Familiar to Reggae fans for his recent hits "Help!" and "Why," Omari is creating waves in the music industry. The song "Help" was praised in The Star Newspaper as "one of the hottest and most inspirational gospel songs in the industry."
Omari recently copped an IRAWMA award in the category "Best Gospel Song" at the 2010 staging. He is also received five (5) Marlin Awards nominations and won the award for "Reggae Recording of the Year" 2008. He was nominated for three Reggae Academy Awards, in the categories, Best Solo Male Vocal Gospel Performance, Best Gospel Song and Best Gospel Music Video and recently picked up a nomination in the Excellence in Music and Entertainment Awards (EME Awards) for Gospel Artiste of the Year. Omari has also received three Megajamz Awards, including that for Lyricist of the Year 2008 for his song "Why", produced by Kurt Riley.
Since its release in 2007, Omari's debut song "Help" has enjoyed the top spot on Tempo and throughout the Caribbean. The "Help!" video spent four weeks in the #1 spot on Tempo's Cross Country Countdown and also held top spots on CVM's Hitlist and RETv's Video Top Ten Countdown and has been creating waves, not just in the gospel arena, but also in the secular, being featured on such stations as Music+, Hype Tv, BET-Jazz.
As a part of his efforts to aid in quelling street violence in the Caribbean, Omari took part in Tempo's "Badness Outta Style" School Tour. He also participated in the RETv, KLAS and Coca Cola School Tours, promoting the message of abstinence and the importance of hard work throughout High Schools in Jamaica.
Omari has made appearances on shows such as the annual gospel festival, Best Dressed Fun in the Son, Sting 2008, Richie Stephen's Take Me Away 2009, Rebel Salute 2009, TEMPO Turns 2 & 3 Concerts and a host of others. He has shared stage with several renowned artistes, such as Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Papa San, Israel Houghton, Alvin Slaughter, Carlene Davis, Tony Rebel, Queen Ifrica, Shabba Ranks, Beres Hammond and Taurus Riley.
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His Album "Omari – Heal Jamaica, Heal the World" was written to uplift the hearts of the downtrodden and consists, for the most part, of prayers to God on behalf of the nation of Jamaica. The songs are also written with an international flavor aimed at creating an appeal to the overseas market, for gospel music and Jamaica.
It is an album with a difference, with a "grass root" feel; the man in the boardroom can appreciate it just as much as the man on the corner.
When asked what his aim was in writing his songs in the way he did, Omari answered "I have a heart for the people. I believe in balancing the spiritual with the practical. People must know that even as Christians, we can identify and even sometimes struggle with the same things they do, but we have the power to overcome. That is when Christ becomes real to them, when we can go where they are and they see that we are human too."
Other artistes on the album include, Promise, renowned gospel artist from Canada, Naycha Kid, from Antigua, Chevaughn Clayton, from CSharp, Craig from Voicemail and the renowned Papa San. Producers who have worked on this project include, Christopher Burch, Danny Brownie, Kurt Riley, Tony Kelly, Romeich Records and others.
It is Omari's hope that through these songs, people will not only be inspired, but they will see that Jamaica has a great destiny, far greater than the crime for which we are known… that if Jamaica is healed, it is possible for us, to heal the World.
The album was being released under the newly formed production company 'The HUB Entertainment Ltd'.
Outside of his busy schedule, when the curtains are drawn and the shows are over, Omari can be found in the streets "reasonin' wid some youts" or at home with his wife, Kadia and his baby girl Imani Emmanuelle. He spends the rest of his time at Church.
