Kenny B (5)

Surinamese reggae artist, born November 1st, 1961 in Paramaribo, Suriname, performing with lyrics in Sranangtongo, Ndyuka, English and Dutch. Born in Paramaribo, Kenny began singing at the age of 8 and by the age of 11 was the lead singer of the band Fransisco. in 1980 he enlisted in the Surinamese military. While in the military he continued his music career as the frontman for the band Mofo (English: 'Mouth'). Sidelined due to illness, he was given the opportunity to study political science, whereafter he became a messenger for the military during the country's civil war in 1986, before joining Ronnie Brunswijk's jungle commando in 1989. Kenneth was responsible for conducting the peace talks between the factions of Ronnie Brunswijk and Desi Bouterse. He also conducted the peace talks with the militant factions of Kraag and Venetiaan. In 1991 he repatriated to the Netherlands in 1991, one year before the peace agreement was signed. Following his move to the Netherlands, Kenny quickly emerced himself in the local reggae and dancxehall scene, originally performing with lyrics in Ndyuka, Sranang and English. His music charted several times in Suriname, while even scoring a hit in the Netherlands with his single 'A Sama' which occupied the Nr. 1 spot for three weeks in the Dutch Single Charts. Up until 2014, he was a member of the Dutch Soundsystem 'United Sounds'. In 2015 he began releasing music in Dutch, achieving major success with singles such as 'Als je gaat' and 'Parijs', which saw Kenny B tour outside of the Dutch speaking realm, such as Finland, Germany, Hungary and Greece. He is also behind the Dutch-voice of Walt Disney character Tamatoa in the 2016 motion picture film 'Vaiana'. As of 2019, Kenny B has scored more than 10 Dutch Top 10 hits.