Omar

Omar - The Complete (promo film)

On Request. Born Omar Lye Fook, 1969, Canterbury, Kent, England. Omar was born the son of a Chinese Jamaican father and an Indian Jamaican mother.

A former principle percussionist of the Kent Youth Orchestra, he later graduated from the Guildhall School of Music in London. His debut singles were "Mr Postman" and "You And Me' (featuring backing vocals from Caron Wheeler), before his debut album was released, via Harlesden's Black Music Association's Kongo Dance label, on a slender budget.

Nevertheless, it reached the Top 60. In its wake, Omar's name suddenly began to crop up everywhere, be it as a singer, writer or producer. Following a high-profile Hammersmith Odeon concert in December 1990, Gilles Peterson of Talkin' Loud Records persuaded financial backers Phonogram to open their wallets. The debut album was slightly remixed and re-released, the title track having already earned its stripes as a club favourite and a UK Top 20 breakthough. Although by definition a soul artist, Omar's use of reggae, ragga and particularly hip-hop endeared him to a wide cross-section of the dance music community.

RCA Records won the scramble to sign Omar after departing from Talkin" Loud in January 1993. Since then, he has continued to collaborate with a number of premier R&B artists - songwriter Lamont Dozier, keyboard player David Frank (famed for his contribution to Chaka Khan's "I Feel For You"), bass player Derek Bramble (ex-Heatwave), Leon Ware (arranger for Marvin Gaye) and no less than Stevie Wonder himself, who contacted Omar after hearing his "Music" cut.

He failed to achieve the same commercial success, despite constructing excellent "nu soul' albums such as 1994"s For Pleasure, and was subsequently dropped by RCA. Omar has continued to plow his own stylish path through soul music, and continues to attract big names such as Erykah Badu to contribute to his recordings.