Conkarah

Conkarah, whose name is voiced as “conqueror,” ranks among the most active charting figures in reggae as a vocalist and composer, with his singles and videos serving as fixtures in dance venues devoted to the genre worldwide. His fluid, inviting vocal tone and easygoing phrasing fuse lover’s rock, dancehall, pop, electro, and soul, a blend made clear on the 2015 charting release Don’t Kill My Love EP. That project both summarized the preceding four years of activity and pointed toward future directions. Charts welcomed him once more via the Timeless Love EP in 2017, which opened with Beenie Man on “Don’t Go,” while his videos accumulated millions of views. The following year, cover singles such as “Too Good at Goodbyes,” Camila Cabello’s “Havana” featuring LUT, and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” with Rosie Delmah swept through Jamaican reggae and dance clubs. The period yielded no fewer than 17 releases. Nearly 20 singles followed in 2019, among them the hit duet “Banana” with Shaggy, a cover of Halsey’s “Without Me,” and the dubby reggaeton track “Que Se Repita” alongside Juan Miguel.

Born Nicholas Anson Murray in Kingston, Jamaica, to a British mother and Jamaican father, Conkarah grew up amid a culturally mixed household that fostered his dedication to music. After finishing studies at the University of Virginia, he spent time in London, absorbing club culture and the thriving reggae scene while performing in areas such as Camden and Portobello Road. In 2009 he issued his first music video for the reggae-drum’n’bass single “Runaway,” filmed on London streets and received enthusiastically on YouTube. The stage name Conkarah emerged after he encountered Bob Marley’s “Duppy Conqueror” and Culture’s “Jah, Jah, Se Dem A Come.”

Returning to Jamaica in 2011, Conkarah established a working partnership with Niko Browne of Lifeline Music, son and collaborator of Danny Browne from Main Street Records. The pair produced the emotionally resonant reggae love anthem “Forever,” which served as Conkarah’s official debut single. Their collaboration also produced the club track “No Barbershop.” Early momentum from that song opened doors to further pairings, including “Addicted” with Denyque and “A Little Love” with Mr. Vegas. In 2012 Conkarah worked with dubstep producer David “Ezra” Howells on the club hit “Heavy,” yet it was the 2013 summer release “Lovabwoy/Rudebwoy” that placed him on the international reggae landscape. Critics praised the mixtape Conkarah to the World for its array of global producers and for presenting listeners with a fresh, refined sound.

Conkarah sustained a steady output of singles and performances over the next two years. The six-track Don’t Kill My Love reached charts in the United States, Europe, and Jamaica in 2016, landing at number 17 on the Reggae Albums and Dance music charts and initiating an era of abundant recording that has since surpassed three dozen releases. Alongside original material, Conkarah’s distinctive covers broadened his reach. His rendition of Rihanna’s “Work” energized club floors in 2016, and the duet with Rosie Delmah on Adele’s “Hello” earned year-end recognition from numerous DJs. That same year the electro dancehall cut “Feel It” spawned a remix EP, while 2017 brought the Timeless Love EP, which rose to number four on the Reggae Albums charts as his videos continued accumulating millions of views. Additional club successes that year encompassed a cover of Katy Perry’s “Chained to the Rhythm” and a rocksteady interpretation of Machel Montano’s “Fast Wine.”

Conkarah’s readings of pop material drew reggae audiences in large numbers, illustrated by his version of Sam Smith’s “Too Good at Goodbyes.” His duets likewise commanded widespread attention. In 2018 he delivered four consecutive dance-floor hits: the dub dancehall fusion of Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” with LUT, the treatment of Bastille’s “World Gone Mad” alongside Natalia Posnova, and the dancehall/pop take on Sam Smith’s “See You Again” with Crysa. His soulful rendering of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” received club play from Tokyo and Brixton to Kingston and Los Angeles, appearing on the six-track EP Inna Reggae Style: 90’s Edition, Vol. 1. The debut album Excita arrived in 2001, featuring Ice Prince on the electro-dancehall track “Take Control.” Conkarah also joined Tanya Stephens for the lover’s rock selection “Best Friend” on the 15-track various-artists compilation Reggae Covers.

Opening 2019 with a romantic, fluid reading of Halsey’s “Without Me,” Conkarah promptly followed with the duet “Que Se Repita” alongside Juan Miguel. Demonstrating range, he offered a reggae adaptation of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road” with Remy Ioane and Tai Nunu, plus a trio of duet singles with Delmah that included a charged version of Diana King’s “Shy Guy.” Teaming with Shaggy, he reimagined the calypso melody of “Day-Oh”—a 1956 breakthrough for Harry Belafonte—infusing it with Caribbean humor and a lover’s rock/dancehall blend. In 2020 Conkarah released a steamy cover of Gregory Isaacs’s 1982 classic “Night Nurse,” which connected with newer listeners, while DJ FLe remixes of “Banana” became fixtures on international club floors.