From the city of Kingston to the green hillsides of St Mary Jamaica, unto the United States and the rest of the world, Tafari ‘BLAAC LIONSS’ Watkis is connecting and inspiring people through his music.

It is said that if a window of opportunity appears, one must not pull down the shade. It seems as though Tafari ‘BLAAC LIONSS’ Watkis, an all-around cultural reggae singer, instrumentalist and songwriter, was predestined to be a great musician. Not even his relocation to the United State as a teenager could have impeded his musical development.

The US-based Jamaican artiste, born in beautiful St. Andrews, spent the first five years of his life in Old Harbour, St Catherine before he was sent to St. Mary to continue his upbringing with his grandparents. He later migrated to the US at the age of 18, where he re-established the bond with his father, Lloyd Watkis. His father, a renowned riddim guitarist and vocalist in his own right, took young Tafari under his wings, teaching him the basic fundamentals of music.

Spiritually Lyrical

Reggae music offers a sense of raw energy with a revolutionary feel; and coupled with the positive attitude felt through this music, it lead to Tafari’s defining moment as a young man. Through this channel, Tafari ‘BLAAC LIONSS’ Watkis discovered his true calling, as a reggae musician.

Tafari’s first professional step into his extensive musical journey was a stint with the well-established reggae band, “Kingston 13”, of which he became a member in early spring of 2009. Tafari started off as the band’s bass player and vocalist. His professional standard rose very quickly, and before long, he had earned the moniker, ‘the Specialist’ by his fellow band mates.

The band’s fame and fortunes grew substantially and before long they were backing the likes of world-renowned acts Michigan and Smiley, Andrew Bees of the group Black Uhuru, and Garth Dennis of Wailing Soul.

The artiste’s reputation as bass player also grew exponentially, as he was sought out to become the bass player for international reggae stars, such as Daddy Roots of Anguilla, Yvad and later on Jahmark and the Soulshakers. Over time, Tafari Watkis developed into a well-rounded vocalist and transitioned from not just performing, but recording tracks for himself as well.

Tafari went on to release nine singles, which he co-produced with various independent labels. A song portraying a beautiful melody of emotion, called “Never Lose Focus,” was produced on the Maameer Production Label, which is based out of Israel. An additional song, titled “Reggae Soul Train” by Alternative Roots Records will be released on Tafari’s very first upcoming debut album scheduled to be released between late 2020 and early 2021. “Who Dem Pree” and “Rasta Yute” will also be on the album, with credits by House of Joy Creations and Joeni Records.

Tafari has recently collaborated on a track with musical artist, Ras Donovan, in which they recorded a song called, “My Queen.” Tafari also collaborated with Better Chemistry on a song for the Christmas season, called “Silver Bells,” which is currently distributed worldwide through Tuff Gong International.

“It is an album about my own life experiences, that show integrity and my authenticity as an artist. Through this album, my sole purpose is to spread the message of love and unity, affection and prosperity. I believe this project reflects the legacy of the forefathers of reggae music.”

Tafari went on to release several singles, which he co-produced with various independent labels. A song portraying a beautiful melody of emotion, called “Never Lose Focus”, was produced on the Maameer Production Label, which is based out of Israel. Another track titled “Reggae Soul Train”, co-produced with Alternative Roots Records, was released on Tafari Watkis’ debut album, “The Journey” which was released August 21, 2021. Favourites, “Who Dem Pree” and “Rasta Yute” are also featured on the album, with credits by House of Joy Creations and Joeni Records.

The release of his album, “The Journey”, was a project that Tafari viewed as a big and exciting step, as he indicated and vehemently expressed, “It is an album about my own life experiences that show integrity and my authenticity as an artiste/musician. Throughout this album, my sole purpose is to spread the message of love and unity, affection and prosperity. I believe this project reflects the legacy of the forefathers of reggae music.” And as he so nobly puts it, “it is a privilege to have people positively affected by my creativity, and I hope that the album will have a lasting, positive impact on all of my listeners in a true and realistic way.” Tafari Watkis also points to his need to earn the audience’s respect as he carves out his own niche in the reggae industry.

Tafari Watkis – Mi & Mi Empress

In 2014 Tafari Watkis also collaborated on a track with musical artist, Ras Donovan, in which they recorded a song called, “My Queen” on the Telepathic Riddim and in 2017, Tafari went on to collaborated with Better Chemistry on a song for the Christmas season, called “Silver Bells”, which was distributed worldwide through Tuff Gong International. Another collaboration between the artiste and Miss Mac Music saw the release of two much loved singles, “Reggae Reggae” and “Ole Style New Trend” in 2022.

Early March 2020 Tafari Watkis released another crowd favourite, “Roots Rasta Man” on his House of Joy Creations label which led to the connection between the artiste and his current management and visual production team FAIM Hub & BLAAC LIONSS Productions respectively.

July 2022 saw Tafari Watkis collaborating with another FAIM managed artiste, Rytrust Vyrous for the release of his debut single “Freedom of Speech” on the BLAAC LIONSS label and produced by Tafari’s House of Joy Creations.

Now a seasoned artistes/musician, the versatile roots reggae singer Tafari Watkis’ next project and one that he’s definitely looking forward to, is his upcoming EP, “Sweet Loving”, set to release in the Valentine season of 2024. The artiste is anticipating this EP release as it holds special place in his heart especially because it’s dedicated to the females; a dedication that is evident in his newly released track “Mi & Mi Empress“,  the first single off  the soon to be released EP, “Sweet Loving”.

Fans, supporters and well-wishers can keep abreast with the activities of Tafari Watkis on most major social platforms including, Spotify, SoundCloud, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

TAFARI WATKIS was Live in Salt Lake City (EUROPE – USA WINTER TOUR)

Tafari ‘BLAAC LIONSS’ Watkis Live in Leuven Belgium (Het Depot)
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MUSIC UPDATES

ALBUM RELEASE:
Debut Album – The Journey    Released Aug 21, 2021

RELEASED  SINGLES:
Vanilla Cream               Released May 23, 2024
Mi & Mi Empress          Released Jan 06, 2024
Ole Style New Trend    Released Nov 18, 2022
Reggae Reggae            Release Jun 21, 2022
The Journey                  Released Aug 21, 2021
Rasta Touch Down       Released Apr 23, 2021
Rootz Dawtah              Released Jan 13, 2021
Who Dem A Pree         Released Sep 30, 2020
Can’t You See It           Released Jun 21, 2020
Roots Rasta Man         Released Mar 21, 2020

MIXTAPES:
Dem Need The Natty Dread Vol 1 Presented By Lexus Supreme (Listen)
Dem Need The Natty Dread Vol 2 Mixtape By DJ Sluum (Listen) (Preview)