IT has been 15 years since Nicholas Fearon left Jamaica for Aruba, where he has settled and worked in that country’s tourism industry.

But on a visit to Jamaica in July, Fearon (as Nichelous) recorded his first song, Rise Marcus Garvey, for the Bonner Cornerstone label.

Nichelous

Rise Marcus Garvey is a tribute to the Pan African giant and Jamaica’s first National Hero who died in 1940.

According to Nichelous, he wrote the song after listening to a Garvey feature on Mutabaruka’s Cutting Edge show on Irie FM.

“He wasn’t only talking about black pride, but the importance of self-reliance which couldn’t be more relevant today,” said Nichelous. “If I got the teachings of Marcus Garvey in school I would be a better man today.”

Nichelous is from Spanish Town, an area with a rich music heritage, built around sound systems and independent producers.

Though he performed on talent shows and hung around the Earth Shaker sound system, he never officially launched a music career, leaving for Aruba where he has worked as a bartender since 1997.

Rise Marcus Garvey will also be distributed by Bonner Cornerstone.