Fantan Mojah hailed as ‘a true soldier’ - Sumfest to pay tribute on Saturday

Globetrotting dancehall artiste Sean Paul, while expressing his deep sadness at Tuesday’s death of his colleague, Fantan Mojah, hailed his fellow entertainer as “a true soldier”, and the organisers of Reggae Sumfest used similar words, describing him as “a true soldier for reggae music”. Fantan Mojah, 49, passed away at the University Hospital of the West Indies, where he was a patient.
“Fantan Mojah was a very distinct voice in dancehall music and in reggae, and he will be very dearly missed,” said Sean Paul, who took a quick break during the European leg of his Timeless Tour to speak with The Gleaner.
The entertainer, who performed in France this week, was obviously sad, as he recalled the last time he saw Fantan Mojah face-to-face.
“I saw Fantan on a flight about two weeks ago ... and I saw him in a wheelchair. I never knew that he had any problems, and I said to him ‘Wha’ happen to yuh foot?’ And he told me that he had problems with his heart. I wished him a speedy recovery, enuh … and di look him give mi. I never will forget di look.  Is almost like: ‘Yuh don’t know what ah going through … but ah goin’ hol’ it and ah not goin’ tell yuh.’ And that is a true soldier,” Sean Paul told The Gleaner.
He added that Fantan Mojah had visited his Dutty Rock Studio on many occasions.
“We have never recorded nutten … but we [were] always good friends, and I rate him. And I am very sad and sorry to hear the news. Condolences to his family, his friends and his fans. Nuff love to di G,” Sean Paul said.
Artiste manager Bridgett Anderson also spoke of her sadness at Fantan Mojah’s sudden death. She told The Gleaner that listening to Fantan Mojah’s songs such as Thanks and Praise and Hail the King brought tears to her eyes on Wednesday morning.
“Fantan had some really good songs with positive, uplifting lyrics. He made his contribution to reggae music … it’s sad that things turned out this way,” said Anderson, who is the manager for reggae singer Samory I. 
At the time of writing, Thanks and Praise was at No. 9 on the iTunes Top 100 Reggae Singles Chart.
Reggae Sumfest, which is staged by Joe Bogdanovich-led Downsound Entertainment, the entity to which Fantan Mojah was once signed, will pay tribute to the entertainer at A Taste of Sumfest on Saturday at Plantation Cove in St Ann.
A press release quoted Bogdanovich as saying that the festival is honoured to celebrate the artiste’s contribution to Jamaican music.
“Fantan Mojah was a true soldier for reggae music. His lyrics carried purpose, his performances were heartfelt, and his commitment to uplifting people through music never wavered. We are deeply saddened by his passing and, on July 18, we will honour his life, his artistry and the lasting impact he made on reggae and on the Sumfest family. His spirit will forever be part of our stage,” the Reggae Sumfest CEO said.
The release added that the tribute will form part of the night’s programme “allowing fans, fellow artistes and the wider reggae community to reflect on and celebrate the life and legacy of one of Jamaica’s most respected cultural voices”.
A forceful advocate for conscious reggae music, Owen ‘Fantan Mojah’ Moncrieffe was born in St Elizabeth on August 5, 1976. He was performing at local concerts and winning several talent competitions before he was 10 years old. His bio on youngveteransmusic.com notes that his dream was to entertain, and this journey took him to Kingston, where he linked with heavy-hitting sound system Killamanjaro and performed songs during sound checks.
He named himself the Mad Killer, a tribute to dancehall deejay Bounty Killer, but, after embracing the Rastafarian movement, Fantan Mojah was born, and his lyrics changed to consciousness and themes of spiritual upliftment and righteousness.  In later years, he had a moment when he slipped into raw dancehall, but Fantan Mojah defended it by saying that he was simply glorifying the female form. 
Reggae Sumfest 2026 takes place this Saturday, and this year, the festival is operating as a special, one-night event dubbed ‘A Taste of Reggae Sumfest’. Temporarily relocated from Montego Bay due to redevelopment, the massive open-air concert will be held at Plantation Cove in Priory, St Ann, and features a historic headlining reunion of dancehall rivals Vybz Kartel and Mavado.
yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com