Miguel Orlando Collins affectionately known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji, a Bobo Ashanti Rastafarian was born today, April 17, 1976. Hails from August Town located in the hills of eastern St. Andrew, Jamaica.
On his birthday, with the most recent news that the construction is underway of the Sizzla Kalonji Museum that will be dedicated to his life’s work, we celebrate the capability that Sizzla has demonstrated in his ability to be a positive influence on his community and how he is an example that should be followed for any musician hoping to be a vehicle of positivism and good works in their own communities.
Judgement Yard, which will be the home of the new museum was created to be a community centre, and has been much more in the way in operates as an organization, where it currently acts as home to Sizzla, his Kalonji Records, and also many youths in the community.
The musical opportunities are also made readily available to talented persons from the August Town area where Sizzla’s state of the art studio is located and where major personalities from all over the world making routine visits to the famed Judgement Yard with Rock-a-Fella co-founder Damon Dash and pop sensation Sean Kingston among the list of recent famous visitors to the compound. One can project that the financial opportunities will continue to grow and number of global visitors to increase upon completion of the museum which will boost the fortunes of not only the persons in the community but Jamaica’s economy as tourism number will increase.
The Sizzla Youth Foundation was established in 2010 to heighten cultural and historical awareness in the August Town community. August Town has been known to be a violent place and the view of the foundation is to eradicate violence from the community. As recent as 2016, August Town celebrated a complete year without murders in the community.
“No Shot Nah Buss” was what the Jamaica Gleaner headline read on January 8, 2017 and one can be optimistic of further milestones that will be celebrated in August Town with “Dada” at the heart of the good fight.
CLICK TO VIEW DJ KHALID FT SIZZLA KALONJI VIDEO: