Macka B

Christopher MacFarlane, better known as Macka B, (born 1966) is a British-born Jamaican reggae artist, performer and activist with a career spanning thirty years and one of Britain's most influential dancehall DJs.

As a practicing Rastaman, Macka B's music is based around the political and spiritual message of the religion, with an often light and humorous touch. Working with the Mad Professor, he combined dancehall and dub styles of reggae, although he has avoided a more commercial crossover approach. He takes his name from the Judean rebels against the Greeks, the Maccabees.

Life Born in Wolverhampton to Jamaican parents, as a child Macka B was influenced by the reggae of the Lord Barley sound-system playing at a blues party next to his parents' house; he also played violin and sang in the choir at school. He went on to take a technical apprenticeship at the Ever Ready factory. When the factory closed and he was laid off, he began to devote more time to practising his toasting skills, influenced by earlier Jamaican toasters U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth, and especially Prince Far I. His 1982 trip to Jamaica galvanised his commitment to toasting and the following year he won a DJing competition. He had a weekly slot on the television programme Ebony in 1984. Around the same time, a tape of his performance in a sound-system battle between the Jah Wasifa sound system and Saxon Studio International ended up with Fashion Records in London. The record label gave Macka B the opportunity to record his first solo single, "Bible Reader", which was released in 1985, the first of three singles for the label. Further television exposure followed on the ITV programme Club Mix. In 1990 he appeared at the 'Solidarity' concert in Poland, along with the Twinkle Brothers. Roots & Culture (1999) mixed Macka B's hits with previously unreleased material. In 2004 he signed to the Jet Star label (Charm) label.

He also became the first Reggae artist to tour the former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia). In 2012, he appeared as a special guest star on the track Jadna ja (Poor me) by the Serbian folk-world music-rock band Zlatopis.

He has toured and performed around the world since the 1980s alone and with other reggae stars such as Burning Spear, U-Roy, The Wailers, Lee Perry and many others. In 2012 he became a patron of The Vegan Society. He runs a YouTube channel where he regularly posts short toasts about the benefits of healthy eating.

Discography Sign of the Times (1986), Ariwa We've Had Enough (1987), Ariwa Looks Are Deceiving (1988), RAS Buppie Culture (1989), Ariwa Natural Suntan (1990), Ariwa Peace Cup (1991), Ariwa Roots Ragga (live) (1992), Fotofon/Ar Jamaica, No Problem (1992), RAS Roots Ragga (live) (1993), Ariwa Here Comes Trouble (1994), Ariwa Discrimination (1995), Ariwa Hold on to Your Culture (1995), Ariwa Suspicious (1998), Ariwa Roots & Culture (1999), Ariwa Global Messenger (2000), Ariwa Roots Ragga, Vol. 2 (2002), Ariwa By Royal Command (2003), Jet Star Word, Sound & Power (2004), Charm Who Likes Macka B Music? (2005), Pony Canyon Live Tour 2007 More Knowledge (2008), Humal Change The World (2012), Chinelo Never Played a 45 (2015), VP Health Is Wealth (2017), Greensleeves Warrior Style (2020), Ariwa

Compilations Yemisi Riddim (2015), Oneness Records