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{{Short description|Jamaican musician (born 1967)}}
{{Short description|Jamaican musician (born 1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Jamaican English|date=March 2012}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name           = Capleton
| name             = Capleton
| image           = Capleton1.jpg
| image             = Capleton1 cropped.jpg
| caption         = Capleton performing in 2008
| caption           = Capleton performing in 2008
| landscape      = Yes
| birth_name       = Clifton George Bailey III
| birth_name     = Clifton George Bailey III
| alias             = {{hlist|King Shango|The Fireman|The Prophet}}
| alias           = {{ubl|King Shango|The Fireman|The Prophet}}
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|4|13}}
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|4|13}}
| birth_place       = [[Islington, Jamaica|Islington]], [[Jamaica]]
| birth_place     = [[Islington, Jamaica|Islington]], [[Jamaica]]
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| death_date     =
| instrument       = Vocals
| instrument     = Vocals
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Reggae]]|[[roots reggae]]|[[dancehall]]}}
| genre           = [[Reggae]], [[roots reggae]], [[dancehall]]
| occupation       = Musician
| occupation     = Musician
| years_active     = 1985–present
| years_active   = 1985 – present
| label             = {{hlist|[[VP Records|VP]]|Suge|[[Def Jam Recordings|RAL]]|[[PolyGram Records|PolyGram]]|Rude Boy|Exterminator}}
 
| associated_acts   =  
| label           = [[VP Records|VP]], suge/[[Def Jam Recordings|RAL]]/[[PolyGram Records|PolyGram]], Rude Boy, Exterminator
| website           = {{URL|capletonmusic.com}}
| associated_acts =
| website         = {{URL|capletonmusic.com}}
}}
}}


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Capleton rejects the name given to him at birth. He now prefers "King Shango", given its roots in the [[Yoruba language]].<ref>Barrow, Musa. [http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1562 Art and Music: Interview With Jamaican Reggae Star, Capleton] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721031958/http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1562 |date=21 July 2011 }}. ''Foroyaa Online''. 4 June 2008.</ref>
Capleton rejects the name given to him at birth. He now prefers "King Shango", given its roots in the [[Yoruba language]].<ref>Barrow, Musa. [http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1562 Art and Music: Interview With Jamaican Reggae Star, Capleton] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721031958/http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1562 |date=21 July 2011 }}. ''Foroyaa Online''. 4 June 2008.</ref>


As a teenager, he sneaked out of his home to catch local dancehall acts, eventually leaving St. Mary for Kingston at the age of 18 to work on his career as a dancehall deejay.<ref>"Capleton." Contemporary Musicians. Ed. Leigh Ann DeRemer. Vol. 40. Gale Cengage, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2011. [http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/capleton-biography]</ref>
As a teenager, he sneaked out of his home to catch local dancehall acts, eventually leaving St. Mary for Kingston at the age of 18 to work on his career as a dancehall deejay.<ref>"Capleton." Contemporary Musicians. Ed. Leigh Ann DeRemer. Vol. 40. Gale Cengage, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2011. [http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/capleton-biography]{{Dead link|date=November 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
=== Early career ===
=== Early career ===
[[File:Capleton.JPG|thumb|Capleton performing in Germany in 2006]]
[[File:Capleton.JPG|thumb|Capleton performing in Germany in 2006]]
In 1989, he got his first big international exposure. Stewart Brown, owner of a [[Toronto]]-based sound called African Star, gave the untested artist his first break, flying him to Canada for a stage show alongside [[Ninjaman]] and Flourgon.<ref name=Chi />
In 1989, he got his first big international exposure. Stewart Brown, owner of a [[Toronto]]-based sound called African Star, gave the untested artist his first break, flying him to Canada for a stage show alongside [[Ninjaman]] and Flourgon.<ref name=Chi />


When Capleton first arrived on the scene in the late 1980s, [[Slackness (Jamaican music)|slackness]] and gun talk were the dominant lyrics in the dancehalls. The pre-Rasta Capleton had a string of hit songs from "Bumbo Red" to "Number One on the Look Good Chart" and "No Lotion Man".
When Capleton first arrived on the scene in the late 1980s, [[Slackness (Jamaican music)|slackness]] and gun talk were the dominant lyrics in the dancehalls.<ref name="LarkinReggae">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Who's Who of Reggae]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1994|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-734-7|page=46/7}}</ref> The pre-Rasta Capleton had a string of hit songs from "Bumbo Red" to "Number One on the Look Good Chart" and "No Lotion Man".<ref name="LarkinReggae"/>


He recorded the song that began to establish his significant place in dancehall, "Alms House" in 1992. The tune became a big hit in the dancehall, followed up immediately by "Music is a Mission" and the massive hit "Tour". By 1993, he was voicing tunes which became increasingly conscious, such as "Prophet" and "Cold Blooded Murderer".
He recorded the song that began to establish his significant place in dancehall, "Alms House" in 1992.<ref name="LarkinReggae"/> The tune became a big hit in the dancehall, followed up immediately by "Music is a Mission" and the hit "Tour". By 1993, he was voicing tunes which became increasingly conscious, such as "Prophet" and "Cold Blooded Murderer".


Tunes such as "Tour" and "Wings of the Morning" earned him a deal with Russell Simmons' [[Def Jam Recordings]],<ref>Campbell, Howard. [http://www.vprecords.com/index.php?page=ArtistNewsRuz&a_id=16&n_id=126219 Capleton Finds His Way Back To VP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531053832/http://www.vprecords.com/index.php?page=artistNewsRuz&a_id=16&n_id=126219 |date=31 May 2012 }}. VPRecords.com. 30 June 2010.</ref> which culminated in the ''[[Prophecy (Capleton album)|Prophecy]]'' and ''[[I-Testament]]'' albums of the mid-1990s.
Tunes such as "Tour" and "Wings of the Morning" earned him a deal with Russell Simmons' [[Def Jam Recordings]],<ref>Campbell, Howard. [http://www.vprecords.com/index.php?page=ArtistNewsRuz&a_id=16&n_id=126219 Capleton Finds His Way Back To VP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531053832/http://www.vprecords.com/index.php?page=artistNewsRuz&a_id=16&n_id=126219 |date=31 May 2012 }}. VPRecords.com. 30 June 2010.</ref> which culminated in the ''[[Prophecy (Capleton album)|Prophecy]]'' and ''[[I-Testament]]'' albums of the mid-1990s.
Grammy Nominated in 2003 Album "Still Blazin" VP Records Executive Produce by Errol "GenErral" Adams / Joel Chin


=== Later career ===
=== Later career ===
[[File:Capleton (2).png|thumb|Capleton in [[Melkweg]], Amsterdam]]
[[File:Capleton (2).png|thumb|Capleton in [[Melkweg]], Amsterdam]]
In 1999, Capleton headlined [[Reggae Sumfest]]'s dancehall night, to much fanfare.<ref>[http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/1999/sumfest.htm Summer Fest '99 – Dancehall Nights] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715171049/http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/1999/sumfest.htm |date=15 July 2011 }}. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref> The performance, which led to a subsequent headliner placement the following year, is credited with "re-bussing", or creating a comeback for, his career.<ref>[http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/2000/index.htm Reggae Sumfest 2000] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715171205/http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/2000/index.htm |date=15 July 2011 }}. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref>
In 1999, Capleton headlined [[Reggae Sumfest]]'s dancehall night, to much fanfare.<ref>[http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/1999/sumfest.htm Summer Fest '99 – Dancehall Nights] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715171049/http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/1999/sumfest.htm |date=15 July 2011 }}. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref> The performance, which led to a subsequent headliner placement the following year, is credited with "re-bussing", or creating a comeback for, his career.<ref>[http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/2000/index.htm Reggae Sumfest 2000] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715171205/http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/2000/index.htm |date=15 July 2011 }}. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref>
The 1999–2000 period elicited a string of hits, many of which can be found on the album ''[[More Fire]]''.<ref>Huey, Steve. [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/capleton-p29881/biography Capleton biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212095432/http://allmusic.com/artist/capleton-p29881/biography |date=12 December 2010 }}. allmusic. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref>
The 1999–2000 period elicited a string of hits, many of which can be found on the album ''[[More Fire]]''.<ref>Huey, Steve. [http://www.allmusic.com/artist/capleton-p29881/biography Capleton biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212095432/http://allmusic.com/artist/capleton-p29881/biography |date=12 December 2010 }}. AllMusic. Retrieved 2 February 2011</ref>
 
Grammy Nominated in 2003 Album "Still Blazin" VP Records Executive Produce by Errol "GenErral" Adams / Joel Chin


By 2004, some argued the quality of Capleton's music had been downgraded by over-proliferation on numerous [[riddim]]s, while Capleton himself argued his continued recording over both [[dancehall]] and [[roots reggae]] riddims created balance in his musical output.<ref>Smith, Germaine. [http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20040507/ent/ent1.html REIGN OF FIRE – Capleton still blazes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512174149/http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20040507/ent/ent1.html |date=12 May 2009 }}. ''Jamaica Star''. 7 May 2004.</ref> Nonetheless, he scored hit singles over one of the most popular riddims of 2004,<ref>[http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_var/dropleaf.htm Drop Leaf album review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218170029/http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_var/dropleaf.htm |date=18 February 2011 }}. Reggae Vibes Productions. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref> "That Day Will Come" over the Hard Times riddim.
By 2004, some argued the quality of Capleton's music had been downgraded by over-proliferation on numerous [[riddim]]s, while Capleton himself argued his continued recording over both [[dancehall]] and [[roots reggae]] riddims created balance in his musical output.<ref>Smith, Germaine. [http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20040507/ent/ent1.html REIGN OF FIRE – Capleton still blazes] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090512174149/http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20040507/ent/ent1.html |date=12 May 2009 }}. ''Jamaica Star''. 7 May 2004.</ref> Nonetheless, he scored hit singles over one of the most popular riddims of 2004,<ref>[http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_var/dropleaf.htm Drop Leaf album review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218170029/http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_var/dropleaf.htm |date=18 February 2011 }}. Reggae Vibes Productions. Retrieved 2 February 2011.</ref> "That Day Will Come" over the Hard Times riddim.
Line 54: Line 48:
After a hiatus from the label, Capleton returned to [[VP Records]] in 2010 with the release of ''[[I-Ternal Fire]]''.<ref>Campbell, Howard. [http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100630/ent/ent1.html Capleton finds his way back to VP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808113007/http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100630/ent/ent1.html |date=8 August 2010 }}. ''Jamaica Gleaner''. 30 June 2010.</ref>
After a hiatus from the label, Capleton returned to [[VP Records]] in 2010 with the release of ''[[I-Ternal Fire]]''.<ref>Campbell, Howard. [http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100630/ent/ent1.html Capleton finds his way back to VP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808113007/http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100630/ent/ent1.html |date=8 August 2010 }}. ''Jamaica Gleaner''. 30 June 2010.</ref>


After headlining a U.S. tour which included [[Romain Virgo]], Munga Honorable, and Kulcha Knox in the fall of 2010, Capleton embarked upon a tour of the African continent for late 2010 and early 2011. Stops included Gambia, Senegal, South Africa and multiple dates in Zimbabwe.<ref>[http://www.thestandard.co.zw/entertainment/27427-warming-the-stage-for-capleton.html Warming the stage for Capleton] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127031304/http://www.thestandard.co.zw/entertainment/27427-warming-the-stage-for-capleton.html |date=27 November 2010 }}. ''The Standard (Zimbabwe)''. 21 November 2010.</ref> In December 2012 the music Unite Cape Town International Reggae Festival saw Capleton, reggae and dancehall artists like Black Dillinger, [[Blak Kalamawi]] .<ref>{{cite web|url=https://themalaika.com/2012/12/03/capleton-headlines-the-music-unite-capetown-international-reggae-fest-dec-8-9-south-africa/|title=Capleton Headlines The Music Unite Capetown International Reggae Fest (Dec 8-9 South Africa)|publisher=themalaika.com|date=3 December 2012|access-date=10 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013004939/https://themalaika.com/2012/12/03/capleton-headlines-the-music-unite-capetown-international-reggae-fest-dec-8-9-south-africa/|archive-date=13 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
After headlining a U.S. tour which included [[Romain Virgo]], Munga Honorable, and Kulcha Knox in the fall of 2010, Capleton embarked upon a tour of the African continent for late 2010 and early 2011. Stops included Gambia, Senegal, South Africa and multiple dates in Zimbabwe.<ref>[http://www.thestandard.co.zw/entertainment/27427-warming-the-stage-for-capleton.html Warming the stage for Capleton] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101127031304/http://www.thestandard.co.zw/entertainment/27427-warming-the-stage-for-capleton.html |date=27 November 2010 }}. ''The Standard (Zimbabwe)''. 21 November 2010.</ref> In December 2012 the music Unite Cape Town International Reggae Festival saw Capleton, plus reggae and dancehall artists including Black Dillinger, and Blak Kalamawi.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://themalaika.com/2012/12/03/capleton-headlines-the-music-unite-capetown-international-reggae-fest-dec-8-9-south-africa/|title=Capleton Headlines The Music Unite Capetown International Reggae Fest (Dec 8-9 South Africa)|publisher=themalaika.com|date=3 December 2012|access-date=10 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013004939/https://themalaika.com/2012/12/03/capleton-headlines-the-music-unite-capetown-international-reggae-fest-dec-8-9-south-africa/|archive-date=13 October 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>


Capleton's annual 'A St Mary Mi Come From' live show has raised funds for several charities since it was first staged in 2000, including local schools and hospitals.<ref name="Walters20120720" />
Capleton's annual 'A St Mary Mi Come From' live show has raised funds for several charities since it was first staged in 2000, including local schools and hospitals.<ref name="Walters20120720" />
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Capleton has faced criticism for [[Heterosexism|anti-gay]] lyrics in some of his songs though [[LGBT rights in Jamaica|homosexuality remains illegal in his native Jamaica]].<ref name=homophobia>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/documentaries/gayinja.shtml "Gay in JA: What's it like to be gay in a society where it's illegal to practice your sexuality?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104195127/http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/documentaries/gayinja.shtml |date=4 January 2012 }}, ''BBC''. First aired 2008, updated Tuesday 16 June 2009. (Only regionally available)</ref> His manager has argued that some of the controversial lyrics have been mistranslated and do not actually refer to gays.<ref name=orion /> Capleton himself has admitted that through his Rastafari faith he believes that a homosexual lifestyle is not right, but has insisted that terms such as "burn" and "fire" are not to be understood in the literal sense "to go out and burn and kill people", but as a metaphor for "purification" and cleansing.<ref name=orion>Savage, Shannon (6 October 2004)[http://media.www.theorion.com/media/storage/paper889/news/2004/10/06/Entertainment/Dancehall.Music.Silenced-1506515.shtml "Dancehall music silenced"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101040706/http://media.www.theorion.com/media/storage/paper889/news/2004/10/06/Entertainment/Dancehall.Music.Silenced-1506515.shtml |date=1 January 2009 }}, ''The Orion'' (student newspaper of [[California State University, Chico|CSU Chico]]) – Entertainment. Updated 11 May 2009.</ref>
Capleton has faced criticism for [[Heterosexism|anti-gay]] lyrics in some of his songs though [[LGBT rights in Jamaica|homosexuality remains illegal in his native Jamaica]].<ref name=homophobia>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/documentaries/gayinja.shtml "Gay in JA: What's it like to be gay in a society where it's illegal to practice your sexuality?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120104195127/http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/documentaries/gayinja.shtml |date=4 January 2012 }}, ''BBC''. First aired 2008, updated Tuesday 16 June 2009. (Only regionally available)</ref> His manager has argued that some of the controversial lyrics have been mistranslated and do not actually refer to gays.<ref name=orion /> Capleton himself has admitted that through his Rastafari faith he believes that a homosexual lifestyle is not right, but has insisted that terms such as "burn" and "fire" are not to be understood in the literal sense "to go out and burn and kill people", but as a metaphor for "purification" and cleansing.<ref name=orion>Savage, Shannon (6 October 2004)[http://media.www.theorion.com/media/storage/paper889/news/2004/10/06/Entertainment/Dancehall.Music.Silenced-1506515.shtml "Dancehall music silenced"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101040706/http://media.www.theorion.com/media/storage/paper889/news/2004/10/06/Entertainment/Dancehall.Music.Silenced-1506515.shtml |date=1 January 2009 }}, ''The Orion'' (student newspaper of [[California State University, Chico|CSU Chico]]) – Entertainment. Updated 11 May 2009.</ref>


However, Capleton has continued to sing songs that some see as anti-gay, causing the cancellation of a concert in Switzerland in 2008 and a United States tour in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://calcoastnews.com/2010/02/hate-singer-capleton-cancels-u-s-tour/|title=Hate singer Capleton cancels U.S. tour|date=17 February 2010|website=Calcoastnews.com|language=en-US|access-date=29 August 2019|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829153222/https://calcoastnews.com/2010/02/hate-singer-capleton-cancels-u-s-tour/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/capleton-concert-cancelled-in-basel.html "Capleton Concert cancelled in Basel, Switzerland"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301152624/http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/capleton-concert-cancelled-in-basel.html |date=1 March 2012 }}, ''Another Green World''. Thursday, 6 November 2008.</ref>
However, Capleton has continued to sing songs that some see as anti-gay, causing the cancellation of a concert in Switzerland in 2008 and a United States tour in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://calcoastnews.com/2010/02/hate-singer-capleton-cancels-u-s-tour/|title=Hate singer Capleton cancels U.S. tour|date=17 February 2010|website=Calcoastnews.com|language=en-US|access-date=29 August 2019|archive-date=29 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829153222/https://calcoastnews.com/2010/02/hate-singer-capleton-cancels-u-s-tour/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[https://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/capleton-concert-cancelled-in-basel.html "Capleton Concert cancelled in Basel, Switzerland"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301152624/http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/capleton-concert-cancelled-in-basel.html |date=1 March 2012 }}, ''Another Green World''. Thursday, 6 November 2008.</ref>


== Discography ==
== Discography ==
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{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Jamaican reggae musicians]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Jamaican reggae musicians]]
[[Category:People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica]]
[[Category:People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Jamaican Rastafarians]]
[[Category:Jamaican Rastafarians]]
[[Category:Jamaican electronic musicians]]
[[Category:Def Jam Recordings artists]]
[[Category:Def Jam Recordings artists]]
[[Category:Ragga musicians]]
[[Category:Performers of Rastafarian music]]
[[Category:Performers of Rastafarian music]]
[[Category:Jamaican dancehall musicians]]
[[Category:Jamaican dancehall musicians]]
[[Category:Jamaican male songwriters]]
[[Category:Jamaican male songwriters]]
[[Category:Rocksteady musicians]]
[[Category:VP Records artists]]
[[Category:VP Records artists]]
[[Category:Dance musicians]]
[[Category:Greensleeves Records artists]]
[[Category:Greensleeves Records artists]]
[[Category:Member of the Bobo Shanti]]
[[Category:Member of the Bobo Shanti]]

Latest revision as of 10:59, 25 December 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:Use British English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Clifton George Bailey III (born 13 April 1967),[1][2] better known by his stage name Capleton, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician. He is also referred to as King Shango, King David, The Fireman and The Prophet. His record label is called David House Productions. He is known for his Rastafari views expressed in his songs.

Early life

Bailey was born in Islington in St. Mary in 1967.[3] As a youth, he was given the surname of a popular St. Mary lawyer and friend of the family, Capleton, as a nickname by his relatives and friends.[4] Capleton rejects the name given to him at birth. He now prefers "King Shango", given its roots in the Yoruba language.[5]

As a teenager, he sneaked out of his home to catch local dancehall acts, eventually leaving St. Mary for Kingston at the age of 18 to work on his career as a dancehall deejay.[6]

Career

Early career

File:Capleton.JPG
Capleton performing in Germany in 2006

In 1989, he got his first big international exposure. Stewart Brown, owner of a Toronto-based sound called African Star, gave the untested artist his first break, flying him to Canada for a stage show alongside Ninjaman and Flourgon.[4]

When Capleton first arrived on the scene in the late 1980s, slackness and gun talk were the dominant lyrics in the dancehalls.[7] The pre-Rasta Capleton had a string of hit songs from "Bumbo Red" to "Number One on the Look Good Chart" and "No Lotion Man".[7]

He recorded the song that began to establish his significant place in dancehall, "Alms House" in 1992.[7] The tune became a big hit in the dancehall, followed up immediately by "Music is a Mission" and the hit "Tour". By 1993, he was voicing tunes which became increasingly conscious, such as "Prophet" and "Cold Blooded Murderer".

Tunes such as "Tour" and "Wings of the Morning" earned him a deal with Russell Simmons' Def Jam Recordings,[8] which culminated in the Prophecy and I-Testament albums of the mid-1990s.

Later career

File:Capleton (2).png
Capleton in Melkweg, Amsterdam

In 1999, Capleton headlined Reggae Sumfest's dancehall night, to much fanfare.[9] The performance, which led to a subsequent headliner placement the following year, is credited with "re-bussing", or creating a comeback for, his career.[10] The 1999–2000 period elicited a string of hits, many of which can be found on the album More Fire.[11]

By 2004, some argued the quality of Capleton's music had been downgraded by over-proliferation on numerous riddims, while Capleton himself argued his continued recording over both dancehall and roots reggae riddims created balance in his musical output.[12] Nonetheless, he scored hit singles over one of the most popular riddims of 2004,[13] "That Day Will Come" over the Hard Times riddim.

After a hiatus from the label, Capleton returned to VP Records in 2010 with the release of I-Ternal Fire.[14]

After headlining a U.S. tour which included Romain Virgo, Munga Honorable, and Kulcha Knox in the fall of 2010, Capleton embarked upon a tour of the African continent for late 2010 and early 2011. Stops included Gambia, Senegal, South Africa and multiple dates in Zimbabwe.[15] In December 2012 the music Unite Cape Town International Reggae Festival saw Capleton, plus reggae and dancehall artists including Black Dillinger, and Blak Kalamawi.[16]

Capleton's annual 'A St Mary Mi Come From' live show has raised funds for several charities since it was first staged in 2000, including local schools and hospitals.[3]

Religious views

Capleton makes reference to Bobo Ashanti, one of the various mansions of the Rastafari movement.[17] Yet he frequently mentions there is no separation between the mansions of Rastafari as he sees it. He stated in an interview on TraceTV that he is a vegan, not consuming meat or dairy in any form, but he also rejects anything made from soya. He also touches on the subject of his lyrics regarding fire, saying they are metaphoric references of purification, not violence or murder.[18]

Criticisms

Capleton has faced criticism for anti-gay lyrics in some of his songs though homosexuality remains illegal in his native Jamaica.[19] His manager has argued that some of the controversial lyrics have been mistranslated and do not actually refer to gays.[1] Capleton himself has admitted that through his Rastafari faith he believes that a homosexual lifestyle is not right, but has insisted that terms such as "burn" and "fire" are not to be understood in the literal sense "to go out and burn and kill people", but as a metaphor for "purification" and cleansing.[1]

However, Capleton has continued to sing songs that some see as anti-gay, causing the cancellation of a concert in Switzerland in 2008 and a United States tour in 2010.[20][21]

Discography

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References

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  1. ↑ a b c Savage, Shannon (6 October 2004)"Dancehall music silenced" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., The Orion (student newspaper of CSU Chico) – Entertainment. Updated 11 May 2009.
  2. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, Template:ISBN, pp. 67–69
  3. ↑ a b Walters, Basil (2012) "Capleton lauded for charity work Script error: No such module "webarchive".", Jamaica Observer, 20 July 2012, retrieved 29 July 2012
  4. ↑ a b Capleton interviewScript error: No such module "Category handler".[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".. ChicagoReggae.com. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  5. ↑ Barrow, Musa. Art and Music: Interview With Jamaican Reggae Star, Capleton Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Foroyaa Online. 4 June 2008.
  6. ↑ "Capleton." Contemporary Musicians. Ed. Leigh Ann DeRemer. Vol. 40. Gale Cengage, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. Retrieved 15 April 2011. [1]Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
  7. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Campbell, Howard. Capleton Finds His Way Back To VP Script error: No such module "webarchive".. VPRecords.com. 30 June 2010.
  9. ↑ Summer Fest '99 – Dancehall Nights Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  10. ↑ Reggae Sumfest 2000 Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  11. ↑ Huey, Steve. Capleton biography Script error: No such module "webarchive".. AllMusic. Retrieved 2 February 2011
  12. ↑ Smith, Germaine. REIGN OF FIRE – Capleton still blazes Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Jamaica Star. 7 May 2004.
  13. ↑ Drop Leaf album review Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Reggae Vibes Productions. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  14. ↑ Campbell, Howard. Capleton finds his way back to VP Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Jamaica Gleaner. 30 June 2010.
  15. ↑ Warming the stage for Capleton Script error: No such module "webarchive".. The Standard (Zimbabwe). 21 November 2010.
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Park, Esther. Bob Marley Movement Caribbean Festival 2010: Interview With Capleton Script error: No such module "webarchive".. Miami New Times. 25 February 2010.
  18. ↑ Mbiriyamveka, Jonathan. Capleton Show Organisers Hunt Ghetto Rappers Script error: No such module "webarchive".. The Herald (Zimbabwe). 18 October 2010.
  19. ↑ "Gay in JA: What's it like to be gay in a society where it's illegal to practice your sexuality?" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., BBC. First aired 2008, updated Tuesday 16 June 2009. (Only regionally available)
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ "Capleton Concert cancelled in Basel, Switzerland" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Another Green World. Thursday, 6 November 2008.
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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