the successor of Arwium, the son of Mashda, as king of Kish. The list also calls Etana "the shepherd, who asc ...

, George Nooks, Singing Melody, Bushman, and Luciano. As a musician, he has recorded scores of Guitar tracks on many local and international projects including The Sunshine Riddim on

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado ( , ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. Critics have noted ...

's " Turn Off The Light" (Reggae Mix), The Natty Bay Riddim on her song " ... On the Radio (Remember the Days)." He appears on Queen Ifrica's hit song "Far Away" Acoustic remix. He has been featured in Reggae magazines and websites such as ''United Reggae'', Reggaeville, Reggae France and Irie Mag. He has also been featured on several international blogs including

Jamendo Jamendo is a Luxembourg-based music website and an open community of independent artists and music lovers. A subsidiary of Belgian company Llama Group, and Independent Management Entity (IME) since 2019. Originally, Jamendo was a music platform ...

in 2014. Today, Bryan Art has appeared on several

Reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

Dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

Riddim In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

s along with some of the leading

recording artist A musician is someone who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate a person who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters, ...

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Bibliography

''A Fresh Start For Bryan Art'', www.reggaeearthunited.com

Bryan Art on www.mtv.com

''Bryan Art Knowledge Is The Power music video'', www.topshelfreggae.com

Bryan Art on www.onlylyrics.com

References

External links

Get it by Bryan Art

Soon Come Back by Bryan Art

Rock & Come In by Bryan Art

Fresh Start E.P by Bryan Art

Bryan Art epk/bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Art, Bryan 1977 births Living people Jamaican reggae singers Jamaican guitarists Jamaican male guitarists Jamaican male songwriters 21st-century guitarists 21st-century Jamaican male singers