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Jamaican Classic Poet I-Maa-Ra

October 04, 2019
“I awake from the darkness of hate, break the slate to recreate someone great. Not too early not too late, I degenerate to regenerate, within, lies my fate”. Poetic expression from I-Maa-Ra, singer, songwriter, poet and recording artiste. 

Early Groundings Born Courtney Mark Anthony Stewart, in Roaring River, St Thomas, Jamaica, he pretty much lived across the river, so much so whenever the river was in spate and he was away from home, he would have to stay at the house of a neighbor as he would not be able to make it across the river to his home. The river was the center of the lives of his family. It provided water for household use, they washed at the river, bathed at the river, caught fish and janga for food at the river, the river was their source. This was the growing up years of this now recording and performing artiste, whose eyes sparkled with these fond memories as he recounted his childhood life. 

His love for music and singing would lead him to various concerts and dances in his community. He was convinced from early that music like the river would be at the centre of his life moving forward. He therefore started on his musical journey in the mid 1980’s, toasting on Studio 4 Sound System in his home town. After migrating to Kingston I-Maa-Ra began his recording career. The legendary Channel 1 Recording Studio was where he recorded his first single. Produced by Horace Tapper the song ‘Iron Bar” was recorded on the Top Rick record label, owned by Horace Tapper. I-Maa-Ra recorded a few singles under the name” Senator Gary”, among them, “They are Dangerous” done on the Beacon record label. Characterized with the ability to “degenerate to regenerate” he changed his name to ‘I-Mara’, meaning “Solid and Firm’. This dynamic performing artiste is now called I-Maa-Ra, meaning “I see the Light”. 

In 1992 I-Maa-Ra was awarded a scholarship to attend The Cultural Training Centre, now called the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts in Kingston Jamaica, At the then School of Music, he studied- Caribbean Latin American Jazz, specializing in Vocal and Ear Training. The Edna Manley College remains the only one of its kind in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. 

I-Maa-Ra worked on Jamaica’s North Coast in the hotel circuit for a while after which he linked up with the Group Abbasani managed by Milton Boothe owner of Roots Rock Muzik. He became the group’s lead vocalist. Under the name I-Mara he released albums:- Let I Go :- Life’s Journey, :-Don’t Take it Personal. He also released several singles to include, Cramp & Paralyze the Heathen: - Babylon Ba Bye: - Caan Cope, he also did several music videos. 

I-Mara has so far worked with such big names as Dean Fraser, Ibo Cooper, Barry O'Hare and Mikey Bennett. I-Maa-Ra is a past director on the board of the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and is also a social advocate and motivational speaker in schools and colleges across the island. I-Mara continues to perform across the island of Jamaica, doing Major performances in Montego Bay Jamaica on the show dubbed “Artistes against Crime and Violence. He featured on the Major concert in Falmouth, Trelawny, Jamaica, hosted by the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (the agency responsible for culture and cultural development in Jamaica) as part of Jamaica’s annual Independence Celebration. 

In the last two years, I-Maa-Ra has worked on various projects. His latest is a single “Mesmerizing” in collaboration with a New York based artiste... Don Junior. Video was released July 2019 by video company TCE (The Cube Effect).
Though he was featured in recently released Lifoti's September 2019 issue 09, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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