Our respective legacies live, breathe, and thrive through our lineages. Rather than leave behind material totems and trinkets, we really impart wisdom, history, and memories on the next generation. Keznamdi carefully considers this with every move he makes.
A tight bond at home prepared him to build a formidable legacy both personally and creatively. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he remained surrounded by music as mom and dad led the iconic reggae outfit Chakula. By five-years-old, he contributed his first track “Mix A Color” to the Save the World children’s compilation and turned heads locally. Professional obligations brought the family to Tanzania. At 12-years-old, his eyes quickly opened to the importance of a global upbringing.
“My parents showed me the world. I’ve seen many different cultures and experienced different languages, foods, religions, and people. It made me grow.”
Relocating to Ethiopia four years later, he continued to soak up African culture before finally settling in California for college at St. Mary’s on a soccer scholarship. Following a career-ending injury, music became the central focus.
2013 saw him make his debut with the independent Bridging the Gap EP, scoring #1 on iTunes Top Reggae Albums Chart and the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart. He quietly built a fan base with consistent performances around Jamaica, maintaining a prolific output in the process.