King Isaac is a reggae singer, songwriter 
and a professor of Ethnomusicology at
Michigan State University in the USA. This
brilliant lyricist writes catchy songs with
deep, meaningful lyrics delivered with a
warm and powerful voice that spreads his
message of the love humankind ought to
have for one another, and of romantic love.
The King of Love was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. He started writing poems at age 14. At about the same time, reggae became un-banned in Zimbabwe with independence in 1980. The message and rhythm of reggae gripped the young poet who soon turned to writing lyrics to songs, and by the mid to late 1980’s he was singing in reggae bands. At this time he was also a student at the University of Zimbabwe.
In January 1991 King Isaac left Zimbabwe to study at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in the USA.
Although he was interested in an academic career, King Isaac also knew that a move to the USA would
bring him closer to Jamaica and to the reggae world at large. Upon arrival in the USA, he immediately
formed a reggae band named Zimbeggae (Zimbabwe + reggae). Since 1991, King Isaac has been a prolifi c
songwriter and recording artist, with three albums completed and material for another in the works.
King Isaac reached a milestone in his career in 1998, opening up shows for
veteran reggae singer Leroy Sibbles in Detroit, Michigan and subsequently
traveling to Jamaica to make his fi rst recordings there. Between 1999 and 2001,
bassist Danny “Axeman” Thompson and King Isaac collaborated on the King’s
self titled debut album, which was released in Zimbabwe in 2002. Riding on the
success and popularity engendered by his fi rst album, King Isaac recorded a
new album that was released in Zimbabwe in 2004. This album, “Munokokwa
Mese,” is a mixture of various Southern African styles and reggae on which
the singer sings in Shona, Ndebele, and English. The Zimbabwean press has
given the album and its accompanying video releases great accolades, and the
album has helped to place King Isaac on the center stage of Zimbabwean music.
In December 2004 King Isaac was invited by veteran singer Sugar Minott to perform at Minott’s annual, “Reggae in The Hills” concert where he wowed the crowd with his powerful vocal delivery and stage charisma. This crowd response was rewarding and reassuring. In October 2005, King Isaac returned to Jamaica to deliver a paper on the contribution of Peter Tosh to the Southern African liberation struggle at the University of the West Indies, and to perform at the international annual Peter Tosh Commemoration Concert in Kingston. Both appearances were received with great appreciation and support.
On separate occasions (in the summers of 2004 and 2005), King Isaac traveled to Kingston Jamaica, where he worked with many veteran reggae artistes, including Gregory Isaacs, Dean Fraser, and the legendary U Roy. These recordings culminated in King Isaac’s latest and third album, “Legends of Reggae Present King Isaac,” which contains a special appearance by South Africa’s royal ladies of song, The Mahotella Queens. In the future King Isaac plans to go on a tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe alongside Sugar Minott and Leroy Sibbles.