Tarrus Riley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tarrus Riley
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Riley at the Summerjam Festival 2013
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Omar Riley |
| Born | 26 April 1979 The Bronx, New York, United States |
| Origin | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | Reggae |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
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| Associated acts | Major Lazer, DJ Snake, Ellie Goulding |
Omar "Tarrus" Riley (born April 26, 1979) is a famous Jamaican-American reggae singer. He was born in the Bronx, New York, United States. Tarrus is also part of the Rastafari movement.
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About Tarrus Riley
Tarrus Riley was born in the Bronx, New York, USA. He grew up in Jamaica. His father, Jimmy Riley, was also a well-known reggae singer. Tarrus started recording music when he was a teenager. His first album, Challenges, came out in 2004.
Awards and Recognition
Tarrus Riley has won many awards for his music. He has been named Best Singer, Male Vocalist, and Cultural Artiste. His songs have also won awards like Song of the Year.
Some of the groups that have given him awards include the Youth View Awards and the Reggae Academy Awards. In 2009, he received an award from Jamaica's CVM TV. This was for his hit song "She's Royal," which was named the "Most Admired Song in the Past 15 Years."
Popular Albums and Songs
In 2009, Riley released his third album, Contagious. This album included popular songs like "Start Anew" and "Contagious." It also featured "Good Girl Gone Bad," which was a cover of a Robin Thicke song.
In 2010, his song "Protect the People" became a big hit. It topped music charts in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. In early 2011, he released "Shaka Zulu Pickney." This song was about Black History and had a music video directed by Storm Saulter.
Educating Youth
Tarrus Riley cares about teaching young people about Black History. He created the Tarrus Riley Freedom Writers Competition. This competition was broadcast on Jamaica's Irie FM radio station.
In 2011, he also released music videos for his hit songs "Come Ova" and "Never Leave I." Both of these songs became very popular on radio stations in Jamaica and other Caribbean areas.
World Tours and Performances
Tarrus Riley has performed on many stages around the world. Music critics in the Caribbean, North America, the United States, and Europe have praised his shows.
He tours Europe every year, performing at major reggae festivals. Some of his big performances include the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in 2011. He also played at the Roskilde Festival 2011 in Denmark and Reggae Sumfest in 2010.
In December 2011, he was the main performer at the Hennessey Artistry show in Barbados. He returned to perform at the same event in December 2019.
Recent Music and Collaborations
In 2012, Riley released an acoustic album called Mecoustic. He toured Europe with his Blak Soil band to support this album.
He worked with saxophonist and producer Dean Fraser on his 2014 album, Love Situation. Riley said this album was a tribute to the rocksteady music style. It featured other artists like U-Roy and Big Youth. This album became his first to reach number one on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart in February 2014.
In 2015, Tarrus Riley was featured on the song "Powerful" by Major Lazer. This song also included Ellie Goulding.
In 2020, he worked with producer Rvssian and artist Shenseea on the song "Lighter." This song became one of his biggest hits in the Caribbean and Jamaica.
Awards and Nominations
- 2007: Jamaica Observer Artiste of the Year
- 2008: Excellence in Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards – Male Vocalist of Year Award, Song of The Year ("She's Royal")
- 2008: Reggae Academy Awards – Best Reggae Song, Most Popular Song (both for "She's Royal"), Best Solo Male Vocal Performance, Breakthrough Reggae Artiste
- 2009: Caribbean-American Heritage Awards – Reggae Runnins Caribbean Heritage Award
- 2009: MOBO Awards – Best Reggae (nominated)
- 2009: Soul Train Music Awards – Best Reggae Artist (nominated)
- 2011: EME - Excellence in Music and Entertainment (Jamaica) - Cultural Artiste of the Year and Vocalist of the Year (Male)
- 2011: Youth View Awards (YVA's) – Cultural Artiste of the Year
- 2011: UNIA Marcus Garvey Award – For Contribution of Music
- 2014: MOBO Awards – Best Reggae Act (nominated)
Discography
- Challenges (2004), VP
- Parables (2006), VP
- Contagious (2009), VP
- Mecoustic (2012), VP
- Love Situation (2014), Zojak World Wide
- Healing (2020), JukeBoxx Productions/Zojak World Wide
