Annette Brissett

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Annette Brissett
BornJamaica
GenresReggae
Occupation(s)vocalist
Instrument(s)Vocals, drums, keyboards
Years activeEarly 1970s–present

Annette Brissett is a Jamaican reggae singer.

Biography[edit]

Brissett was born in Jamaica and sang in church as a child as well as learning drums from her brother, before moving with her family to New York City at the age of twelve.[1] In the early 1970s, she began her career as a drummer, playing with the all-girl reggae band Steppin'Razor and supporting visiting Jamaican singers.[1] She also began a singing career, working with producer Lloyd Barnes and his Bullwackies or Wackies label. One of the visiting singers that she worked with was Marcia Griffiths, and inspired by Griffiths' group the I Threes, Brissett formed Sistren in the mid-1980s.[1] Brissett also wrote "I Shall Sing", which became a hit for Griffiths. Her debut solo album, Love Power, was released in 1986, but failed to make an impact, and she relocated to Miami.[1] She continued to record and perform with further albums released in the 1980s and 1990s, including the 1992 album Annette, recorded with Sly & Robbie.[2][3]

Brissett became an important part of the Miami reggae scene and has worked with several top Jamaican singers including Hopeton Lindo,[4] Marcia Griffiths,[5] and Beres Hammond, with whom she had a number one single on the South Florida reggae chart with the duet "There For You".[6]

In 2006, Jamaican visual artist Errol "Elgo" Lewis exhibited a collection of 25 paintings inspired by the songs of Brissett at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center (AARLCC) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[7]

Discography[edit]

  • Love Power (1986), Wackies
  • Gun Shooting Raw (1987), Sastan – Annette Brissett and Sistren
  • Get up and Dance (1991), Zodiac/VP
  • Annette (1992), Imp/RAS
  • Name of Life (2002), JVC Victor
  • Lift Your Head Up (2010), TAC

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p. 37
  2. ^ Quattro, M. Peggy (1993) "Dancehall, Rising Stars Propel Reggae in Miami", Billboard, 10 July 1993
  3. ^ Greene, Jo-Ann "Annette Review", AllMusic, Macrovision Corporation
  4. ^ "Lindo back on home Turf Archived 6 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Gleaner, 6 May 2008, retrieved 12 September 2009
  5. ^ "Marcia's Shining Time Archived 17 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 1 April 2005, retrieved 12 September 2009
  6. ^ "Bits and Pieces", Jamaica Observer, 2 March 2004
  7. ^ "Jamaican artist and songwriter showcase work in art exhibition- August 17 – Sept 15, 2006 Ft Lauderdale Archived 2 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaicans.com, 18 August 2006, retrieved 12 September 2009