2024, August 2024, Respect
Christos DC
Aug
The artist/producer Christos DC (aka Christopher Vrenios) was born in Washington, D.C., to parents who sang opera and taught voice professionally. He takes his name from his Greek heritage, using a nickname given to him by his grandmother to represent the lineage that set the tone of his musical path.
It was Christos DC’s deep appreciation for the sounds coming out of Kingston, Jamaica, that led him to produce and record with legendary reggae artists Sly and Robbie, the Firehouse Crew, The Itals, Augustus Pablo, Sugar Minot, and Don Carlos, the original lead singer from the Grammy-winning group Black Uhuru. He also co-wrote and recorded with the world-famous Thievery Corporation. He spent several years on the road as a guitarist and backup vocalist, performing in the United States and abroad.
In 2008, he released his first full album, “Time to Rise,” followed by his second release in 2011, titled “Under the Sun.” This led him to create the DC-based independent record label Honest Music. On Earth Day 2014 the ‘Long Road” album was released and received critical acclaim. The summer hit of 2015, Righteous Chant, finds him reunited with Don Carlos. ‘Heart Of Gold”, a reggae rendition of The Neil Young classic was released in the latter part of 2016 and topped several charts in Amsterdam.
In 2017, Christos DC released “Speak The Fire” from his fourth album entitled Tessera; it is a collaboration with Zafayah, one of the best up-and-coming reggae artists from Bulgaria, alongside The Skankin Monks, a powerhouse band/ production unit from Amsterdam. The single reached number 18 on the Reggae World Charts. The follow-up, Tessera Dub, is a reggae dub remix of the album Tessera. This critically acclaimed project features Mad Professor, Tippy I Alfred (I Grade), and legends Sly & Robbie.
“Timeless, authentic roots reggae from the heart and soul, it’s ‘Self Evident.” – Gav Pauze
During the lockdown of 2020 he began writing and recording Crisis 2.0 as a Testament to the social climate and changes occurring globally. The album received worldwide attention and was quickly followed by “Crisis 2.0 in dub, which was mixed by Tippy I Alfred (I grade records). The Washington area music awards again recognized him as the best reggae artist in the Washington, D.C. region.
In early 2023, he released the E.P. Matchbox, followed by Matchbox in Dub. Both albums were received with critical acclaim around the world.
On February 27, 2024, Christos DC released his Instrumental project, “Kung Fu Action Theater.” The project fuses reggae with Chinese instruments to create a unique musical soundscape that is sure to please both reggae listeners and those new to the genre.
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WEBSITE:
Pauzeradio.com/Christos-DC
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