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Biography
Use dmy dates|date=March 2012Use Jamaican English|date=March 2012Infobox musical artist | name = Capleton| image = Capleton1.jpg| caption = Performance in Spain 13 November 2008 Photo: Santos Diaz| landscape = Yes| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Clifton George Bailey III| alias = King Shango, The Fireman, The Prophet| birth_date = Birth date and age|df=yes|1967|4|13|39|birth_place = Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica|St. Mary, Jamaica | death_date =| instrument = Singing|Vocals | genre = Reggae , roots reggae , dancehall | occupation = Musician | years_active =| label = VP Records | associated_acts =| website = http://www.capletonmusic.com/ www.capletonmusic.com| notable_instruments = Capleton (born Clifton George Bailey III , 13 April 1967, Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica|Saint Mary , Jamaica ) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. 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 movement views expressed in his songs.
Biography
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. http://www.chicagoreggae.com/capletoninterview.htm Capleton interview. ChicagoReggae.com. Retrieved 24 January 2011. Capleton rejects the name given to him at birth, given its European origin. He now prefers "King Shango", given its roots in the Yoruba language .Barrow, Musa. http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php? storyid=1562 Art and Music: Interview With Jamaican Reggae Star, Capleton. Foroyaa Online . 04-06-2008.
As a teenager, he snuck 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."Capleton." Contemporary Musicians. Ed. Leigh Ann DeRemer. Vol. 40. Gale Cengage, 2003. eNotes.com. 2006. Retrieved 2011-4-15. http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/capleton-biography
Early career
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 Flourgan.
When Capleton first arrived on the scene in the late 1980s, 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".
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".
Tunes such as "Tour" and "Wings of the Morning" earned him a deal with Russell Simmons' Def Jam Recordings ,Campbell, Howard. http://www.vprecords.com/index.php? page=ArtistNewsRuz& a_id=16& n_id=126219 Capleton Finds His Way Back To VP. VPRecords.com. 30 June 2010. which culminated in the Prophecy (Capleton album)|Prophecy and I-Testament albums of the mid-1990s.
Later career
In 1999, Capleton headlined Reggae Sumfest 's dancehall night, to much fanfare. http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/1999/sumfest.htm Summer Fest ‘99 - Dancehall Nights. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011. The performance, which led to a subsequent headliner placement the following year, is credited with "re-bussing", or creating a comeback for, his career. http://www.reggaeweb.com/events/sumfest/2000/index.htm Reggae Sumfest 2000. Reggaeweb.com. Retrieved 2 February 2011. The 1999-2000 period elicited a string of hits, many of which can be found on the album More Fire .Huey, Steve. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/capleton-p29881/biography Capleton biography. allmusic. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
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.Smith, Germaine. http://jamaica-star.com/thestar/20040507/ent/ent1.html REIGN OF FIRE - Capleton still blazes. Jamaica Star . 7 May 2004. Nonetheless, he scored hit singles over the two most popular riddims of 2004, http://www.reggae-vibes.com/rev_var/dropleaf.htm Drop Leaf album review. Reggae Vibes Productions. Retrieved 2 February 2011. "That Day Will Come" over the Hard Times riddim, and "Small World" over the Drop Leaf.
After a hiatus from the label, Capleton returned to VP Records in 2010 with the release of I-Ternal Fire .Campbell, Howard. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100630/ent/ent1.html Capleton finds his way back to VP. Jamaica Gleaner . 30 June 2010.
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. http://www.thestandard.co.zw/entertainment/27427-warming-the-stage-for-capleton.html Warming the stage for Capleton. The Standard (Zimbabwe) . 21 November 2010.
Religious views
Capleton makes reference to Bobo Ashanti, one of the various Mansions of Rastafari|mansions of the Rastafari movement .Park, Esther. http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2010/02/capleton_bob_marley_festival_2010_miami.php Bob Marley Movement Caribbean Festival 2010: Interview With Capleton. Miami New Times . 25 February 2010. Yet he frequently mentions there's no separation between the mansions of Rastafari as he see it, also concluding in the same interview on TraceTV where he admitted he doesn't eat meat of any kind, consume dairy in any form, or even eat anything from soya. "Not an ordinary Vegetarianism|vegetarian ..." he stated, "I'm Veganism|vegan ." He also touches on the subject of his lyrics regarding fire, claiming they are metaphoric references of purification, not violence or murder.Mbiriyamveka, Jonathan. http://allafrica.com/stories/201010180910.html Capleton Show Organisers Hunt Ghetto Rappers. The Herald (Zimbabwe) . 18 October 2010.
Criticisms
Capleton has faced criticism for Heterosexism|anti-gay lyrics in some of his songs. http://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? ", BBC . First aired 2008, updated Tuesday 16 Jun 2009. (Only regionally available) His manager has argued that some of the controversial lyrics have been mistranslated and do not actually refer to gays. 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.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", The Orion (student newspaper)|The Orion (student newspaper of California State University, Chico|CSU Chico ) - Entertainment. Updated 11 May 2009. As part of an agreement to end the Stop Murder Music campaign, Capleton and other artists allegedly signed the Reggae Compassionate Act (RCA) in 2007. http://www.newnownext.com/2007/06/13/reggae-stars-sign-on-to-cut-out-homophobic-lyrics/ LOGOonline.com: NewNowNext Blog: Reggae Stars Sign On To Cut Out Homophobic Lyrics http://www.towleroad.com/2007/06/reggae_stars_re.html Reggae Stars Renounce Homophobia, Condemn Anti-gay Violence - Towleroad, More than gay news for more gay men
However, Capleton has continued to sing songs that some claim violate the RCA, causing the cancellation of a concert in Switzerland in 2008 and a United States tour in 2010, http://calcoastnews.com/2010/02/hate-singer-capleton-cancels-u-s-tour/ http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2008/11/capleton-concert-cancelled-in-basel.html "Capleton Concert cancelled in Basel, Switzerland", Another Green World (blog)|Another Green World . Thursday, 6 November 2008. and as of late 2010 the Stop the Murder Music campaign is continuing to have some success in canceling Capleton gigs. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20101012/life/life2.html Capleton feels heat from gays
Persondata | NAME = Capleton | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1967-04-13 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica|St. Mary, Jamaica | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:People from Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica Category:Jamaican Rastafarians Category:Performers of Rastafarian music Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Jamaican songwriters
