Abijah

“There is no miracle greater than love. It is God's most precious gift to us. It is not a feeling, it’s a daily decision.” Abijah (a name which when translated in Hebrew means My Father is Jehovah) believes that spirituality and love transcend any single religious acceptance of reality. The fundamental of life, love, is exuded by Abijah’s personality and reiterated in all of his songs. Born as Andrew Smith in Kingston, Jamaica, Abijah was first exposed to reggae music as a child. Being constantly reminded of the power of music by his mother, a singer in the church and his father, a drummer with the Mystic Revelation of the Rastafari, Abijah’s passion for the art developed at a young age. As a child, Abijah began to practice his art by rehearsing and performing with his father's band. Abijah was first noticed as a conscious reggae singer when his first single “Revelation” hit number one and remained on the Jamaican charts for 30 weeks. Being dubbed the “Peace Ambassador’ in Jamaica, Abijah has visited over 50 schools across the island speaking to the children, as a result of the role he played in Jamaica's "Healing of the Nation Programme.” Known and respected internationally, Abijah has spoken at Harvard University in the United States and Oxford University in England, because of his love for the youth and his contribution in Jamaican schools. Abijah has performed at Hopiland in Arizona, and in New York State (at the Onondaga Lake Peace Festival, . His festival appearances have included San Francisco's Reggae in the Park, the Monterey Bay Reggae Festival, and the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. Abijah has also graced the Montreal International Reggae Festival & western Canada's biggest Reggae event: the Calgary Reggae Festival. On his European tour, Abijah appeared at festivals in several countries, including Summer Jam (Germany), Rototom (Italy), Jamaica Sunrise (France), and Uzona (Spain). Abijah's been featured on one of the well-known DJ Krush's CD's, and has performed in Tokyo, Japan. In Jamaica, Abijah's performed at the renowned Reggae Sumfest, as well as Rebel Salute, Western Consciousness and the East Fest, to name a few. Abijah’s cover version of Bob Marley's "Sun is Shining", hit number one on the South Florida and France’s Reggae chart and remained in that position for more than six weeks. It was then featured on his second Album “Moving to the Top”, Abijah has also been featured on the “Rolling Bob” Album (a tribute to Bob Dylan)., and has collaborated with international artiste such King Yellowman, Nadine Sutherland, Gentleman, Beenie Man, R&B singer Tevin Campbell, and others. At present, Abijah has been working on a new album. Abijah’s music is intended to reach and teach, and that’s the place from which his songs are composed. Abijah is an artiste known for excellence and awe-inspiring quality. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.