Sizzla Kalonji, or simply Sizzla (born Miguel Orlando Collins, 1977 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a reggae musician. He is one of the most commercially and critically successful contemporary reggae artists and is well-known for his unusual productivity.
Homer Harris, introduced Sizzla to top Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser, the musical director for Philip “Fatis” Burrell’s Xterminator Family. 1996 marked an important turning point for Sizzla when he began working with Fatis. This union led to a run of successful singles and the release of Sizzla’s debut album, “Burning Up.”
The two allied again a year later with the follow-up, “Praise Ye Jah” (JetStar). “Praise Ye Jah” was quickly trumped by his release of the Dixon-produced “Black Woman & Child” that same year. The title track was a smash hit and became something of a cultural reggae anthem.
Sizzla scored several more hits during 1997, including “Like Mountain,” “Babylon Cowboy,” “Kings of the Earth,” and the Luciano duet “Build a Better World.”
Along with universal praise came Sizzla’s first nomination for Best International Reggae Artist of the Year at the 1998. Sizzla has since released several dozen albums, including 1998’s “Kalonji” and “Royal Son of Ethiopia” from 1999.
1999 also saw him receive his second MOBO nomination. Sizzla remains a constant presence in the reggae charts worldwide. Currently, Sizzla has 21 albums that have made it onto the Billboard’s Top Reggae Albums music chart, the highest “Words of Truth,”reaching the peak position of #5.
Sizzla Kalonji has released over 45 solo albums and over fifteen combination albums, crossing different genres of Reggae. He has started his own record company, Kalonji Records, which in a joint venture with Damon Dash Music Group and Koch Records, released the album, “The Overstanding,” in November 2006. This was his third album released through Kalonji Records; as well as “Black History and Life.”
Sizzla’s 2008 effort, “Ghetto Youth-ology,” was produced by the Firehouse Crew, the same who produced Sizzla’s debut, “Burning Up.”
DADA