Winstrong Bio

The rhythms of Roots, Reggae, Hip Hop, RnB, and Dancehall flow like an unending river through the soul of Singer-Songwriter and Producer Winstrong. Since the early 2000s, he has been building a career that had its birthplace in the country of Suriname and wended its way through the West Indies before finally settling in Northern California.

Suriname itself is considered part of the Caribbean Community so it is hardly surprising that the sounds and spiritual connections to Rastafari and Reggae made it through to the country swathed by jungles and rivers on the South American continent. Brought up in a family surrounded by music, he has inherited the vocal dexterity of his mother and father and sang professionally, as he in turn navigated the music industry.

That journey began with a group called The Marroons which in turn provided the opportunity to move to Jamaica and record at Junior Reid’s One Blood Studios in Kingston. This is where his exposure to, and lifelong association with the Rasta livity started. The pursuit of sharing a spiritual relationship through music has never left him and it is a blessing audiences can celebrate the world over.

Since 2007 he has been releasing music that has dripped with all the best elements that the culture has to offer. Starting with the hit single Sounds of the Guns recorded at Shaolin Studios on the sun-kissed shores of Barbados, the breadth and depth of his songwriting is constantly evolving. That single launched a touring career with the legendary Don Carlos at festivals such as EarthDance Music, Sierra Nevada Music Festival, Reggae on the River, and many more.

Never afraid to stretch himself, he punctuates his Reggae career by venturing into projects that embrace the Hip Hop and RnB worlds. In 2010 he joined the iconic Hip Hop group Blackalicious and toured with them every year until frontman Gift of Gab sadly passed away in 2021. That experience alone speaks volumes for Winstrong the solo artist.

His song Fast Lane featured on ESPN’s 2012 Indy 500 Compilation. Likewise, his song Nah Stop Hustle appeared in the documentary Degenerate Art featuring Pro Skater Tony Hawk, and his release Dream Big was adopted by the Nigerian Women’s Basketball team as their official anthem for the Olympics. Making political statements is also in his wheelhouse as his collaboration under the moniker Roots and Tings with Lateef The Truth Speaker and Producer DJ Jah Yzer demonstrates. Picked up by the news channel Democracy Now, the track titled Election Time was played on high rotation throughout 2021.

More recently working under his alter ego Reggae Warrior, Winstrong is credited as one of the producers and co-producers on A.J.A.L’s latest Reggae Dancehall compilation including the likes of Cecile, I-Octane, Anthony B, and Mykal Rose of Black Uhuru. Combined with a deluge of tracks about to see the light of day, the Caribbean maestro is continuing his path to greatness.

“Music is the greatest communication in the world. Even if people don’t understand it, they still know good music when they hear it.”