Emmanuel Anebsa (born 27 November 1972) is a singer, songwriter and producer from the United Kingdom. He has recorded over 30 albums, all independently produced.
Early life
Anebsa, born Steven Emmanuel Wilks,
grew up in
St Pauls
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
in Bristol in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the child of a Jamaican father,
Bertram Wilks, and an English mother.
He was raised by his father, Bertram,
who was the owner of the
Black and White Café
The Black and White Café was a café in St Pauls, Bristol, in the United Kingdom, that opened in 1971, owned by the Wilks family. The Caribbean food café had a reputation as a drug den and was raided more times by the police than any other premis ...
in Bristol, which was his introduction to reggae music.
Reggae stars such as
U-Roy
Ewart Beckford OD (21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021), known by the stage name U-Roy, was a Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting.Jo-Ann GreeneU-Roy Biography, AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2013. U-Roy was known for a melodic style ...
,
Big Youth and
Prince Fari passed through the café, and Anebsa grew up listening to artists such as Papa Toyan,
Eek-A-Mouse
Eek-A-Mouse (born Ripton Joseph Hylton, 19 November 1957) is a Jamaican reggae musician. He is one of the earliest artists to be described as a " singjay".Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rough Guide To Reggae, 3rd edn.", Rough Guides, ...
and
Peter Metro as well as Yellow Man,
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lo ...
and
Gregory Issacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...
.
He was nine years old when he came home from school to find the café being raided.
After frequent police raids, the café finally closed for good in 2004.
Musical career
As well as recording over 30 albums, Anebsa has produced and collaborated on songs with artists such as
Junior Kelly
Keith Morgan (born 23 September 1969), better known by his stage name Junior Kelly, is a Jamaican reggae singer.
Career
Born in Kingston, Morgan was educated at St. Catherine High School.[Earl "Chinna" Smith
Earl "Chinna" Smith (born 6 August 1955), a.k.a. Earl Flute and Melchezidek the High Priest,Johnson, Richard (2013)The Melchizedek way, '' Jamaica Observer'', 6 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013 is a Jamaican guitarist active since the late ...]
and
Anthony B
Keith Blair (born 31 March 1976), better known by the stage name Anthony B, is a Jamaican DJ and member of the Rastafari movement.Moskowitz, David V (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Danceha ...
.
Personal life
Activism
Anebsa was born Steven Emmanuel Wilks, but changed his name to Negus Emmanuel Anebsa to "release himself from
Babylon bondage" and has used the name Emmanuel Anebsa professionally ever since.
He rejects his British background and considers himself Jamaican.
He considers his music a form of activism, designed to combat the "stinging crush of white oppression".
He traces his what he terms his "afro-consciousness" back to witnessing the police raids on his father's café, which he believes were racially motivated.
Discography
Albums
* ''U Gotta Believe'' (2000)
* ''It's a Shame'' (2001)
* ''Smiling'' (2005)
* ''Tears'' (2005)
* ''Brightest Night'' (2006)
* ''He loves You'' (2008)
* ''You Are The Sunshine'' (2008)
* ''Blow myself Away'' (2008)
* ''Build a Sofa'' (2008)
* ''You Can't Save Me'' (2008)
* ''To Be Humble'' (2008)
* ''Brother Faith'' (2009)
* ''With You'' (2009)
* ''Pressure Like Me'' (2009)
* ''Voix ala Guitare'' (2010)
* ''Love Them'' (2010)
* ''Mr Nobody'' (2010)
* ''Vibes'' (2011)
* ''Making Me Sick'' (2011)
* ''Shoeshine Boy'' (2011)
* ''Won't go Away'' (2012)
* ''We Got Problems'' (2012)
* ''You cause Pain'' (2013)
* ''Fighting'' (2016)
* ''Revolution'' (2016)
* ''Ghetto Beats'' (2016)
Singles & EPs
* Why Do I Feel This Way - EP (1999)
* Doniki - Fly to Zion - 7" (2005)
* Friends Now - EP (2008)
* Iona (2016)
* One Woman Man (2017)
* Black People (2017)
* We Wear It Well (Unknown)
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anebsa, Emmanuel
1972 births
Living people
British producers
British reggae singers
British male singer-songwriters
Musicians from Bristol