Fiery Papa San, silky smooth Shalom, and dancehall minstrel Hopeton James.

@LeoOReggio

Papa San spitting lyrics at a 1986 Fort. Clarence Beach, St. Catherine, Jamaica, stage show; Shalom’s silky smooth voice, at the Bob Marley tribute show held at 9 Miles, St. Ann, Jamaica, and, Hopeton James, the dancehall crooner, singing some Studio One classics, in Negril, St. James, Jamaica.

Tyrone Thompson, (born July 1, 1967) better known as Papa San, is a Jamaican reggae, dancehall, and gospel singer. Born in 1967 in Kingston, Jamaica, he was raised by his Rastafarian grandmother and began performing with sound systems (including Stereophonic the Bionic, Black Scorpio, and Creation) in the late 1970s. He won the Tastee Talent contest in 1981. He went on to become one of the major dancehall artists of the late 1980s and 1990s, with hits such as “Animal Party, I Will Survive, Style and Fashion, Legal Rights & Round table talk feat. Lady G & Maddy Maddy Cry”.
His brother and fellow deejay, Dirtsman was murdered in 1993. In the three years that followed, his sister was killed in a motorcycle accident, his cousin was killed by police, and he himself had legal problems after being arrested on weapons charges. He turned to Christianity in 1997. This is also reflected in his style, as he started off as a true dancehall deejay, later adopting traits of Gospel and Christian music.
Papa San sponsors a concert known as Papa San and Friends, to raise funds for orphanages in rural Jamaica. Since becoming a Christian, he has continued to produce his roots reggae sound, but with the message of Christ to the beat instead of his previously popular secular music.
He has six children and lives in Weston, Florida with five of them and his wife, Debbie Thompson. In 2011, Papa San and his wife, having been ordained ministers of the Gospel, were launched into pastoral ministry and started Our Fathers Kingdom International Ministries.
In 2013, Papa San was featured on Church Clothes, Vol 2 by Christian Hip Hop artist Lecrae, with Andy Mineo, on the song “The Fever”. His album One Blood topped the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart in February 2014.

Shalom whose real name is Steve Harper burst onto the music scene in 1999 with his monster hit single “Baby I’ve Got News For You”.It’s one of those songs that’s so familiar, it’s hard to ignore it when it starts playing, but outside of its impact, I’ve Got News For You may just be one of the most cherished songs of Stephen Harper’s solo career thus far.

Most roots-reggae lovers know Harper by the name Shalom, the man whose vocals lead the harmony for Jamaica’s popular reggae-gospel group, Katalys Crew. A low-key charmer with a passion for reggae and ministering the gospel through the genre, Shalom says, musical genres aside, God remains the guiding force in his career. “I serve God and every day that I live, it is for Him. I try to please him in walking, talking, singing, and just by being around people, although it does not necessarily involve me preaching to them,” Shalom told The Gleaner.
Shalom has had his fair share of criticism for being a Christian who performs and records roots-reggae music, but he has no plans to quit now, having made a living from his music for the past 37 years. It started from the earliest days as a protégé of Sugar Minott, whom he credits for introducing him to the music business and providing the opportunity to record his first track, Teenage Lover, in 1986 (known then by the artiste name Stevie Wonda). That song, he notes, was written with the help of classmates while attending the Pembroke Hall High School and became the pilot for his solo career. Another track, titled One Night of Touching introduced him to reggae music lovers in the UK, but I’ve Got News For You, recorded in the late ‘90s, got the attention of local and international industry players. After a few years solo, Shalom bounced around as a singer for local groups until finding a comfortable position as the lead singer for Katalys Crew.
Performing as Shalom Katalys, he gave the Rebel Salute 2019 audience a taste of what is in store for fans of roots-reggae when he performed his singles, Number One and Chant. “I have been a solo artiste all my life and it was a great opportunity to work as a group. I am just moving forward now and there aren’t any fears about taking on this path. I am more enthusiastic about what God has planned for me,” Shalom shared.

Hopeton James was a quiet, respected recording artist, and, an in-demand singer on the popular sound systems in the 1980s, thrilling many with his Pat Kelly-style falsetto. He also has a nice catalog of recorded songs.