Prince Malachi | de

Prince Malachi (born Mark Wynter, 1969, London), is a roots reggae singer who has been acclaimed as an international "New Roots Messenger".

Born Mark Wynter in London, 1969 into a family where he was surrounded by musical talent, he learned how to play drums at the age of seven. By 11, he was performing live with his father, an accomplished R&B, jazz and Latin guitar player who had taught Byron Lee to play guitar while living in Jamaica.

After gathering experience, Mark joined the school’s orchestra, choir and band, and put together Avalanche, his first group who at one point backed Yellowman, and ranked second in a televised battle of the bands. Then, Mark adopted the name “Federal”, and began a very accomplished stint as a DJ, putting out sets on Gemini, Fatman, Unity, Java, Volcano, and even appeared alongside General DC on Coxsone. His DJ career also brought him to the same stages as Daddy Freddy, Shabba Ranks, Ninjaman and Frankie Paul, and appeared in the USA and Canada beside King Tubby’s.

In 1989, He supported Marcia Griffiths on a German tour, and eventually used his production skills to rework a Michael Prophet tune, “Mash Down Rome”. Before too long, he signed to Avex, a Japanese label which enabled him to begin his singing career with the commercially successful dance track, “Rock to the Rhythm”, and tune which charted nationally and even received MTV airplay.

His triumphs also led to him performing with Mark Morrison and Michelle Gayle, and made an appearance at the 1995 Dance World Mixing Championship. As “Federal”, the young DJ used cultural and conscious lyrics, and found his ultimate direction when he discovered Rastafari and took on the name “Malachi”.

His new calling brought him together with Noel Robinson, a new multi-instrumental partner, and soon after this partnership, Malachi formed the Mount Arafat label with Bruno Wiener. As his career was starting to take off in this new direction, in June of 1997 he met the Xterminator producer Phillip ‘Fatis’ Burrell and was invited down to Jamaica to record.

After recording several singles and attracting DJ’s in England and Jamaica, Prince Malachi appeared in Chicago with Sugar Minott, Brigadier Jerry and Josey Wales, and shortly after returned to England to record a record for Mount Arafat. Soon after, Fatis invited the Prince on the Xterminator’s “Hail the Kings of Glory” tour with Luciano and Sizzla. Malachi’s record, “Jah Light” was released in February of 1999 on RAS Records, and has been slowly building Prince Malachi’s following, and cementing his reputation as reggae’s new roots messenger.

He recorded his next album, Runaway Slave, but his career was interrupted when he received a three and a half year prison sentence, of which he served 18 months, for what he described as "just a likkle thing that happened with me and babylon".



Discography

Singles
* "Dancing School" (Stingray)
* "Runaway Slave" (1998, Stingray)
* "This Feeling" (Stingray)
* "Greater Things In Life" (Stingray)
* "Our Country" (Xterminator)
* "Love Jah" (1998, Xterminator)
* "Watch Over We" (Xterminator)
* "You Can't Come In" (Xterminator)
* "Life Circle" (Jet Star/Xterminator)
* "Ready Fi Dem" (1998, Xterminator)
* "Fire It Is Blazing" (1998, Xterminator)
* "I've Searched" (VP/Xterminator)
* "Why Is It So" (2000, Harmony House)
* "Jah Love" (2003, Backyard Movements)
* "Can't Control I" (2003, Falasha)
* "I Know" (2004, Notorious)
* "Behold" (2004, Falasha)
* "1966" (2004, Blakamix)
* "Onward We Go" (2004, Stingray)
* "Time To Move On" (2004, Cousins)
* "Gideon Trod" (2006, Hi Tek)
* "Which Way" (2006, Vibes House)
* "Jah Guide Dem" (2006, Reggae Fever)
* "Jah Nah Sleep" (2006, Maximum Sound)
* "Heavy Load" (2007, Stingray)
* "Judgment Hour" (2007, Stingray)

Albums
* Jah Light (1998, Mount Ararat/RAS/Heartbeat)
* Love Jah (1999, VP) also issued as Prophet, Priest & King (1999, Xterminator)
* Watch Over We (1999, RAS)
* Runaway Slave (2004, Charm/Stingray)
* One Perfect Love (2008, Blakamix) .