Nasio Fontaine, also known simply as Nasio, is a

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 ...

artist from the

Commonwealth of Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

Biography

Nasio is the youngest of seven children born to a

Kalinago The Kalinago, also called Island Caribs or simply Caribs, are an Indigenous people of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. They may have been related to the Mainland Caribs (Kalina) of South America, but they spoke an unrelated language know ...

mother and father of African descent, in the village of Carte-Bois.Hamilton, Andrew
Nasio Biography
,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, retrieved 2011-02-27 When he was eight years old, Nasio began singing in the Bagatelle school and the village Catholic church choirs. Nasio had a habit of making instruments out of everything he could find. His father, Atto, made his very first instrument, a piece of board with

fishing lines Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

for strings.Jebbinson, André (2007)
Caribbean Flavour Series - Fontaine's natural rhythm unbeatable
, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the Western Hemisphere. Original ...

'', 4 February 2007, retrieved 2011-02-27 He was inspired at an early age by calypso artists and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

musicians such as

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...

Sam Cooke Samuel Cooke (; January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential soul music, soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred to as the "King of Soul" for his distin ...

, and

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...

. In 1981, he moved from Dominica to the island of

St. Maarten Sint Maarten () is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean region of North America. With a population of 58,477 as of June 2023 on an area of , it encompasses the southern 44% of the divided island of ...

where he became influenced by

Rastafari Rastafari is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion. There is no central authori ...

and reggae artists such as Joseph Hill,

Burning Spear Winston Rodney Order of Distinction, OD (born 1 March 1945), better known by the stage name Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, vocalist, and musician. Burning Spear is a Rastafarian movement, Rastafarian and one of the ...

, Jacob Miller, and

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 ...

, to whom he is often compared. He recorded his first 12-inch single "Born to Be Free" in 1986, which sold over 5,000 copies in St. Maarten (the island's biggest ever selling single), and followed it with the EP ''Babylon is Falling'' in 1990. His first full-length CD ''Reggae Power'' (1994) was followed by ''Wolf Catcher'' (1997) and ''Revolution'' (1999). ''Living in the Positive'' was released by Ras Records in 2004. In 2005 Nasio recorded the album ''Universal Cry'' at Long View in

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

and

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...

's Real World Studios in the UK; collaborating with producer Richard Evans. ''Universal Cry'' was released on the

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationers' Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English F ...

record label in the summer of 2006 to critical acclaim. Fontaine's popularity has spread to Africa, where he performed in 2006. He also performed at the

Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...

in the UK in 2007.Glastonbury announces full line-up
, ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'', 4 June 2007, retrieved 2011-02-27 A compilation of material from his earlier albums, ''Rise Up'', was released in 2007.Cooke, Mel (2007)
Easy rebellion from Nasio Fontaine
, ''

'', 11 July 2007, retrieved 2011-02-27

Discography

*''Reggae Power'' (1994), Reggae Power *''Wolf Catcher'' (1997) *''Revolution'' (1999),

Import An importer is the receiving country in an export from the sending country. Importation and exportation are the defining financial transactions of international trade. Import is part of the International Trade which involves buying and receivin ...

*''Living in the Positive'' (2003),

Higher Love "Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, '' Back in the High Life'' (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. Th ...

/ RAS *''Universal Cry'' (2006),

;Compilations: *''Rise Up'' (2007)

References

External links

br>(official site)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontaine, Nasio Dominica emigrants Immigrants to Sint Maarten Dominica musicians Dominica reggae musicians Dominica people of African descent Dominica Kalinago people