Donald Burns Campbell

I grew up in the Bryants Hill district of Clarendon, Jamaica, and was never far from music. At the Crooked River All Age School I sang in the choir and listened to every kind of music, no matter who the singer was. That wide-open love of sound followed me into my career as Josie Mel, where I’ve spent three decades writing and recording songs that stay true to roots reggae.

My journey took me through the Jamaican roots scene in the early 1990s, with stints at Startrail Records, Black Scorpio, and Minor 7 Flat 5 overseas. I toured Europe and the United States, performed at Sting and Rebel Salute, and wrote tracks like Rasta Still Deh Bout with Lutan Fyah and Try Jah Love, which enjoyed chart success. In August 2025 I released TODAY, a self-produced song that calls for brotherhood in troubled times and reflects my Rastafari faith—that symbols don’t matter when it comes to worship and love for humanity.