Fantan Mojah was ‘a powerful voice for conscious reggae music’

Reggae singer Fantan Mojah was born Owen Moncrieffe on August 5, 1976, in St Elizabeth. After a start in the dancehall scene under the moniker Mad Killer as a tribute to Bounty Killer, whom he admired, he soon came to embrace Rastafari. As such, by 2004, the world would come to know him as Fantan Mojah – thanks to the hit track Hungry. By 2005, he released his debut album, Hail the King, which would spawn the hits Nuh Build, Hail the King and Corruption. He would be crowned the Breakout Act of the Year.
Then, setting himself apart from his peers at this time, Fantan became known for the backpack he always carried, even when he was performing. As the years went by, he would eventually ditch the bag. As he told The Gleaner in a November 18, 2008, article, “If me give a yute a ting, even if it nuh come out a di bag, it represent it”.
In 2008, Fantan released his sophomore album, Stronger. The 16-track project was produced by the Britain-based Greensleeves Records and distributed by VP Records. In describing his project, Fantan told The Gleaner, “Anyone can listen to it. Anything weh me a do is always fi equal rights and justice… . Mi sing di song dem fi di people dat go through stress and pain”.
With this project, Fantan continued to climb the ladder of the Jamaican music scene, and, thanks to his 2011 hit, Rasta Got Soul, the international market would soon come calling. Most notably, in October 2011, the artiste had his first performance on an African stage when he performed at the Lion Lager Beer Festival in Zimbabwe. Fantan Mojah performed for almost three hours, which a reviewer stated “was his best and longest performance to date”. About this legendary performance, Fantan states, “Mi heart full. The feeling I get when people show me the love my Zimbabwean fans show me – words can’t explain”
In the years that followed, the artiste would perform on a number of local and international shows, including Reggae Sumfest, Rebel Salute, Kingston Beach/Club Oostende in Belgium, Reggae en la Montaña festival in Panama, SandFest in Malawi, among others.
Still, throughout his career, Fantan Mojah has always been experimenting with his music. In 2005, he explored techno when he released Fire Song. As the producer Alkebulan told The Gleaner in a September 13, 2005, interview: “I have a vision for Fantan Mojah. I understand his energy. I wanted to put him in a different market; that’s why we deal with techno. The tune is full of energy.”
Almost two decades later, Mojah would push his musicality further when he explored a more risqué dancehall sound. In 2021, he released Fire King and Touch That Body, which set off a series of debates on social and in traditional media. At the time, Fantan told The Gleaner that “the only thing that has changed is his fan base, as he is now trying to embrace younger fans and dancehall audiences”.
With this decades-long career in contributing to the musical arts, Mojah was sought after locally and globally. There was an outpouring of tributes in the wake of his death on Tuesday at the University Hospital of the West Indies, where he was a patient. 
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange said Fantan Mojah was “a powerful voice for conscious reggae music, delivering spiritually uplifting lyrics rooted in Rastafarian principles that inspired faith, resilience, justice, and positivity.
“Through the quality of his music, he built a massive following and earned himself an [indisputable] place in our rich cultural heritage.”
Josef Bogdanovich, the CEO of DownSound Records, also paid tribute to Mojah. In a press release, he stated: “Fantan Mojah was a true soldier for reggae music. His lyrics carried purpose, his performances were heartfelt, and his commitment to uplifting people through music never wavered.”
Bogdanovich, whose label is the organiser of Reggae Sumfest, where Fantan performed last year, stated that the musician would be honoured at this year’s staging. This, Bogdanovich said, “will honour his life, his artistry and the lasting impact he made on reggae and on the Sumfest family”.

J.T. Davy is a member of Tenement Yaad Media, where she writes and co-produces their popular historical podcast, ‘Lest We Forget’. Send feedback to jordpilot@hotmail.com and entertainment@gleanerjm.com.