Jamrock Magazine launches RICHIE SPICE'S: IN THE STREETS OF AFRICA...details>>>

Born Richell Bonner on 8th of September, 1971 in Kingston, Jamaica suburb of St. Andrew, Richie Spice hails from a musical family that includes his older brother Pliers (from the deejay/singer duo Chaka Demus and Pliers of "Murder She Wrote" fame) and singer Spanner Banner best known in his mid 90s hit "Life Goes On" and now a member of the Fifth Element family. It was Spanner Banner who initially brought Spice to the recording studio; although the hopeful singer didn't get the opportunity to record it he opened his eyes to the competitiveness of the reggae music industry. "It was a strong experience, going there and learning what the music is all about," Spice recalls. "At that time I tried to record but I was never really ready as yet so I couldn't manage it. But it show me that whenever you reach any where there is a lot of work to be done so just go towards it and do the necessary things until you reach that space where you are supposed to be."

Spice took a significant step towards getting where he is supposed to be when he met veteran producer Clive Hunt who produced his first song, the funky reggae jam "Living Ain't Easy" and his break through single, the engaging lovers rock tune "Grooving My Girl" still one of the most popular songs in his rapidly expanding repertoire of reggae hits. Those tracks and "Earth a Run Red" were included on "Universal," released by the Cambridge, Massachusetts based label Heartbeat Records, which gave Spice his intial international exposure.

For the next few years, Spice continued recording singles and performing on various stage shows but without the support of a record label he found in difficult to penetrate the heavily saturated reggae/dancehall market within Jamaica and overseas. "The songs were there, they were all good songs but they weren't getting any promotion,' he recalls, 'and with just me going out there singing them, it was like one man against the world. Then Fifth Element came along and put in their strength and promotion and people take onto the songs and accept them."

As a young company releasing positive reggae music, Fifth Element Records provides an appropriate home for Spice's remarkable talents; Devon Wheatley was drawn to Spice's distinctively tough yet tender vocals and his constructive lyrics. "It is rare that you find someone with Richie's extraordinary talent, writing ability, humility and discipline," explains Wheatley. "Richie has a lot to say through his music and with proper guidance there is no limit to the vast possibilities that await him and Fifth Element has every intention of making this a reality."

In November 2004, Fifth Element Records released "Spice in Your Life", a carefully crafted offering of organic roots reggae (rumbling bass lines, loping guitar strums, dynamic percussive accents) as played by some of Kingston's finest musicians, the ideal accompaniment to Spice's emotive singing and sincere messages. It is rare for an independently released record to garner such widespread international critical acclaim while retaining its appeal among the grassroots reggae market, but Wheatley also the Executive Producer of "Spice in Your Life" attributes that to adhering to a proven paradigm for success. "I am following what Bob Marley did," explains Wheatley. "He did his music live and that's why it lives on. We are doing positive authentic live reggae music to keep it up to a lever where Bob had it."

Throughout "Spice in Your Life," Richie Spice demonstrates his flair for writing catchy melodies and infectious song hooks. There are several stand out tracks including the contemplative, solely acoustic "Outta The Blue", the inspirational "Move Dem Out" and the current single, the gently rocking yet lyrically powerful "Righteous Youths"; here Spice offsets the devastation wrought by crime and poverty with verses imparting spiritual strength rooted in Rastafari but easily adaptable to any Divine teaching; "If you think that his Majesty is sleeping then you better think twice, he would a never mek dem devil mash down paradise/when there's a whole barrage of righteous people out there and we ain't giving up no way/ there's a whole barrage of righteous people in town, and we ain't going down no we never gonna stop."

It took Jamaican fans five years to catch the fire of "Earth A Run Red" and in 2005, after a year of consistent touring and establishing a solid , enthusiastic international fan base, bolstered by rave reviews of "Spice in Your Life," it seems like the entire world is ready to embrace the uplifting music of Richie Spice. "It is great and I give thanks to His Majesty and the Almighty because this is what I have been working towards over all these years," says Spice. "Now the music has taken a different turn on the positive side and I give thanks to all who make it possible, over all the years it come to manifest. And it's not even for me, it's for the younger generation coming up because it is like the turn the music take now the people really need that.

Source: reggaetopten.com