"Banana" Conkarah ft Shaggy

Monday 15th June 2020

Release date: Out now Label: S-Curve / BMG Records

See the new animated Banana lyric video for the DJ FLe Minisiren Remix here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEYviw35to0&feature=youtu.be 

See the original Conkarah ft Shaggy video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydtzs319T3s

TikTok compilation videos here:https://youtu.be/20MMigZhNS0

The insanely catchy calypso-influenced hitBanana – made by Conkarah ft fellow Jamaican and GRAMMY award winning iconShaggy (who also co-produced the track) - is set to become THE viral lockdown hit of the summer.

Based on the traditional Jamaican folk song Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) made famous by musician/actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte in 1956, Banana isAVAILABLE NOW and is currently breaking and creating new records across the video clip sharing platform TikTok, where Bananahas been made into over 7 million videos, with almost 1 million added in the last 24 hours. The videos have been viewed over 4 billion times and the track is currently #4 on the Global Shazam top 200 chart, with over 14 million streams across all platforms so far and 10 million in the last seven days alone. The hashtag #BananaDrop was searched for 578 million times on TikTok in one day.

Born Nicholas Murray in Kingston, Jamaica,Conkarah’s love for music started as a child singing his favourite songs to his mother - from homegrown legends Bob Marley and Gregory Isaacs - to an eclectic mix of American classics including Boys II Men, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Backstreet Boys.

At the time, his musical interests came second to sports, as Conkarah - son of a famed member of Jamaica’s national football team - spent a majority of his time on a football pitch. It wasn’t until a career ending injury in college led him to re-evaluate his purpose and reconnect with the melodies that so deeply moved him. Music became therapy; it was a path forward.

Between penning and recording his own music Conkarah would put together soulful covers of his favourite records, accenting each with his signature warm island flare  while envisioning himself on stage in front of mass crowds. What started as a vocal exercise and hobby caught the ears of music fans globally. His heartfelt renditions of pop hits ranging from Adele’s Hello to Ed Sheeran’s Don’t Care amassed millions of views on Youtube and streams on Spotify.

With a growing following Conkarah embarked on two global tours, stamping his passport across Europe, Asia and the Pacific. Love, joy, uncertainty, hope, adversity – every emotion became part of Conkarah as a person, and all of it was channelled into his music. While traveling in Colombia, Conkarah wrote his single Banana. He explained, “I love sharing this positive vibration and it was an honour to work with Shaggy who is a Reggae and Dancehall pioneer and true Jamaican hero.”  In April 2020 Banana received global acclaim from fans and DJs alike and sparked a viral movement of shared dance videos across TikTok, amassing millions of views in just a few weeks.

Finally things have come full circle for Conkarah. The kid from Kingston who found his voice by reinventing hits from the world’s biggest stars has become the artist that people from across the globe now sing along to. His success is as much about personal achievement as it is about inspiring others – breaking down musical barriers, bringing together global communities and empowering everyone to conquer their goals.

Posted by Craig Jones