HALF PINT... playing with Alicia Keys will enhance my profile as she is a well-known R&B artiste and in this my 21st year in the music industry, we will be doing a special tour together

Reggae singer Half Pint is to tour Brazil in June with renowned American rhythm-and-blues diva, Alicia Keys. The popular entertainer, who this year celebrates his 21st anniversary as a recording artiste, sees the upcoming tour as an important milestone in his career.

"This tour, coming in 2004 with Alicia Keys and myself, is a really significant milestone in my musical career," Half Pint said. For him it underscored the quality product he has been putting out over the years as well as the strength of his support staff.

"It (the upcoming tour) is really saying that the music is up to international standards, the right links are being made, and people are listening to me as a Jamaican Reggae artiste," is how he contextualises what is probably the most auspicious event in his professional career.

"Playing with Alicia Keys will enhance my profile as she is a well-known R&B artiste and in this my 21st year in the music industry, we will be doing a special tour together - it is like mother earth and father time," Half Pint said.

He will also be closing a three-day Reggae festival in Montreal, Canada, then its on to Toronto before hitting Long Beach, California and if everything goes according to plan, he, along with Sly and Robbie, will head for Europe later in the year after which he will close the year in December on Heineken Startime, appearing with Marcia Griffiths who will bring the curtain down on her 40th anniversary celebrations.

"Things are really looking favourable for the first tour which is in June and I know that I've lots of work to do," affirmed the artiste who is rated as one of the foremost hit-makers of the 1980s.

Born Lindon Roberts a year before the birth of independent Jamaica (November, 1961) at a time when Jamaica's music was at its expressive best, the Rose Lane (west Kingston) born artiste in time rose to be one of the finest Reggae/dancehall vocalists.

Half Pint brought a fresh style and energy into the music as he wrote and recorded an impressive string of hit songs.

After his debut release, Sally, the singer became popular for Money Man Skank, another of his major hits, which kicked off his debut album, One In A Million, for producer King Jammy's for whom he also scored big with Poochie Liu.

Travelling the world with the 'riddim twins', Sly and Robbie, Half Pint came up with other major hits, including World Inflation and Hold On.

From his 1985 collaboration with producer George Phang came his trademark hit, Greetings, one of Reggae's best-known anthems worldwide.

His ability as a gifted songwriter came to the fore with songs like Level The Vibes being featured in the 1999 movie Boukie in France and Substitute Lover, which was the soundtrack for the movie Substitute 2 in 1997. In addition Give And Sharing was the soundtrack also for Mighty Quinn, starring Denzel Washington and Jamaica's Sheryl Lee Ralph. The Rolling Stones also re-recorded Half Pint's Winsome and this endorsement by one of the world's most popular outfits endeared the singer to another generation of fans. Songs like Just To Be Good To You, One Big Family and Victory also helped to cement the status of Half Pint.

"I got the Canadian Reggae Award of merit earlier this year for my 21 years in the music business and I feel rewarded, because the first place I ever went to was Canada, back in 1984, and now 20 years after, Canada is the first country to give me an award of merit," an obviously pleased Half Pint told Splash.

Half Pint, who in June will be appearing in Canada along with Luciano and Freddie McGregor, said he is enjoying even more success in Canada now with the single Tanya, produced by Irie FM's Ainsworth "Big A" Higgins, which he says is very popular at this time.

Although Canada is very close to his heart, Half Pint confesses that his biggest fan-base is in Europe.

"I would think that Europe knows me more than Canada, by far. So too Japan. I would say I got my biggest sales from Europe, for that's where Greetings entered the British's chart back in 1986. My albums are like a treasure in Europe," explained the singer who in 2003 released internationally a DVD with live performances (including some of the shows he did in Jamaica) along with biographical information about himself.

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