2008 Woodie Awards
Abdel Wright Writes Hope For Jamaica
Jami Furo
Issue date: 10/14/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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It is the pain that only one who has felt it can express; it is the pain that that person can only express through the power of music.
Abdel Wright, in his self-titled first album, tells the heart-breaking story of his life in Jamaica through calming melodies, powerful lyrics and American folk instruments, all fused with Jamaican rhythms.
Wright was placed in government custody at the ripe old age of nine months. After that, he moved from one orphanage to the next before finally landing in one in Montego Bay that was partially funded by Johnny Cash, who owned a house nearby. Cash performed for the children every Christmas at Rose Hall, providing an early yet strong musical influence for Wright and explaining why his music contains an American folk feel.
At the age of 12, Wright was given a guitar by the school superintendent who noticed the boy's interest in the guitar in the school office. Wright taught himself to play it, and then proceeded to teach himself to play piano and flute by stealing to afford books.
At the age of 18, the same age that he began writing songs, Wright was no longer allowed to stay at the orphanage. He stole to survive, and when caught with a firearm, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. In prison, he wrote several of the songs on his new album release, and he was even allowed to teach music to the other inmates. His sentence was shortened to five years based on the trust that he had built up among the prison guards and the warden.
When he got out of prison, he played in many of the island's clubs. By chance, he ran into producer Brian Jobson, who led Wright to Dave Stewart. Stewart is the founder of The Eurythmics, and he agreed to produce Wright's album. From there, Wright's career sky-rocketed, and his music is now being heard on a global scale.
Wright's lyrics address the gamut of issues that he has faced. His songs cover topics ranging from injustice in the government (as in "Quicksand"), to inadequate healthcare (as in "Human Behaviour"), to hypocrisy (as in "Paul Bogle"), to poverty (as in "Strange World"), to his own incarceration (as in "Ruffest Times").
Abdel Wright, in his self-titled first album, tells the heart-breaking story of his life in Jamaica through calming melodies, powerful lyrics and American folk instruments, all fused with Jamaican rhythms.
Wright was placed in government custody at the ripe old age of nine months. After that, he moved from one orphanage to the next before finally landing in one in Montego Bay that was partially funded by Johnny Cash, who owned a house nearby. Cash performed for the children every Christmas at Rose Hall, providing an early yet strong musical influence for Wright and explaining why his music contains an American folk feel.
At the age of 12, Wright was given a guitar by the school superintendent who noticed the boy's interest in the guitar in the school office. Wright taught himself to play it, and then proceeded to teach himself to play piano and flute by stealing to afford books.
At the age of 18, the same age that he began writing songs, Wright was no longer allowed to stay at the orphanage. He stole to survive, and when caught with a firearm, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. In prison, he wrote several of the songs on his new album release, and he was even allowed to teach music to the other inmates. His sentence was shortened to five years based on the trust that he had built up among the prison guards and the warden.
When he got out of prison, he played in many of the island's clubs. By chance, he ran into producer Brian Jobson, who led Wright to Dave Stewart. Stewart is the founder of The Eurythmics, and he agreed to produce Wright's album. From there, Wright's career sky-rocketed, and his music is now being heard on a global scale.
Wright's lyrics address the gamut of issues that he has faced. His songs cover topics ranging from injustice in the government (as in "Quicksand"), to inadequate healthcare (as in "Human Behaviour"), to hypocrisy (as in "Paul Bogle"), to poverty (as in "Strange World"), to his own incarceration (as in "Ruffest Times").