Nereus Joseph

Born in St. Lucia to a musical family, Nereus Joseph's parents were both singers. His mother sang harmonies in a band with her six sisters and his uncles were a famd calypso band from his native land called The Merry Makers. At around 18 NEREUS JOSEPH found himself the lead singer of the Coptic Roots band; the group’s reputation as an uncompromising roots and culture ensemble during the late 1970s and early 1980s provided a platform for Joseph to develop himself as a songwriter and performer. By the time the group disbanded in the early 1980s, Nereus had established himself as an impassioned deliverer of thoughtful and heartfelt songs addressing disparate aspects of the human condition. He signed with the burgeoning Fashion label and broadened the scope of his material, pandering to the sensibilities of lovers rock fans, with hits like Senci Crisis', 'Rocksteady Time' & 'Guidance' but seeking to retain the loyalty of the die-hard roots afficianados he had endeared himself to during his Coptic Roots days. During 1996, Nereus formed an alliance with the members of the supergroup Passion (alongside Peter Hunnigale, Glamma Kid and Mafia & Fluxy), their collaborative effort, ‘Share Your Love’, hit commercial paydirt and topped the reggae charts and dented the National pop chart. However, Nereus’ stated objective transcended merely accumulating a succession of forgettable hits and he combined his recording career with the duties of a music technology tutor and sports instructor at his local youth centre in Ilford, East London. However, Nereus’ industry for a wage served to underwrite the record label, Sirius, he ran with Kenny Edgehill from the top of a high rise in Poplar, East London. From this entity, Nereus launched his own Kanawi label as the Musician/Producer in him blossomed. To this end albums by the likes of Donovan Kingjay, Wayne Lyrics, Lioness Fonts, Afrikan Simba and a whole host of others were released bearing the legend "Produced by Nereus Joseph".