Singer, songwriter, DJ, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Alborosie ended up being one of the more unlikely of Jamaica’s dancehall and reggae stars. Born Alberto D’Ascola in Marsala, Sicily on July 4, 1977, the son of a retired police officer, Alborosie taught himself to play guitar, bass, drums, and piano and by 1993, when he was just 15, he was playing in the Italian reggae band Reggae National Tickets, billing himself as Stena. In 2001 he decided to leave the group for a solo career, and moved to Jamaica to be closer to the musical culture that had so inspired him. Officially adopting the name Alborosie, he began work as a sound engineer and producer in Kingston, participating in projects by artists like Ky-Mani Marley, while still continuing to work and develop his own material. He released his first solo album, Soul Pirate, in 2008, which generated a lot of positive critical attention internationally. He followed it a year later in 2009 with Escape from Babylon, which continued to build his fan base. 2 Times Revolution appeared in 2011. ~ Steve Leggett