When the JUNO Awards honouring Canadian music achievements are held May 16, a performer with ties to Yorkton, will be hoping to hear his name called.
K-Anthony, (Kevin Anthony Fowler), who was born in Jamaica but has spent time in Yorkton, has been nominated for the 2021 JUNO Awards in the category of, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for his album titled, 鈥楾he Cure鈥�.
It is K-Anthony鈥檚 first JUNO Awards nomination.
鈥淚t is also the first time that a Jamaican native has been nominated in this category of the JUNO Awards, so it is such a great honor and achievement for Jamaica and especially for K-Anthony,鈥� said Sharon Rurak, of Yorkton who is part of the musician鈥檚 management team.
K-Anthony moved to Yorkton in 2013 with his wife Kamelia who was a nurse at Yorkton Regional Health Centre and with their daughter Nia.
The nomination was not exactly expected.
鈥淚 was very surprised by the JUNO nomination,鈥� K-Anthony told Yorkton This Week via email. 鈥淭his is a far way from where I first started from . . .
鈥淚n terms of my career, it is a major boost in my outlook of my music. I do see where there are people who are interested in the music and the message of the music that I bring, so of course I am encouraged to continue putting out this music.鈥�
The nomination is good for the career moving forward, and a win would be even bigger.
鈥淎 win would mean that my music is valued at that high standard, which is a great honour for me,鈥� said K-Anthony. 鈥淚t also would give me a larger platform on which to share my music and also a larger audience I am hoping. I would like many people to hear my music. This is why I do what I do - - - the audience.鈥�
As for Rurak, she met K-Anthony in Yorkton in the fall of 2015 and begun working with him shortly after.
鈥淒uring their time here, K-Anthony and his wife had a son, Noah,鈥� noted Rurak. 鈥淭hey moved to the state of Virginia in the US in 2017 to pursue K-Anthony鈥檚 music career. They have since had another daughter named Nyla.鈥�
K-Anthony was recording music while he was in Yorkton.
鈥淗e shot a few music videos while living here and also released an EP titled, 鈥楾omorrow You May Not鈥�,鈥� explained Rurak, adding 鈥淜-Anthony hosted a concert at Yorkton Dream Centre back in September of 2015. His music recordings were completed at Pulse Studios in Saskatoon and Blue Door in Regina.鈥�
K-Anthony said Yorkton was an influence in his career.
鈥淵es, my time in Yorkton definitely did influence my music,鈥� he offered. 鈥淚 recorded a few songs while living in Yorkton and I also trace the inspiration of a few other songs back to my time in Yorkton.
鈥淚t is a beautiful place to live. It is close to nature and people are easy going.鈥�
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Rurak said after attending the concert at the Yorkton Dream Centre they began working together to shoot a video titled, 鈥楾omorrow You May Not鈥�.
鈥淚 have always enjoyed this type of work and so after completing the video shoot and searching out music recording studios in the province, I signed a two-year contract as K-Anthony鈥檚 manager,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ince that time we have continued to work together and I am now in the process of starting up my own PR (Public Relations) business which is called, Vision PR Solutions, and I have continued working with K-Anthony in that aspect.
鈥淢y goal is to fill my portfolio with more music artists and other promotional/public relations work that may arise. I have been in contact with other potential artists and public speakers and I am very excited to see where this road may lead. Everyone has a 鈥榟obby鈥� that they really enjoy doing, and this happens to be mine.鈥�
The single titled, 鈥楾he Cure鈥� -- 鈥渁 gritty, emotional tune that is cast on the backdrop of the real life struggles we face as individuals鈥�, noted -- was released Nov. 22, 2019.
K-Anthony also recently released 鈥楩REE鈥�.
鈥淭he melody reaches your heart and brings you a sense of inner听peace.听K-Anthony's music has been such an inspiration听to so many people. It's that kind of music that gives you goosebumps as the words resonate with you.鈥�
For K-Anthony music has always been part of his life.
鈥淚 was always interested in music,鈥� he said.
鈥淕rowing up in the church, my experience with music began with taking old hymns and arranging them to music.
鈥淚 actually went on to study music in University. I completed a degree in music and this covered classical music but of course my liking was gospel.鈥�
Gospel remains the major influence in his work, but with a few additions.
鈥淢y musical influence comes from old gospel music to rhythm and blues and old reggae and contemporary Christian music,鈥� said K-Anthony.
So what is next for the artist?
鈥淚 would like to begin work on a full length album,鈥� said K-Anthony. 听鈥淭he aim is to build a catalogue of work of high quality gospel music.
鈥淚 am a Christian gospel artist with an old message to deliver in new ways and to as many people as I can.
鈥淚 would say I also want to have longevity. I see myself doing music for a long time, and so I would like to become better and better as an artist as well as a person.鈥�
