Jack Spania

From the idyllic countryside of the Caribbean twin isles of Trinidad and Tobago to the unforgiving streets of Baltimore, Jack Spañia, named after a vicious wasp, is set to take the music world by swarm! Born Kelvin Aaron Armorer in West Baltimore, Maryland, he was taken to Tobago at just nine months by his parents where he stayed until 1989. While living in Tobago he first gained his appreciation of music and performance as part of the Trintoc Tobago All-Stars Youth Steel Orchestra. In the Orchestra he learned to play various steel pans and the group competed in several competitions across both islands. He also participated in school and community singing competitions.Upon his request, he moved back to Baltimore to live with his father and to graduate from Forest Park High School. It was here that he had to grow up quickly in order to survive in Baltimore’s notorious East Side. After witnessing tragedies first hand as well as losing close friends to violence, Kelvin, then known as Prodigal, decided to use music as his outlet rather than becoming a victim of the streets. He first settled in with Tropical Ensemble, a local steel drum band but yearned to start singing once again.He later joined a local soca group called Chaos but soon found that his talents were often overlooked and unappreciated. He entered calypso competitions during Baltimore’s Days in the Park at Clifton Park, an annual summer event which displays local and international talent. Later he linked up with a high school friend who had started his own label, 100% Entertainment. Along with other artists on the label, Prodigal traveled to different states to record his music and collaborate with other artists. In Baltimore he conducted music seminars and workshops for children at the Eubie Blake Center and also continued to perform on stage. Eventually 100% Entertainment went international in Cancun, Mexico, giving Prodigal a small taste of the stardom to come.Unfortunately, the label soon dissolved and Prodigal soon changed his name to Jack Spañia to signal a rebirth. Within a couple of months, he met up with Omar Sharif of the local R&B band Groove Stu, who requested his audition for an appearance on the their reggae flavored song Tru Independence with their lead guitarist at the time, Tony Love. impressed with his lyrical style and natural energy, they enjoyed his audition and asked him to perform the song in a number of Baltimore locations. It was through this encounter with Groove Stu that Jack Spañia met Wayne Walston, who would eventually become his main producer and close friend. Along side Wayne, Jack Spañia’s true potential was nurtured and encouraged, and he became more involved in the creative process.When everything finally seemed to be going his way for the first time, in 2002 on his way home from work he was involved in a car accident which required extensive physical therapy. He was out of work for almost two years while struggling to make ends meet as well as trying to recover from his painful injuries. During this time, he found himself reevaluating his desire to pursue music, at times believing it was a foolish endeavor. But through sheer determination and his eternal love of music and performing, he pushed through his bouts of depression and financial hardships and refocused his energy into finishing his album.Now, after what seemed like a never ending journey, Jack Spañia’s first LP Premeditated is set to drop and he promises to ‘sting dem, swell dem, and dismember dem”. His CD is a fresh fusion of Hip Hop, Reggae, and Calypso while taking the meaning of double entendre to a whole new level.In an ambitious move, he released two versions of, “Bodymore, Murdaland” a haunting tale of the violence witnessed growing up on Baltimore’s streets. And although he wants his listeners to think about what’s happening in their surroundings, he also wants them to enjoy themselves with such tracks as “Bouncin” and “Loose Change”. But he most definitely can’t leave out the ladies with songs “Can’t Be Love” and the seductive third single “Girl You The One” infused with the sweet sounds of a live steel pan.With his hard hitting lyrics, profound clarity, a welcome lack of vulgarity and overly explicit content, he delivers quality music on all levels. Jack Spañia has been waiting a long time to bless the music industry with his unique style and flavor and by the looks of it, we won’t be disappointed.