Duane Stephenson
Artist. Roots, revival
- Active
- 1990s-present
- Sunrise
- April 22, 1976, August Town, St. Andrew, Jamaica
- Also known as
- To Isis
Duane Stephenson is a roots singer and songwriter from August Town who sang lead in the group To Isis for eight years before going solo, and who has written for many of the leading singers of his generation.
He credits choir practice as a boy and his training with the Cathy Levy Players for his voice, and Nazma Muller calls "August Town" a "searing narrative told in soaring vocals against the sweet chords of soul-reggae music." The song tells of the political violence of 1980 in his hillside community: "One day, the place just became Iraq." His solo debut, From August Town (2007), carried "August Town," "Cottage in Negril," "Fool for You" and "Ghetto Pain"; Black Gold (2010) followed with its title track, "Sufferers Heights" and "Nah Play," and Dangerously Roots (2015) with "Julene," "Ghetto Religion" and "Jah Reigns." As a writer he has supplied songs to Morgan Heritage, Gyptian, Tarrus Riley, Etana, Jah Cure, Luciano, Beres Hammond and Alborosie, and "A Step for Mankind," written with Boltar Solomon, became the theme of World Hunger Eradication Day.
Last updated November 5, 2026
Connections
- Beres Hammond (collaborator)
- Luciano (collaborator)
- Tarrus Riley (collaborator)
- Jah Cure (collaborator)
- Morgan Heritage (collaborator)
- Alborosie (collaborator)
- Etana (collaborator)
- Gyptian (collaborator)
Notes
- "Duane Stephenson," biography, Reggaeville, accessed October 21, 2026, https://www.reggaeville.com/artist-details/duane-stephenson/about.
- Nazma Muller, "Duane Stephenson: Reggae's Poet of the People," Caribbean Beat, no. 98, July 2009, https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-98/duane-stephenson-reggaes-poet-people.
- "Duane Stephenson," biography.
- "Duane Stephenson," biography.
