For the next few weeks, the Observer will be featuring children of well-known members of the entertainment fraternity who are following in their parents’ footsteps. This week the spotlight is on Keith Simms Jr, son of The Africans lead singer.

African Son is rapidly following in the footsteps of his father, Keith Simms Snr, who was the leader of the pioneer reggae group The Africans known for their hit single Grand Time in Zion.

It is not surprising the singer credits his dad as being his main influence.

“My father is always trying to push me forward in whatever I am doing, and I have to pick up where he stopped in this music business,” said African Son.

For him it’s like a family tradition and he is already looking forward to the day when his children will do the same.

Hailing from a small district called Sevens Road in May Pen, Clarendon, African Son completed his education at Central High School. Exposed to music from an early age because of his father’s involvement in the business, it came as no surprise when he chose to pursue it as a career.

Now that he has decided to walk the same path as his father, African Son says his dad couldn’t be more proud.

“He’s very proud and continues to motivate me,” he told Observer.

In fact, African Son hopes to take his career a notch higher than what his dad accomplished, as he says: “Some of the goals my dad set but didn’t get to accomplish, I’ve being working towards making them a success and also continuing from where he left off,” he stated.

With his dad as an inspiration, the singer says he wants to emulate his dad’s humility.

“My father is very humble and I admire that. I am trying to be humble myself and do positive music. He always said that ‘make sure everything I say over the microphone children can listen to it and also the Christian’,” reminisced African Son.

Since his emergence on the scene African Son has performed at a number of events and also recorded and released a number of singles. However, he is still searching for his big break in music, but is quite confident that it won’t be long before he gets the success for which he yearns.

“I know it won’t be long before I get my big break in the biz and I am not worried about such things. Right now I am focusing on making good music, my real desire is to follow the path that Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller and many other great ones trod,” he said.

African Son is currently promoting three new singles, Empress I am Ready, People Dancing and Zinc Fence, which was done in tandem with fellow Clarendonian Kashu on the Wildlife Production imprint.