Charley Anderson was born in Negril, Jamaica, but at age 11, he moved to Coventry, UK. “The first challenge was getting my hands on an instrument to play. I was lucky that my brother and Lynval Golding were best friends and rehearsed downstairs in my mom’s garage.” He gained his first stage and music experience by dee-jaying at sound systems in the Coventry area and then started a band with his brother and their friend, Lynval Golding.

However, as black musicians playing Reggae music, they encountered racism. It was difficult to find work at local venues and a recording deal was out of the question. “We would go out at night to enjoy a concert only to be stoned with giant pint beer glasses by the security guards, who, ironically, are paid by the establishment to supposedly protect you inside the venue, should anything go wrong.”

Fortunately, Charley persevered. He helped found the Two Tone Movement, a group of 14 musicians from Coventry, UK including The Specials and The Selecter. Two Tone’s first single, “The Specials Gangsters vs. The Selecter”, was a hit. The Selecter’s Album Too Much Pressure rose to No. 5 on the UK album charts and even to No. 1 on some European charts. “This Movement helped beak down the barriers that existed in the entertainment circle and turned out to be the most successful venture by black and white artists in UK music history.”

Charley says that The Selecter’s success didn’t change his life financially, but adds, “It was a great mental boost – like graduating with a triple Ph.D. on how to survive in music.” After touring with The Selecter, Charley focused on his own career. He toured Ireland with The Century Steel Band, and later moved to Mombasa, Kenya where he formed The Vikings Band.

While in Africa, Charley traveled to South Sudan and witnessed the country’s civil war first-hand. His experiences moved him to write and produce songs for the South Sudan Project, which was aimed at raising awareness of the Sudanese people’s plight. Through his music, Charley tries to recreate the war experience for his listeners. “Because I was physically there, I was able to create the physical reality of the war in South Sudan through my composition. You can hear the planes, the machine guns...”

Charley's musical career has been dedicated to raising awareness of humanitarian issues and speaking up for the vulnerable and oppressed in our global society—those who have no voice. “My songs generally are related to reality topics: love, emotions, the state of the environment, social issues like children soldiers, convention of the right of the child, women’s rights, HIV-AIDS, and current affairs.”

His friend’s mother once said that if everyone listened to Bob Marley, the world would be a better place. “She was 85 at the time, living in Kenya. Imagine that.” Obviously, Charley couldn’t agree with her more. In fact, some friends have affectionately dubbed him “Charley Marley.”

“Charley Marley” and his family now live in Colombia where he is working with Latin American and Caribbean reggae artists. He is re-launching his solo career with Global Management Limited, S. A. and Global507 Productions. Look out for upcoming performances and the release of his new album Zero Time Project.