BACK in his days of studio-hopping, Zanadu did his share of recording for little known music producers. Some of those early songs were never released.

Over 30 years since he got into the business as Hog Head, the singer is still churning out songs for producers, big and small.

Baby Believe Me, his new single, is produced by Grizzly Cat for Nine Lives Records, an independent company in Canada.

“It’s getting a lot of attention even though is for a small producer. Is a song dat can go places,” said an optimistic Zanadu in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.

From the Cockburn Gardens area of Kingston, Zanadu spent his first 10 years in a community that produced a number of top flight artistes, including Early B and Super Cat. His biggest influence, however, was his uncle Lloyd Robinson, a singer famous for songs like Cuss Cuss and Big Red Bum Ball.

“Mi used to sit an’ watch my uncle working hard to put out him songs. Him always encourage mi,” he recalled.

Zanadu’s career began in his teens while he was living in Spanish Town. Then, he went by the moniker Hog Head and voiced for established producers such as Osbourne “King Tubby” Ruddock, Philip “Fatis” Burrell and Maurice “Jack Scorpio” Johnson.

It was Jack Scorpio who produced his version of R Kelly’s Your Body’s Calling, which remains Zanadu’s most popular song.

A long-time resident of New York City, he says life for veteran reggae artistes in the Big Apple can be tough, as few disc jockeys are into singers from his era.

Zanadu not only keeps busy recording, as for several years he has toured with Shabba Ranks as the opening act for the two-time Grammy Award winner.

“Dat a gwaan fi over 20 years…Shabba nuh leave mi. Dat’s a man who believe inna mi,” he said.