Jamaican Disciple to Perform at World’s Premiere Reggae Festival

 
KINGSTON, July 27--When Reggae Sumfest, the world’s premier reggae festival, kicks off in Montego Bay, Jamaica on July 31st, Andrew “Abijah” Smith, a disciple in the Kingston Church, will be sharing the spotlight with international reggae superstars like Shaggy and Ja Rule.

The 29-year-old singer-songwriter will be a headliner on Singer’s Night, one of the highlights of the five-day music festival. To make the bill for Sumfest is a remarkable achievement for one still relatively new to the entertainment industry.

“It’s a privilege,” says Abijah of his opportunity to perform for the thousands of music-lovers that flock to the island annually for the event. “I get a chance to spread the word through music.”

The smooth-voiced Bible Talk leader has taken the Jamaican music scene by storm, with fans, disc jockeys and critics alike raving about his songs. Comparisons to reggae king Bob Marley abound, with one critic opining that Abijah’s music “is provocative and mysterious, lending an honest depiction of the ethos of the modern world.”

Abijah has won even more acclaim for his thrilling live performances. One entertainment writer noted that his “unbridled stage craft, soft militancy and gentle charisma are both captivating and refreshing” and “the power and conviction of his performance leaves fans in awe.”

His first single, Revelation, debuted at #6 on the Jamaican national charts as a nation hungry for good music with positive lyrics gobbled it up. The song, which talks about spiritual solutions for social problems, has been hailed as an “instant classic” by the Jamaica Observer, a local newspaper.

Prior to his conversion in 1994, Abijah was pursuing a career as a deejay. But when he became a disciple he decided to give it all up, knowing the unspiritual environment was no place for a young Christian. “It was my personal decision,” he recalls. “I gave it up because I knew it would hinder me.”

Five years later, married with a child and a pillar in JAMM, the Kingston church’s ministry for artists and musicians, he decided to pursue his music wholeheartedly. He was driven by his dream of using music to reach a wide cross-section of the population and by his desire to spread Christianity among the colorful players in Jamaica’s music industry.

“I knew I had to make a one hundred per cent commitment or it wasn’t going to work,” he says. “So I got voice training and speech training. I took guitar lessons and I went to songwriters’ workshops and classes.”

The breakthrough came when he won a local talent search, which earned him a slot on the Caribbean Music Expo (CME) concert late last year. The X News, an entertainment publication, described his stage presentation as “magical” and said, “Abijah awoke an uproar of applause for his electrifying performance.”

After the CME Abijah performed at a number of big events, including Bob Marley’s birthday celebration and the International Reggae Day concert. He also headlined the new artist segment at “Rebel Salute,” an annual stage show.

Knowing that he’s part of a particularly worldly industry, Abijah has surrounded himself with strong disciples. His band is mostly made up of Christians. In addition, Kingston Evangelist Brian Santos and manager Albert Ramsay, a disciple in the Kingston Church, closely guide his career.

He is grateful for his success, but remains sober about the fleeting nature of fame. “It’s here today and it’s gone tomorrow,” he says, “so my focus is just to get the message in the music and get the music to the people.”

Abijah is expected to deliver a command performance at Reggae Sumfest. But in the midst of all the excitement, he remains levelheaded.

“Sometimes a little ego gets in there,” he says. “But whenever I feel it coming on I just pray, because that’s the time when you have to get back in touch with yourself and remember that God is doing this thing and not you.”