There are those persons whose karma is such that they radiate an aura one can easily feel. Kenroy Archibald is such a person. He is smooth, calm aware and modest - one can sense that he is at peace with himself. There is a serenity which surrounds him so that even without knowing its origin, the name that his friends call him, Cool Breeze, seem quite appropriate.

His parents had an ear for music, and by the time he was three years old, he showed that he was destined to follow in their footsteps. In school, Cool Breeze discovered that he had a knack for writing poems and his voice was one people seemed to enjoy listening to. Soon he was the star of all the impromptu class concerts. Though normally shy and withdrawn, by singing, he found a presence which inspired and filled him.

His aunt had a small disco (Ghetto Star) which played at bars on weekends. Breeze, then called Archibald Ranks, became the star DJ and was so good that he was encouraged to play with bigger sets. He made the grade and his name by deejaying on sets like "Destiny" and "Wadat". A frequent partner onstage with him at this time was his friend and neighbor Papa Bimbo (Bimbo would later make his mark in reggae under the name Garnet Silk).

However, with all his talent, he had to seek a steady job when he became a father. He turned to welding, a trade he had learnt earlier. For four years he worked steadily at it, while something inside him bubbled, boiled and struggled to be emancipated. The music in his soul longed to be liberated. Sensing his destiny, he decided to take the plunge and started writing songs and singing again.

He recorded a tune for D'Anthony, "No Power", which took off. Cool Breeze was in no hurry to record for every producer, and so he again concentrated on his lyrics. Through D'Anthony he met Tuff Gong's CEO, Cedella Marley, and after auditioning became the first artist signed to the new incarnation of Tuff Gong. "No Night" and "Red Eye" were then released on one of Tuff Gong labels, 56 Hope Road. A lover of dancehall as well as "traditional" reggae music, Cool Breeze shows his diversity by "riding" orginal rhythms and popular dancehall licks with equal prowess. Collaborative efforts with fellow artsist Sardine have yielded the successful singles "Jezebel" and "Sick A Dat". Both songs are currently college radio favorites of the west coast of the United States. His most recent single, "Rasta-For-I" is also his biggest seller to-date. "Rasta-For-I" has also been remixed for hiphop fans enabling Cool Breeze to bring his message to a new audience of young people in the United States.

Cool Breeze's ability to musically speak to the soul has brought him a warm reception form todays demanding audience. He believes this is because music, especially reggae, has universal qualities that transcend common worldly barriers such as age, class or race. "I sing what I feel, and people can feel what I am singing." In a world where much is uncertain, one thing is sure - Cool Breeze will be singing up a storm for a long time to come.