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DONOVAN BONZANA - AVAILABLE FOR FESTIVALS AND SPOT DATESBIOGRAPHY: DONOVAN BONZANA
Donovan Dowaine Francis accepted his higher power from a youth growing up in Jeffrey Town in the parish of St. Mary, Jamaica. His life force dwells in the spiritual light. His parents faithfully upheld his religious foundation throughout his childhood and gave him the understanding that God must be in his life. Donovan was raised in the church. His father was a preacher with extra ordinary eloquence and his mother was a gifted choir leader. “I used to go to choir practice with my mother. I remember that huge organ and that music was always playing. The choir was tight and properly orchestrated. My inspiration comes from there. I stayed in the church until I was about fifteen, which was when a friend gave me a Dennis Brown cassette and introduced me to Reggae music. Later I started listening to Sugar Minott, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Ini Kamoze, Black Uhuru and the Heptones, which was another inspiration for me. Then I started writing songs. I was always good at composition. Things elevated from that point. I learned the words and the melodies. Music has always been a natural thing for me.”
Donovan Banzana is a Rastaman. Guidance came to him at the right time through Reggae music. He commented, “I crossed the musical boundaries and broke away from the church when I was in my late teens. I started writing about different experiences while being around my brethren. Being a Rastaman is a personal experience that is shared with my creator. It's a natural thing. Through music I began to see the realities of life.”
Donovan Bonzana stormed the mid-nineties with two sensational albums, World Power and Bonzani, both produced by the legendary Jack Ruby and released through Chris Blackwell's Island/Mango Records (rated 4 and 4 1/2 stars respectively by www.allmusic.com ) His third album, Life's Code of Ethics takes the listener on a mind-blowing experience. On this release Bonzana collaborated with producer Nick Listrani and world-renowned engineer/producer Franklin Grant, who co-produced and engineered the vocal sessions. The album was mixed by the world-renowned Grammy winning engineer Barry O'Hare, at the legendary Jack Ruby Studios in Ocha Rios, St. Ann, Jamaica. This is where Donovan's career first started. The album features stimulating lyrics, all written by Donovan Banzana, inspiring fearless faith and eternal loyalty backed by diverse musical blends. “Each song reveals the characteristic of a person who steps through life trying to survive and stay on top of his game.” The album upholds righteous morality, while inspiring a blueprint for the orchestration of life. Thoughtfully entitled Life's Code of Ethics, this album inspires listeners with motivation through words, melodies and tantalizing rhythms.
Donovan Banzana is the debut Reggae artist to be signed to Jam Roc Records. In regards to this record company, Banzana stated, “We keep it Respectful, we keep it “Real” and we keep it Rolling. He that has great expectations can have great disappointments. My life is not based on expectations. It's based on realities. This situation with Jam Roc is real. Jam Roc is a young record label. They have the ability, the facility, the loyalty and the energy. Those are ingredients that people build from. We are building together. Jah will guide us.”
Life's Code of Ethics is a musical gift to mankind. It's emotional. It's sing a long. It's provoking. It is inspiring. The emotional single Wind of Change addresses the phenomenal changes inside the world today . “What a Surprise, the more they put us down, the more we survive”. Woman of Pride touches on a woman's sorrow that stands alone with nerves of steel always living a life that's real. Angels Over Me is a purely spiritual song of upliftment, confidence and faith in the Most High. World Peace is a beautiful heartfelt song relating to mankind's condition, “if only you could imagine a perfect world with unification from every nation.”
Banzana's smooth vocals were released for the world to enjoy by some of the best producers. Peter Turner produced Wrong or Right (One World Records/Greensleeves) Banzana's first chartbuster hit single, number one on the European club charts and number 35 on the British Top 200 Charts. To his writing credits, he wrote and produced Serious Man, featured in the Israeli documentary Israel Serious and he wrote New York for the HBO documentary Real Sex 5. He has esteemed motion picture soundtrack credits such as Crazy Daisy, I Love You to Death and Evil Eyes - in The Lunatic .
Extraordinary performances and awe-inspiring stage presence has presented Banzana opportunities to open for the 25 European City Tour (Summer 2004) featuring Ini Kamoze. He also did a 36 city North American Universal Message Tour in 2003 with Anthony B. Donovan also performed at the Strasburg Summer Festival and the Lorely Music Festival in Germany, at the Orange Bowl in San Diego, the Bob Marley Day Festival in Long Beach, California, the Hammersmith Odeon in England and he has toured with Sly and Robbie and the Taxi Gang. He headlined the “One Love World Peace Jamaica Independence Day Celebration” in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (August 6, 2005). He also participated in the Marcus Garvey Birthday Celebration in front of the United Negro Improvement Association Headquarters in Philadelphia, where he delivered an awe aspiring performance for the attendees on hand. New York City saw Banzana giving a stellar performance at the “ Irie Jamboree Concert 2005” the largest and most attended concert for 2005 in New York, sharing center stage with Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, Sizzla Kalonjie, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Sanchez, Richie Spice, and Barrington Levy. “When people walk away from my music or performance”, says Bonzana, “I want them to feel good and think about the lessons of life.”
Donovan won an award for Best Independent Reggae Artist for 2005 at the prestigious 15th Annual Los Angeles Music Awards, held at the world renowned Music Box Theater in Hollywood, CA. “It is so refreshing to see reggae music has taken on this momentous turn to bring back the loved production and lyrics that made reggae music ever popular world wide, the potency that attracted the loyal Marley fans globally. Life's Code of Ethics is stimulating and is definitely food for the soul,” commented, Alfred C. Bowman Founder/Executive Producer of the LA Music Awards.
When asked about his latest album, Banzana said, “This music that I sing, and the message that it brings, is like unto a bullet. It is non-partial. It has no regards for ranks or file, nor foot soldier, straight up the ranks to the Field Marshall or the Five Star General. It bows not to Presidents or Prime Ministers, Kings or Peasants. It holds no sentiments for any ethnic group or religious fanatics. It take no side, and has no political affiliations, it singles out no group and carries no racial slurs that has the potential to spread hatred and bigotry among the human kind. It is designed and spiritually inclined to tap into the human physic, to create and constructively formulate positive change, growth and integration. It is food for the soul of men, to bring about revolution, but nonviolence. It respects no thugs or gangsters. This music sees no color, but it sure has class and is intended for one race and that is the Human Race”.