Emerging from a Spanish lineage, singer I-Bar – real name Remor Ibar – is both melodic and smooth on vocals and in presentation. Those talents have come out almost poetically in his input in the powerful new globally anthem-centred single ‘No More War’ from a collaboration with conscious Australian artiste Boorook and fellow Jamaican ‘messenger’ musician, Phabian.
The song, partly recorded in Boorook’s own studio in Warrnambool, Australia and DJ Neil’s Cash Flow Recording Studio in Kingston, Jamaica, is quickly picking up steam globally since being recently released, with rotations already on radio stations across several countries, including in Jamaica.
Citing the gross negative international impact of wars and other violent atrocities across the globe, the song calls for love instead of hate, peace rather than war or other violence, and positivity over negativity.
Bringing a wide cultural mix in the Australian and Jamaican collaboration, ‘No More War’ represents another step along a long musical journey for I-bar, who has tasted some level of success in the business over the years, including touring the Caribbean and much of Europe as a backup vocalist.
But having vowed not to make it big in music on the legs of anything other than conscious, positive and fulfilling content, he has patiently waited his turn for stardom and is optimistic that it could now be just around the corner. This is based on the reception of ‘No more War’ with its strong message and relevance to the combative geopolitical world scene for some time now, with no sign of any change anytime soon.
Chatting about the project recently in Kingston, I-Bar and Phabian, the latter born Fabian Robinson, were in high spirits at the energy that now surrounds the single which is being promoted globally by Groover out of Paris, France, which is already channelling the work onto playlists far and wide, along with the relevant musical business platforms.
I-Bar, emerging from Falmouth in Trelawny, and Phabian from Kingston, both in Jamaica, collectively said they have known the struggles of hard lives and the physical and financial challenges of being dedicated to music, but needing to keep themselves financially afloat in search of the big-time artistic success they yearn for.
“I came to Kingston in 1999 and I have lived here from then. It was in Kingston that I recognised that I had a knack for singing, especially while working as a merchandiser and routinely exercising my vocals on the job,” said I-Bar, a William Knibb High School past student.
“I was spotted by my merchandising colleagues and later started doing like school shows,” added I-Bar before indicating that he next informally linked up with Shocking Vibes Recording Studio under the direction of Clyde McKenzie, “where I got good exposure and saw the professional side of the business up-close.”
Phabian (right) and I-Bar amid their focus during a recent chat in Kingston about their collaboration on the single, ‘No More War’, with Australian conscious artiste, Boorook.
From various other major opportunities over an extended period of time, including being part of a group that got an option to sign up with Shaggy’s Big Yard Entertainment management team, headed by Robert Livingston, which later fell through, I-Bar went on to record with Sugar Minott’s Youthman Promotion. There he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Wailing Soul, Purple Man, Errol Dunkley and Carl Dawkins, who he said all told him pointedly that he would make it big in the business, “but not before I am a big man”.
Continuing to move around in the business, I-Bar went on to do recordings at Mixing Lab, but continued to be forced to focus heavily on the pressing need to hold down a 9-5 job in order to sustain himself financially.
In 2008, I-Bar entered the National Festival Song contest, where he met a number of artistes like Khago, who would later become bigtime performers, and I-Bar recalled being labelled a ‘big singer’ by top festival song organiser, Michael Nicholson.
This was a year after topping a ‘Battle of the Amateurs’ showcase on Hype TV with celebrities like Cordel ‘Scatta’ Burrell, G-Whizz, Daville and Daniel-DI among the judges.
In 2011, I-Bar successfully auditioned for Rebel Salute, where he performed, and he subsequently developed a professional relationship with the Rebel Family. That led to him doing tours with them as a backup vocalist “in the Caribbean, in Europe – all over – England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands – all over Europe,” said I-Bar.
He said he was part of the supporting cast for both Tony Rebel and Queen Ifrica, but left the outfit after a time because of some differences that emerged with his and the principals’ respective philosophies.
With lots of independent works since then, including launching his own record label, Ammeil Music, and also recording with Jah Bless Records in Jamaica in tandem with Phabian, Five Rivers Entertainment out of Canada, and Culture Robbie Label, also with Phabian in Jamaica, I-Bar has kept his musical flames burning.
Hailing Nervana Studio with Emelio in Jamaica, and DJ Neil of Cash Flow Recording Studio, the latter where the Jamaican aspects of ‘No More War’ were recorded, I-Bar said his journey has consistently involved “music that’s relevant to all people and all times, with no compromising of that standard”.
From left, Boorook, Phabian and I-Bar.
He cited that ‘No more War’, based on its positive sphere of reviews globally so far since its recent release, is being widely received as a truly big song – an anthem – and emphasised that, “interestingly, all the reviews from far and wide are saying pretty much the same thing, so it simply can’t be a lie!”
