Hosny Gmb, the Rockers’ man

Entertainment

Saturday, December 01, 2012

FRENCH singer Hosny Gmb, a self-described Rockers’ man, is getting ready to release his fourth album which is another serving of roots-reggae.

In a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer, Hosny spoke of his desire to perform in Jamaica which he last visited 10 years ago.

“I’d love to play in Jamaica in a big festival tribute to Bob Marley, so Jamaican people will see what is a true roots singer, even though there are great singers there,” he said.

Hosny, who is in his 30s, says he has listened to reggae since he was a child. The first song he heard was Marley’s Is This Love and he has been hooked to Jamaican music since, with a preference for Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller and Hugh Mundell.

For the Paris-born Hosny, waving the reggae flag in France is a challenge. He says mainstream media there is not open to roots-reggae.

“The proof of it is, I have international promotion, but not in France. Record companies, they told me ‘we don’t sign music talking about Jah,’ whereas Bob Marley spread Jah music in the whole world,” he said.

Hosny’s previous albums are Radical Fighters (1997), Unité Universelle (2003) and Rasta Rebel (2007).

Most of his recordings in Jamaica were done in Kingston with stalwart roots musicians like bassist Aston ‘Familyman’ Barrett, trombonist Vin Gordon, saxophonist Glen DaCosta, and drummer Benbow Creary.

Although Hosny is critical of media’s indifference to reggae in his country, many Jamaican roots-reggae acts from the 1970s retain their strongest fan base in France which has several reggae festivals.

— Cecelia Campbell-Livingston

HOSNY GMB… I’d love to play in Jamaica in a big festival tribute to Bob Marley

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