St. George’s, Grenada. August 6, 2008.  Edson Mitchell, M.B.E., better known as King Ajamu, the calypsonian who has won the title of monarch more often than any other in Grenada, will be joined by some of the Caribbean’s finest artists, to celebrate his 25^th year as a composer, wordsmith, musician and performer at a gala concert to be held at the Grenada National Stadium today.

The multi-talented Ajamu, who is equally adept in calypso, soca, parang and reggae, will be joined by a cast which includes Trinidad’s Baron, Singing Sandra, Black Stalin, and reigning monarch, Sugar Aloes; Barbados’ Red Plastic Bag; and Grenada’s Val Adams, Randy Isaacs, Inspector, Smokey, Stumpy, reigning soca monarch, Luni Sparks & Electrify, and junior monarch, Rico.

Based on what’s being said on the ground here in Grenada, this event is expected to draw one of the largest crowds during the 2008 Spice Mas season. In fact, tickets are already sold out at some locations.

“Pure quality;” “Nothing but the best;” and “Bringing class back to true culture,” are just a few of the phrases being used to describe the upcoming event and the man behind it.

“Ajamu is absolutely dedicated to producing the best in quality music in both form and content. And the ‘Ajamu 25’ event will certainly showcase that talent and depth,” said Carolann Scantlebury, Ajamu’s manager.

At today’s event, Ajamu is also expected to release his Silver Anniversary – 1983 to 2008 album, a compilation of 27 of his greatest hits.

 Some background

Although he entered the world of music singing reggae prior to 1983, and really never turned his back on reggae (his albums Jah is My King and Living Water attest to that), Ajamu began singing calypso in 1983 after a one-year stint in Trinidad and Tobago.

Not too long after his entry into the calypso arena, the likes of The Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose, quickly acknowledged the outstanding talent of this new maestro. In fact, The Mighty Sparrow, who only recently at Club Karma in Grenada, added to the number of shared stage appearances with Ajamu, has said previously of Ajamu that Ajamu  as a youngster reminded him of himself when he first started his career.As mentioned above, Ajamu is the unprecedented seven-time winner of the Grenada Calypso monarch title – 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, and 2004. Additionally, Ajamu has also won the Soca Monarch and Road March competitions in Grenada.

This musical maestro who plays guitar, keyboards, and drums, and is a certified sound engineer, has also written, arranged, and produced songs for a number of top Grenadian and Trinidadian calypsonians.

Also in his long list of accomplishments, is the 1997 “Male Vocalist of the Year” title at the impressive Sunshine Awards held in New York. That year, Ajamu surpassed other calypso stars like David Rudder of Trinidad and Edwin Yearwood of Barbados.

It is also noteworthy that Ajamu’s contributions as an artist and a gentleman have not gone unnoticed by the international music community’s Billboard Magazine and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. The former has featured Ajamu’s work on more than one occasion and the latter has bestowed upon him the prestigious title of “Member of The British Empire” (MBE).

As Ajamu celebrates 25 years as a successful calypsonian who has toured the globe and continues to do so, he has certainly become a source of pride for Grenadians and Caribbean people world-wide. Always with a truthful or positive message that captures reality and dreams of a better life, this crooner of multiple genres is far from over, with 19 albums already to his credit.

There is something spectacularly golden about Ajamu’s silver anniversary. And it is not just about the awesome music; it is equally about the integrity and the humility of the man behind it all. His response to a question about the significance of this massive event capsulates his depth and simplicity: “Its all about showing appreciation for the warmth and respect that I have received over the years and especially recently. I am deeply touched by the outpouring of love from so many well-wishers.”

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