Like many artistes, Asante Amen started singing in church.
However, by 1993 he started thinking about becoming a Rastafarian and now he is a reggae singer.
Asante Amen, whose birth name is Gavin Walters, says after being in church, he started contemplating Rastafari because of the music he heard from Garnett Silk who was one of the biggest artistes at the time. Asante was part of an R&B group at that time but he started writing conscious lyrics.
"In 1993, the full effect of Rastafari had reached me. Garnett Silk was the biggest thing in reggae and I began to follow Rastafari," Asante said.
He added, "I want to lead a charge so that the people can have a message that is complete. If Garnett Silk was not sincere and complete in his message, I would not be a Rasta today."
African nobility
This consciousness led to him becoming a Rastafarian later and eventually joining the Universal Negro Improvement Association, of which he is still a part. Hence, he has a wealth of knowledge about African nobility, heritage and identity.
By reading a variety of literature, Asante Amen, after much work, finally found a name that he says represents a phrase he always used which is 'give thanks'. He says 'asante' is the Ghanian word for 'thank you' and 'amen' is the Egyptian word for 'unseen presence of the divine being'.
Second option
In addition to his African knowledge, Asante Amen received a first degree in psychology from the University of the West Indies (UWI) and then a masters in health psychology from the University of Leeds in England. Up to last year, he lectured psychology at UWI, but he is now a research assistant in the linguistics department there.
"I was only following psychology to give myself a second option. I always loved music because it kept me going," he said.
He has been following his passion and he says the response he has received overseas is tremendous, unlike that seen in Jamaica. He says in places like Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Amsterdam and some parts of the United States, his music is supported.
Despite this unsatisfactory response in Jamaica, he continues to perform here. He performed at Rebel Salute in 2006 and the Bob Marley Birthday Concert in 2005 and 2007. He recently performed at Jamaica Vibes at Weekenz and Mandeville Splash.
He continues to push forward with his music. He recently released Getting Enough on 321 Productions and Nuff Raid with Lutan Fyah. He has other songs like More Fire which features Jah Thunder, Ras Tafari's Love, Live Together and Never Get Away. After his distribution deal is complete, he will also release his album Messenger 4 Jah later this year.
- S.B.
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