Fantan Mojah performing at Tru-Juice Rebel Salute last year. - file

WHEN OWEN Moncrieffe burst on to the music scene in 2004, he was, like most upcoming reggae singers at the time, a turban-clad Rasta with an unusual moniker - Fantan Mojah.

He championed the plight of the poverty-stricken with the popular song, Hungry. A distinguishing feature that set the St Elizabeth-born artiste apart was a backpack he carried, even during performances.

Though fans may not always see him with the bag nowadays, Fantan Mojah says the sentiment still stands.

Second album

"If mi give a yute a ting, even if it nuh come out a di bag, it represent it," he said.

The latest offering from Fantan Mojah's musical bag is his second album, called Stronger, a 16-track disc produced by Britain's Greensleeves Records and distributed by VP Records out of Queens, New York.

The set has a haunting introduction which leads into its popular title track. In it he chants, 'They're wishing for me to fall, but Jah gonna make me stronger.' And, that's what Fantan Mojah seems to be despite what he terms "corruption in the business".

The songs on the album, he says, were written to "bun out" corruption in whatever form.

"Anyone can listen to it (the album). Anything weh mi a do is always fi equal rights and justice. Yuh nuh betta dan mi and mi nuh betta dan yuh," declares Mojah.

Universal audience

The album contains odes to Rastafarianism and the 'herb' as well as songs of upliftment (one exception being Dun Dem, which has a more confrontational theme). Fantan Mojah hopes Stronger will reach a universal audience and eventually earn him international collaborations. But, for now, he is content with working with fellow Macka Tree Productions artistes, Ninja Ford and Zareb, who lend their vocals to four of Stronger's songs.

After hitting the boards with Hungry, Fantan Mojah followed up with the Nyabinghi-inspired Hail The King; both songs are on the album of the same name, which was also distributed by Greensleeves Records.

The songs on Stronger, Fantan Mojah said, were done to soothe the pain of the people. "Mi sing di song dem fi di people dat go through stress and pain."

He implores everyone to listen to every word instead of just specific songs, as there is something to be learnt from every track.

Stronger hit stores yesterday.

'Mo' facts

Like Fantan Mojah, singer Tyrone Taylor and dub poet Yasus Afari are from St Elizabeth.

Singers I Wayne, Chezidek, Lutan Fyah are contemporaries of Fantan Mojah.

St Elizabeth was one of the parishes where the 1990s roots-reggae revival took place. Yasus Afari represents 'St Bess', Tony Rebel and the late Garnet Silk hail from Manchester and Everton Blender is from Clarendon.