Iya Karna

In 1984 Iya Karna travelled to Jamaica to further his overstanding of RASTAFARI. He came to live in the town of St Anns Bay, "home" of great freedom fighters MARCUS GARVEY and BURNING SPEAR. Soon his musical creativity was stirred and he came to write his first reggae songs at the Key Largo beach, together with former Burning Spear singers RUPERT "DADDY SPEAR" WELLINGTON and DELROY "MILO" HINES.
It resulted in sessions at the AQUARIUS STUDIOS in Kingston where his first release, the NEXT SHOT, was recorded with LEROY "HORSEMOUTH" WALLACE (from the ROCKERS movie) on drums and BAGGA WALKER on bass. When it was released in Jamaica it attracted some attention due to its release shortly preceded the murder of swedish Prime minister OLOF PALME.
During these recordings Iya Karna moved to Kingston where he met the Wailers percussionist, ALVIN "SEECO" PATTERSON. When THE WAILERS heard Iya Karnas songs they positively responded to record an album with him at Bob Marleys TUFF GONG STUDIOS. Ten songs were recorded with the legendary BARRETT BROTHERS, ASTON "FAMILYMAN" and CARLTON "CARLY" BARRETT on bass and drums, as well as with Bob Marleys harmony sisters JUDY MOWATT and MARCIA GRIFFITHS. The album, INKARNATION, was completed and released in 1998 at the RUB A DUB STUDIOS in Stockholm, Sweden, by the producer/dubmixer INTERNAL DREAD.
Iya Karna was one of the founders of the HEARTBEAT CLUB in Stockholm as well as the founder of the SCANDINAVIAN REGGAE CIRCUIT, bringing numerous international reggae artists to Scandinavia during the late 80's and early 90's, including the ITALS, THIRD WORLD, IJAHMAN LEVI, CULTURE, STEEL PULSE, IQULAH, MYSTIC REVEALERS + many more.
In 2008 Iya Karna released his second album, Revolution in dub, recorded in Rub a dub studios together with Internal Dread.
Iya Karna is heading THE LIONS FROM THE NORTH, an organisation promoting RASTAFARI vision and livity in the Nordic countries.