Sizzla

The West Indian reggae star Sizzla was born Miguel Orlando Collins in Kingston, Jamaica in 1976. After studying mechanical engineering at school he began his recording career at the age of 19 and released a number of singles with the American DJ/producer Bobby Dixon. Collins has released a vast amount of recorded material with over 56 solo albums to his credit, 21 of which made it into Billboard's Reggae Chart. In his native country Collins is famous for having established a music community project known as Judgement Yard located in August Town in Kingston. Featuring state of the art recording facilities the centre has helped launch the careers of many young reggae artists. Collins has also courted controversy throughout his professional life, often criticised for his song lyrics which are claimed by gay rights campaigners to be openly homophobic and promoting hostility towards the LGBT community. In 2010 he appeared at a concert for the controversial Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, after which Collins received the gift of a substantial parcel of land for farming development. Many believed this land was a reward from the Zimbabwe government but Collins insisted it was simply a gift. Collins' questionable stance on a variety of issues has led to him being banned from performing concerts in a number of countries including the UK, Germany and Canada.

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