Bio

Over the years, as immigration expanded and multitudes of families find themselves comprised of bilingual, if not multilingual members, a new generation of musicians and artists began to emerge, sparking the inevitable: a fusion of languages, primarily of English and Spanish. This fusion has been most evident and expressive in the music of today, with reggaeton blazing the trail and reggae, hip hop, and R&B following right behind. Bennie Man and Tito el Bambino mix it up bilingually in the dancehall arena. Beyoncé jumped to the bilingual vanguard with much admiration while Wyclef Jean brings up the French Creole with hip hop and reggae mixture to the forefront. It’s in keeping with this linguistically explosive tradition that VOTSEE ( Voice Of The Spanish-English Explosion ), the musical group emerges. The group fuses reggae and hip hop primarily – with sprinkles of other genres and styles as mood and tastes demand –into seamless instrumental tracks, and then complements them with fresh, innovative vocal renditions loaded with enlightening philosophical messages, historical references, eye-opening social commentary, and heart soothing romantic rhapsody. In a nutshell, VOTSEE delivers, with a sense of creative audacity, music that grabs, moves, and echoes in the head of its listener long after it is first heard. Founded in 2005 by Guyanese-born George Prince Andrew Dover ( GPAD ), VOTSEE struggled through its formative years with a hard-rock drummer, a cello-trained bassist, and a novice guitarist who did not get reggae music, the roots of its founder and an essential ingredient of the group’s focus. After the original lineup eventually fell apart, GPAD continued his quest for talent with the right chemistry. In early 2007, he recruited two young Chicano sibling rappers with chemistry and raw talent, but too much domestic issues to remain stable. Two weeks before a slated concert to mark the official launch of the group in May of that same year, one of the two siblings was forced to relocate to Utah, leaving VOTSEE stranded on its debut night and sending GPAD on his talent quest once more. This time, however, the search did not take long; and once again GPAD discovered two more sibling artists. In addition to being extremely talented, versatile artists and serious about their musical careers, they both share a profound appreciation for reggae. “Immediately upon listening to samples of their work,” GPAD recalls, “I knew I had found my musical soul mates in these two Tejanos calling themselves MRP and DJ Johnny Jr., respectively. I said to myself, ‘Jah is great. VOTSEE Vive!’” About three months later, VOTSEE got an invitation to perform at a church concert on New Year’s Eve; and for the occasion the group wrote its first song together – Desafíate/Dare to Explore! The piece is a groovy, upbeat reggae-hip hop tempo accentuated by a mixture of spiritually conscious lyrics and that of an urban sense of appreciation for the riches expected to be gained through outstanding musical accomplishment. The hope for reward sweetens labor, says the old adage, and with this first song cementing their collaborative effort, the group immediately set out to work on its first album, aptly titled “VOTSEE VIVE!” To be produced under the independent label, OLAI Media, and distributed by Baker & Taylor, the album will be comprised of nineteen songs, all of original lyrics and tracks written and composed by the group itself, with some collaboration by other artists whom they feature on a few tracks. “VOTSEE VIVE!” is slated to drop in early December, 2008. With novelty and uniqueness being trademarks of VOTSEE, the group aspires to stand out from the too often imitative and indistinguishable artists proliferating the industry today. “Our objective is to create great music, first and foremost,” says GPAD, “And while we’re at it, we hope to make a name for ourselves as the group that dared to explore uncharted territories without compromising the universal standards by which great music is measured and appreciated.” With music ranging from personal motivation, spirituality, romance, and social commentary to dancehall fever, VOTSEE will at once entertain you, educate you, inspire you, and give you a genuine sense of sophistication whether you’re quietly listening to them in the comfort of your home or rolling down the block bumping their music at full volume.