Ambelique

Born Owen George Anthony Silvera around 1956 in Waltham Park, Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, Ambelique was widely viewed as a late arrival to the music scene, with most observers pinning his breakthrough to the mid-1990s. Commentators focused on his transition from bank clerk to reggae vocalist while overlooking his earlier participation in Jamaican music circles. In truth, he launched his career during the late 1960s alongside Derrick Harriott And The Crystalites, adopting the alias Ramon The Mexican. He served as the resident DJ for Harriott’s Musical Chariot sound system and cut “The Undertaker” with the Crystalites, a track that parodied the spaghetti western A Fistful Of Dollars by echoing the exchange between Clint Eastwood and the undertaker character. Paying further tribute to the film, he followed with the sequel “The Overtaker,” declaring on it, “Ramon won’t like this.” Both recordings later appeared on Trojan Records’ The Undertaker in 1970, while his additional sides “Golden Chickens” and “Undertaker Burial” resurfaced on the 1999 compilation For A Few Dollars More.

During his time with Harriott, Ambelique also shared concert stages with Scotty and the Chosen Few before moving to the Bronx in New York City, USA. By 1971 he was touring extensively across the United States as a member of Hugh Hendricks And The Buccaneers alongside Bunny Rugs. The pair stayed with the group until 1976, the year Bunny Rugs departed to join Third World. After leaving the band, Ambelique limited himself to part-time performances with various ensembles, choosing the stability of banking in California because of family responsibilities. He resumed full-time music work in 1989 and, five years later, aligned with Sly And Robbie’s Taxi Gang, who produced his recording of “Quando Quando.” While associated with the Taxi Gang he issued “Groove With You,” teamed with Captain Barkey on “Seems Like You Ready,” and joined Chevelle Franklin for “La Bamba.” He also contributed vocals to the Sly And Robbie album Friends. Building on the duo’s collaboration with Mick Hucknall of Simply Red for “Night Nurse,” Sly And Robbie released Ambelique’s rendition of Lionel Richie’s “Penny Lover.” In addition, he supplied the lead vocal for a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” that featured guitar from Keith Richards. By the late 1990s his profile rose sharply through successive hits including “Lonely Soldier,” “I Want You,” “Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing,” and “Stick To The Task,” confirming that his apparent overnight success was more than a fleeting achievement.