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When first meeting Keith, one is struck by his towering height. He must be around six foot three or four. He has a gentle nature, easy smile and kind eyes. Some say he has a velvety voice, often compared to Beres Hammond. For me, his voice resembles a baroque fabric, shiny, textured, rich and pleasing.
Keith
grew up in the Jamaican parish of Clarendon, a small town
known as Toll Gate. One day, he shocked his brothers. Christopher
and Dudley heard him singing to the radio and were so impressed
they asked him to make their DJ duo into a trio comprised
of two DJs and a singer.
In
order to practice and with change jiggling in their pockets,
the trio would run across the street to the juke-box at
the Yellow Bird bar. With the B-side versions
blasting, they would then run home and work on their routine.
One of his favorites was John Holt's "Sweetie Come Brush
Me".
(Keith
Campbell performing
at Jamusa Earthday Celebration) |
(Keith
Campbell and Savo,
a fellow Ajang Music Productions
artist) |
With
routines perfected, the trio went to Toll Gate town square
to sing for the sound system called Cosmic Force. It was
there Keith surprised his neighbors and friends with his
ability. Buoyed by their reception at the Toll Gate square,
they headed to the city to try their luck.
Even
with nowhere to lay their heads, the group decided to compete
in Black Scorpio show held on Thursdays
in Kingston. Keith recalls their determination saying "we
went, not with the intention to try, but with the intention
to WIN." All three were dressed alike and created a stir
before even setting foot on stage. They were the third
performers up during the competition. Immediately, as soon
as their song began, the crowd erupted. When finished,
the crowd was cheering and Black Scorpio stopped
the show and told people they were welcome to compete,
however, he already realized, Keith and his brothers were
the winners.
Keith's
inspiration and lyrics come from his daily life. One special
place is down by the river, not far from his home. He enjoys
sitting quietly and listening to the birds. In addition,
sometimes his lyrics are inspired by what people say. His
song "You Need A Man" (clip played on this page)
was inspired by a conversation he overheard between two women. "Only
Jah Can Save Us Now" was written
after the passing of his brother Dudley in 2005.
Sighting
Rastafari was a gradual process for Keith. He said, "I
didn't wake up one day and say I'm going to be a Rasta'".
He is the only person in his immediate family to follow
Rastafari, but it was reasoning with his brothers that
really opened his eyes to the light.
(l-r:
Dr. Paul, Jamusa, radio DJ in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale
area and Keith Campbell)
Keith
has a new single coming out soon. It is a cover of the
song "Suspicion" written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman for
Elvis Presley in 1962 and brought to Jamaica's air waves
by Delroy Wilson in 1983. Keith plans on giving "The
King" some competition. When asked his vision of success,
Keith answered, "A Grammy. To have that Grammy in my hands."
Selah~
For
booking or interview requests contact:
Marcia
Simpson
Ajang
Music Productions
address: Shop 113 Princeville Plaza, 95-97 Constant Spring
Road, Kingston 10
email: ajangmusic@cwjamaica.com, ajangmusic1@yahoo.com
telephone: 1876-941-1193 / 1876-941-1190
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