About Me
Amlak Tafari, an English-born Jamaican, is an internationally acclaimed musician. He embarked on his path in music at the tender age of six when he picked up a recorder and mouth organ. By the age of ten he was devoted member of a steel band playing in his local church. At 14, he had joined his first reggae band, playing rhythm and lead guitar. With this band, Amlak toured Europe and Africa while also performing as guitarist for Musical Youth. He began playing bass guitar and went on to work and record with such artists as I Jahman Levi, Pablo Moses, Culture, Beres Hammond, Luciano, the legendary Big Youth from Jamaica and since then collaborations with, The Itals and Ras Shilo. Amlak has worked extensively with Grammy nominee Pato Banton and his band The Reggae Revolution, which he joined in 1989. While at first playing rhythm / lead guitar, Amlak later switched to bass guitar after brief stints with Lieutenant Stitchie, Tippa Irie, Earl Sixteen and Mikey Dread. Pato Banton and The Reggae Revolution went on to enjoy chart success in 1995 when Baby Come Back, a single recorded with UB40, skyrocketed to ..1 in the U.K. and other countries. Their hit song, Bubbling Hot, recorded with Ranking Roger of the English Beat also reached the ..1 spot in charts around the world. The band has also enjoyed chart success with long-time friend Sting whom they worked with on hits such as The Cowboy Song and Spirits of the Material World. As of recent, Amlak has been working with Don Carlos (original Black Uhuru), Apple Gabriel (original Israel Vibrations) & 3 times Grammy nominees-Wailing Souls. All of these artists boast the very best session musicians to which some are currently working with Amlak on his new project-the Yellow Wall Dub Band. You can now see Amlak touring the world as the bassist with the grammy winning band Steel Pulse; the only reggae band to have played in the White House (for Bill Clinton's innauguration). Amlak, also known as Mr. A.T. by some of his closest friends, has also performed as frontman and emcee for dance band Piano Man, whose song Blurred climbed to ..6 in the British pop charts. He performed on MTV's largest simultaneous broadcast at that time which featured many of the world's top artists. He has hosted various shows around the world, including the two-day televised Afribbean Festival in 1998 and 1999 Mountain View, California and the prestigious Bob Marley Day Celebrations Long Beach C.A. 1998-2009. Other assignments include hosting the R.A.W. conference and showcase USA 1999 and Birmingham's Artfest-Reggae Rocks event 2004/5. He has produced and programmed the B-side 'My Love' for long-standing friend Dennis Seaton, lead singer for Musical Youth. A.T. has also been writing, producing and performing internationally with various artists including California-based bands Boom Shaka, Dub Nation and Brazilian bands Djambe, Black Maria and also Lindy Lopez, backing vocalist with the world renowned band Oludun. He wrote and performed the Spanish DJ-rap for the track Ven A Mi Fiesta for Pato's album Stay Positive. Alongside his credits for bass, lead and rhythm guitar on the album, his additional work demonstrates his linguistic adaptability and unique artistic expression. Amlak has co-produced and guest appeared on the 2003 album, Unidade-by the Californian resident, Chilean reggae star, Red I. A.T. has appeared and been featured in various magazines including Bass Player Magazine, representing Dean Markley Strings and uses David Eden Bass Systems, Carvin electric basses and Washburn acoustic bass guitars; all with whom he has full endorsements. Amlak has work with disadvantaged children in Brazil, USA and the U.K. and has always taken time out whenever possible to enter local schools and correctional facilities as a mentor wherever in the world he might be. “To encouragement and empower young people is a marvelous thing to do. With these tools they can grow with the confidence they need and succeed. Passing on your dreams is o.k. But remember, the children have their dreams tooâ€! A native of Birmingham in the U.K., also home of Duran Duran, UB40, Ozzy Osbourn and Joan Armatrading, Amlak's versatility ranges from mentoring, doing workshops, songwriting, producing, performing and hosting major events. He is continuously expanding his extraordinary talent into other areas of his long and rich journey in life
