Queen Makedah, a native of Kansas City, Missouri - Jazz Music Central and home of jazz great’s Charlie Parker and Oleta Adams - attended the Charlie Parker Academy of Music and the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Her vocal influences include Chaka Khan, Tremaine Hawkins, Oleta Adams and Sade and she won a recording contract with a local record label, Intrepid Records, by the time she was 16. She has performed before such prestigious audiences as Blacks in Government (BIG), the NAACP, the Urban League, Freedom Inc., and for numerous weddings and area churches.

In the 70's and 80's, as the winds of change blew across America, she fell in love with conscious Reggae music via Bob Marley and Third World and in her journey to the Middle East in the 90’s, she naturally teamed up with one of the most talented composers in today's Reggae and Jazz world, Brooklyn’s own, Tuviel Lewis. Together they make a unique and uplifting sound that can be called “Jazzy Reggae.”

In 2000, with the release of their first album, "The Awakening," Queen Makedah shared the stage with one of Reggae Music's great legends, Ras Michael of the Sons of Negus (called the 'Nyabingi Specialist' by Bob Marley), at Zazoo's of the Bay Area of California. Her CD release party was attended by none other than Bunny Wailer and has won high praises from dj's and music fans all over the globe (see Reviews and www.queenmakedah.com).

Queen Makedah’s band includes some of Kansas City’s and the world’s finest musicians.

Drummer, Joe Cameron, has enjoyed a multi-faceted career, formally educated at the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory of Music, he performed with such legends as Max Roach, Melvin Webb, Danny Carey and Billy Cobham, and served as principal percussionist of the UMKC Symphonic Wind Ensemble in the latter 80’s. When reggae music swept across the world in the 70’s and 80’s, Joe was carried away with it and began playing reggae music in 1988 with The Messengers; and then afro-beat with Afrique. What followed has been a fulfilling and enriching career, drumming for area legends Common Ground for almost a decade and sharing the stage with such notables as: Bunny Wailer, Toots and the Maytalls, Angelique Kidjo, Mutabaruka, Yellowman, and Zulu Spear among others.

Joe and bass player, Gary Helm, a former member of the Grammy nominated Blue Riddim Band, make an awesome rhythm section duo. Gary has recorded with many of Kansas City’s brightest talents, including Angela Hagenbach, Joe Cartwright, Sons of Brasil, Bill Crain, Gary Foster, Kerry Strayer, Greg Meise, Fergus Jenkins, Charles Cachette and Jimmy Dykes and is the bass player for the Socalypso Steel Band, the Traditional Music Society, and Green Card Reggae Band.

Edward Patrick Turner, top-drawer keyboardist for the group, adds the right mixture of reggae and soul to the mix, with an incredible voice reminiscent of Dennis Brown and the best of what the music world has to offer on the keys, he began playing reggae with local Reggae acts such as the Gaddites, and for the last 15 years, has been the lead keyboardist and vocalist for one of the area’s most loved reggae bands, Common Ground. He has made his mark doing shows with such greats as Bunny Wailer, Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytalls, Big Youth, Itals, and Luciano, just to name a few. To say the least Eddie is all music, all the time.

Jamaican born guitarist, Tommy Mills, is a well-seasoned veteran of the reggae world. Raised in Kingston, Tommy Mills has been priviledged to play with some of the greatest musicians coming out of Jamaica: Tommy Mc Cook, Jackie Mitoo, Bob Marley, Winston Grennan, Winston Wright, Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson. He has played for several groups, including the Fabulous Falcons, the Mighty Avengers, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires and toured with Judy Mowatt, Prince Buster and Carl Malcolm, Al Brown and Ras Michael before settling in Kansas.

Melchizedek Y. Lewis, a master in the art of African and Latin percussion, studied under Chief Hawthorne Bey of Cats on Broadway in the 70’s and formed one of the first African drum/dance troups of the day, the House of Nilijah, sharing the stage with such world renown performers as Theolonius Monk, Pharoah Saunders, Nina Simone, Sun Ra, and Leon Thomas. With the rise of Salsa music in the 70’s, he was featured by Paramount Pictures in their film “Our Latin Thing” which highlighted the African origins of Salsa music via the Fanya Allstars.

Tuviel Lewis, on keys, is one of reggae music’s best kept secrets, has a special gift and talent for writing music that doesn’t come along very often. With a sound that captures the best of the Caribbean and the soul of America (Brooklyn born and bred), he brings hope and inspiration to a music industry that is starved for real talent and creativity. Reminiscent of the uniqueness that Bob Marley and the Wailers brought to the industry at the time that it was needed – just you wait and see what’s to come from this bed of talent. Tuviel is the co-writer for Queen Makedah and a classically trained musician (upright bass) with at least a decade of experience on the reggae chops. He has mastered the bubble and skank, played with top reggae group of the Middle East, Roots Africa and recorded with Eric “Zacky” Bernard and Derrick “Debo” Brown of the Twinkle brothers as well as “Lion” of Culture.