Alborosie

Biography

Alberto D'Ascola (Italian pronunciation: [alˈbɛrto ˈdaskola]; born 4 July 1977), better known by his stage name Alborosie, is an Italian reggae artist. He is sometimes called the "Italian Reggae Ambassador".

Early life (2001–2005)

Born Alberto d’Ascola and raised in Marsala, Sicily, Italy, but now residing in Kingston, Jamaica, he is a multi-instrumentalist, being proficient in guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. His musical career began in the Italian reggae band Reggae National Tickets, from Bergamo city, when he was 15 years old in 1993, in which he was known as Stena.
In 2001, Alborosie decided to try a solo career. He moved to Jamaica to be close to reggae music's roots and Rastafari culture. There, he started working as a sound engineer and producer. He has also worked with artists like Gentleman and Ky-Mani Marley. His first solo album was called Soul Pirate×Soul Pirate2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Intro0:132Diversity4:103Precious3:494Kingston Town3:125Rastafari Anthem3:276Still Blazing3:517Herbalist3:118Dutty Road3:109Police3:3810Moonshine3:5911Bad Mind3:3812Callin4:0013Black Woman3:1414Sound Killa3:3915Work3:5616Patricia4:3917Waan the Herb3:4118Natural Mystic4:48. In the summer of 2009, he released his second album which was called Escape from Babylon. In August 2008, Alborosie played at the Uppsala Reggae Festival.
The name "Alborosie" comes from a name he was given in the early years after moving to Jamaica. "Borosie was what they used to call me. Let me put it like this. My early experience in Jamaica was... not nice. Borosie was a name they used to call me and it has a negative meaning. So I said, "I'm gonna use this name and mash up the place, turn a negative into a positive thing!". Basically my name is Albert so I add 'Al', Al-borosie. But I'm not gonna tell you what borosie mean!"

Soul Pirate & Escape From Babylon (2006–2009)

In 2006, Alborosie released his debut album, Soul Pirate×Soul Pirate2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Intro0:132Diversity4:103Precious3:494Kingston Town3:125Rastafari Anthem3:276Still Blazing3:517Herbalist3:118Dutty Road3:109Police3:3810Moonshine3:5911Bad Mind3:3812Callin4:0013Black Woman3:1414Sound Killa3:3915Work3:5616Patricia4:3917Waan the Herb3:4118Natural Mystic4:48, which included hit singles: "Rastafari Anthem×Rastafari Anthem2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Rastafari Anthem3:252Rastafari Anthem (instrumental)3:24", "Kingston Town×Kingston Town2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAKingston Town3:10BKingston Town (version)3:11", and "Call Up Jah×Call Up Jah2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksACall Up Jah3:13BCall Up Jah (version)3:12" on his own record label, Forward Recordings.

He released his second album, Escape From Babylon in 2009 on Greensleeves Records. Through the years he has given concerts all round the world, including most of Europe and Jamaica. He also released a compilation, Escape from Babylon to the Kingdom of Zion×Escape From Babylon to the Kingdom of Zion15 June 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1America3:522No Cocaine4:113Mama She Don't Like You4:054Global War3:505Money4:106I Rusalem4:047Can't Stand It4:338Real Story3:209Good Woman4:1810Dung a Babylon4:1011One Sound3:5812Humbleness4:0513Promised Land3:5614Mr. President4:1815Operration Uppsala4:0016Likkle Africa4:41 on Greensleeves Records in 2010.

Dub Clash, 2 Times Revolution, & Sound The System (2010–2013)

After releasing his first Dub music album, Dub Clash×Dub Clash11 October 2010 · Album · RemixSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Tribute to the King3:192Marcus Dub3:293Dubbing Kingston2:574Cocaine and Dub4:005Minstrel of Dub3:506Augustus Legacy4:117Selassie I Son2:378Can't Stand Dub4:259Dub in Baltimore4:4110Send Dem Dub4:3611Loudness Is My Drug3:0112Global Dub3:4613Real Dub Story3:1614Space Echo Malfunction2:5615Dubbin in Love4:0416Double Bubble4:51 in 2010 and his third album, 2 Times Revolution×2 Times Revolution21 June 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Rolling Like a Rock3:292Respect3:263Who You Think You Are3:414La Revolucion3:475I Wanna Go Home3:356You Make Me Feel Good3:457International Drama4:318Camilla3:339Tax War3:1510Jesus Is Coming3:4411Ragamuffin3:4612Soul Train3:4813Grow Your Dreads3:3614Rude Bwoy Love4:2015What If Jamaica3:52, Alborosie became the first white artist to win the M.O.B.O. (Music of Black Origin) Awards in the Best Reggae Act category for 2011.
Alborosie released his fourth album, Sound The System×Sound the System28 June 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Intro1:002Play Fool (to Catch Wise)4:013Rock the Dancehall3:494Zion Train3:005To Whom It May Concern4:076Who Run the Dance3:547Goodbye3:558U Got to Be Mine3:489Love Is the Way3:3910There Is a Place4:2111Positiveness4:0912Don't Pressure It3:1313Warrior3:4014Give Thanks3:2815Shut U Mouth3:4816Outro0:26 on Greensleeves Records in 2013. He followed it up with a dub music version with, Dub the System in 2013 on Greensleeves Records.
He released Sound the System Showcase in 2014, a compilation album.

Collaborations & Re-masters (2014–2015)

Alborosie released a dub album he collaborated with King Jammy called, Dub of Thrones×Dub of Thrones14 April 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Intro0:202A Dub of Ice and Fire3:403Dub the Seven Kingdoms3:144Iron Throne Dub3:515Rise Up Dub3:416A Winter of Dub3:477Great Wall of Dub4:108Lords of Dub3:249King of the Dub Clash3:3110Who Claims the Throne?4:0011Dragon Fire Dub4:2312Dub Feast3:5213Dub Cinderella5:06 – With King Jammy in 2013 on VP Records.
In 2014, Greensleeves Records released, Specialist Presents Alborosie & Friends, a collection of collaborations with other reggae artists. The album entered the Billboard Top Reggae Albums chart at #7.
Alborosie collaborated with King Jammy on another dub album, Reality of Dub, which was released in early 2015.
In 2015, his classic debut album Soul Pirate×Soul Pirate2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Intro0:132Diversity4:103Precious3:494Kingston Town3:125Rastafari Anthem3:276Still Blazing3:517Herbalist3:118Dutty Road3:109Police3:3810Moonshine3:5911Bad Mind3:3812Callin4:0013Black Woman3:1414Sound Killa3:3915Work3:5616Patricia4:3917Waan the Herb3:4118Natural Mystic4:48, which was released by Evolution Music Group, was re-mastered and released in Deluxe Remastered Edition with 4 never-before-released bonus tracks: "Call Up Jah×Call Up Jah2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksACall Up Jah3:13BCall Up Jah (version)3:12", "Slambam", "Streets", and "Jamaica".

Freedom & Fyah & The Rockers (2016)

In May 2016, Alborosie's fifth album Freedom & Fyah×Freedom & Fyah20 May 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1The Prophecy1:152Can't Cool3:483Fly 4203:474Cry3:445Strolling3:476Rocky Road4:097Poser3:478Judgement3:199Life to Me3:5310Rich3:3811Carry On3:4012Everything3:1513Zion Youth3:38 was released on VP records. In the end of 2016, Evolution Music Group released his classic album Soul Pirate×Soul Pirate2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Intro0:132Diversity4:103Precious3:494Kingston Town3:125Rastafari Anthem3:276Still Blazing3:517Herbalist3:118Dutty Road3:109Police3:3810Moonshine3:5911Bad Mind3:3812Callin4:0013Black Woman3:1414Sound Killa3:3915Work3:5616Patricia4:3917Waan the Herb3:4118Natural Mystic4:48 in an acoustic version. The album was released on CD and CD+DVD formats. He also released his sixth studio album, The Rockers×The Rockers26 August 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Fire In The Dark4:422Il Mondo 20163:273A Piedi Scalzi4:024Sugar Boy3:375Volume Unico3:346Ormai3:527Hustlers Never Sleep3:088Dritto Nel Cuore3:579Illusione4:1510Milano3:3611My Generation3:5712C’est La Vie3:20 on August 24, 2016.
He also released another dub album, Freedom in Dub×Freedom In Dub11 August 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Zion Dub Youth4:022Strolling Into Dub3:543Rocky Dub Road4:074Rich N Dubby3:495Dubbing Everything3:156Dub Posers3:537Dub Cry3:478Dub Can't Cool3:529Dub 4203:4610Carry On Dub3:42 on VP Records in 2017.

Collaborations with The Wailers and Roots Radics (2016–2019)

His 2018 seventh studio album, Unbreakable×Unbreakable29 June 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1The Unforgiven4:242Mystical Reggae3:313Lie3:274Live Conscious3:525Contradiction4:006Mission3:247Too Rock3:428Wailing Dub1:429Table Has Turned3:5710Youth Like Me4:1111Unbreakable3:5512One Chord3:3813Under Control3:5114Famsdub (Outro)1:37: Alborosie Meets The Wailers United peaked at #6 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.
Alborosie collaborated with Roots Radics on the 2019 album Alborosie Meets the Roots Radics: Dub for the Radicals×Dub for the Radicals18 January 2019 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Dub for the Radicals4:072The Revelation Dub3:333Midnight Ravers Dub3:584Shotta Man Dub4:005Chalice and Dub3:166Surveillance Dub4:027Melanin Dub4:318Herbsman Dub4:179Flabba Dub Step3:0810Outcome Dub1:06.

For The Culture (2021)

On June 4, 2021, Alborosie released his eighth studio album, titled In The Culture. It features fourteen tracks that were written, produced, and performed in the during the COVID-19 pandemic using vintage analogue gear, dub sirens, reel-to-reel tape, and live instrumentation by Alborosie and the Roots Radics band. Special guest performers Alborosie collaborated with were Collie Buddz, Jo Mersa Marley, Quino of Big Mountain, and The Wailing Souls, the latest album of which–Back-A-Yard–was produced by Alborosie.
In December 2021, Alborosie was nominated for the fans-choice "2021 Album of the Year" award by Surf Roots TV & Radio for their album For The Culture×For the Culture4 June 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1For the Culture3:052Challawa3:083Ginal3:164Bun a Fyah3:225Ready3:306Out of the Darkness3:257The System3:358Never Let Me Down3:439Unprecedented Time3:3610Life to Live3:4111Break My Chains3:0812Listen to the Waves3:3413Walking3:1214Where Do You Go?3:44. Voting was determined by Facebook, Instagram and Twitter users. This was the band's first time being nominated with the reggae rock streaming TV channel on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku.

Personal life

Alberto D'Ascola was born on 4 July 1977 in Marsala, Sicily, Italy.
His father is a retired policeman and his mother was a housewife. D'Ascola developed an interest in reggae music and joined the band Reggae National Tickets in 1992 (at the age of 15.) He is a dual citizen of both Italy and Jamaica.

With Reggae National Tickets

Squali (1996)
Un affare difficile (1997)
Lascia un po' di te (1998)
La Isla (1999)
Roof Club (2000)

Produced by Alborosie

Alborosie presents His Majesty Riddim (2016), VP