Fred Debs Credits Jamaican Culture for His Personal Growth

Not many artists can say Sly Dunbar played on their first song, but Lebanese singer Fred Debs is among that rare group. The legendary drummer, who died last January, backed him on Seasons, his debut single.

Recently released, the folksy reggae single is produced by DubHut. It also features bass guitarist Delroy ‘Pele’ Hamilton, who encouraged him to travel to Jamaica and record the song.

“It feels like a long time coming, though everything in life arrives on time,” said Fred Debs, who lives in California. “I’ve been singing in choirs and performing in bars, bands, and festivals since I was 14, even appearing on The X Factor Middle East. For years, my relationship with music was a raw, humble exploration, a learning theory through lived experience rather than books.”

Nicolas Groskopf, a guitarist who has worked with Grammy winners Buju Banton and Koffee, is featured on Seasons which is distributed through VPAL Music. He and Hamilton are among the musicians Fred Debs befriended during frequent trips to Jamaica.

Fred Debs is from Freikeh, a village in Lebanon that has just over 2,000 residents. It is where he discovered reggae, listening to Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, UB40, Lucky Dube and Alpha Blondy.

In time, his playlist grew to include neo-roots acts like Chronixx and the Raging Fyah band. Hamilton was a member of the latter.

Fred Debs credits Jamaican culture for his personal growth.

“When I was navigating immigration, stepping into a new culture, and trying to find my footing while going through personal struggles where no one seemed to understand me, artists like Bob Marley, Chronixx, Raging Fyah and Lucky Dube felt like big brothers walking right beside me, uplifting me, sharing suggestions, asking me questions, telling me to keep faith and keep moving,” he said. “Their vibrations opened doors to a deeper, elevated awareness and curiosity.”