Official Bio

From the struggling yet culturally rich settlement of Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama emerges Avalanchee, a lyrically hard-hitting Gospel dancehall duo. Born in Nassau, Bahamas, Siblings Mario and Marco Gibson were inspired to give their lives to God after attending a church revival. Despite their presence in the church, however, for several years, they strayed from the call of the Lord, entering into a life of rebellion. Mario remembers this time stating, "As the saying goes, 'idle hands are the devil's play things.' So, during that period of time, we were idle, and had very little focus on God's purpose for us."

One Sunday evening, after returning from church, the brothers received a call that their mother had died in a tragic car accident. This untimely death of their mother marked a turning point in their lives, and it was during this period that the brothers returned to their spiritual roots and simultaneously became interested in dancehall reggae. Influenced by such lyrically impressive artists as Beenie Man and Bounty Killer, Avalanchee describes their music as "traditional dancehall in style and flow, coupled with the life-saving message of Christ as the foundation of all things."

The origins of this duo can be traced to their schooling years where Mario formed the group, which initially consisted of five members. When the other three group members disagreed with the duo's vision of creating music based on God as its foundation, the brothers set forth on their own to realize their vision of praising the Lord through dancehall reggae.

Asked often how the name Avalanchee came about, Marco explains, "The name "Avalanchee" is derived from the word "avalanche" which means 'a mass of snow falling rapidly down a mountainside.' Like the great force of an avalanche, our music is unstoppable." And like the tumbling snow, no obstacles have kept this duo from achieving their goal of using Gospel reggae to uplift the masses, while instilling knowledge of Christ over hard-hitting dancehall riddims.

In 2002, Monty G, C.E.O. of Lion of Judah (L.O.J.) Sounds realizing the young brothers' enormous musical potential, took them under his wing, and helped them further their musicology. "Education" became Avalanchee's first hit song under L.O.J. Sounds.

Their highly anticipated debut album, "Hard 2 the Core", released in the summer of 2006. It is an exciting collection of lyrically powerful songs that deliver upbeat flows and explosive beats. This musical powerhouse, which includes notable influences of R&B, hip hop, and culture, is sure to endure in the gospel reggae arena for years to come.

Avalanchee continues to advance musically, making history by being the first non-Jamaicans to win at the 2006 Caribbean Gospel music Marlin awards, the Dee-Jay Vocal Performance of the Year-Duo/Group for the song "Blow Out" (Riddim Invasion 4 CD). As they continue their international ministry, Avalanchee expresses their intention to "continue reaching the hearts and minds of all throughout the world, so that souls might be saved through the saving power of Jesus Christ."

Exclusive Interview with GospelReggae.com

GR: Tell me, how did your name come about? Any obstacles with it--funny mispronunciations, etc...?

Marco ("Polo"): The name "Avalanchee" is derived from the word "avalanche" which means 'a mass of snow falling rapidly down a mountainside.' Like the great force of an avalanche, our music is unstoppable.

Mario ("Snipa"): At first, we wanted to go with the name "Avalanche" without the extra "e", but we feel the name "Avalanchee" was dropped into our spirits so I feel confident in saying that the name we chose was inspired by God. I think the additional "e" at the end of the word takes it to that next level kind of like the story of Abram's name being changed to Abraham.

GR: What is the most valuable lesson that you learned from your Mom or Dad growing up that you still apply today?

Mario ("Snipa"): The importance of being humble in everything we do, no matter our place in life. Like everyone else, we all came from the earth as the Bible says, which means ultimately, our bodies will end up in the same place. So, it makes little sense feeling superior to anyone.

Marco ("Polo"): The most valuable lesson I learned growing up is how important it is to trust in God no matter what the situation. It's always God who brings me through everything, and it's best to be humble in this approach.

GR: What has been the greatest mistake that you have made in ministry and learned from? How have you used this experience to change the way you approach ministry?

Marco ("Polo"): When we first started this ministry, there were people who spoke negatively of us using dancehall as a means of praising God. Some would say that we were doing was not of God, and at first, I questioned what we were doing too, because I listened to them. And then when I really searched deep within myself, and listened to the voice of God, I found that our means of praise truly is God's will. So, I really approach my ministry now with the spirit of obedience-following the purpose God has for me.

Mario ("Snipa"): My greatest mistake so far has been spending too much of my time around people who didn't have the vision that I really have for my ministry. I've learned that it is important to surround myself with people who are supportive, encouraging, and positive. This gives me more strength and inspiration in doing the work God has for us.

GR: I know that you have written a whole heap of songs in the past, but what's your favorite one? Now, if that is too hard for you to answer, then tell me this; if you spent 5 minutes with an avid reggae fan and only had enough time to play them one of your songs, which one would you play them?

Mario ("Snipa"): My favorite song is "How", track 8 from our Album, "Hard 2 The Core." I love this song because the lyrics are so powerful, and the riddim is hot! The song basically discusses the importance of not putting things of this world before your purpose with God because you recognize all God has done for you is more important than anything else. We had so much fun recording this song, and just went with the flow of it...we even decided to freestyle the third verse.

Marco ("Polo"): My favorite song from the album is "Bugging", track 12 because even though certain people around us wanted us to be a product of our environment--for example being violent--this song focuses on how we decided we would rather do God's will than be a product of the negativity that surrounds us. I guess you can compare our struggle to the analogy of being diamonds in the rough.

GR: What's your favorite verse in the Bible and why?

Marco ("Polo"): Psalms Chapter 1 which says, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners..." This reminds me that it's important to stay in God's presence, and keep a positive focus in everything that I do. I quote this to myself every morning before I start the day.

Mario ("Snipa"): Matthew Chapter 5, Verse 6 which says "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." This teaches me that as long as you have a desire after what God's will is for you, and you truly want it, and hunger for it, God will provide it.

GR: As Christians, God is of course our true inspiration, but beyond the generic response of "Jesus," what are your muses in your life (for lack of a better word)? For example, what are the people, places, or things that trigger a fresh musical idea and ultimately a new song for you?

Mario ("Snipa") and Marco ("Polo"): The inspiration for our music, and in particular, the "Hard 2 the Core" album comes mostly from traveling, and experiencing new environments. It's always eye-opening seeing how various peoples and cultures live. In 2004, some months before we began recording the album we had the opportunity to spend some time in New Orleans and witness firsthand both the beauty and struggles of that place. We were so touched and humbled by how much poverty existed in that city, and yet it was still rich in music, and spirit. The song "God Right There", track 14, on the "Hard 2 The Core" album captures how we were inspired by visiting New Orleans. It's a song of encouragement for the people of New Orleans, who in spite of the recent devastating hurricane and the injustices they endured, are still continuing to move forward with life and trust that God remains with them.

GR: Name one thing that fans do not know about you.

Mario ("Snipa"): I'm a really good cook.
Marco ("Polo"): I love to eat!

GR: Name something personal that gives you great satisfaction.
Mario ("Snipa"): When I have a lot on my mind, I like to go sit at the beach, chill, listen to the waves, relax and enjoy God's creations.
Marco ("Polo"): I like to listen to other Gospel Reggae artists and be encouraged.

GR: What is your philosophy of stage ministry? Is there any one message that you always want to leave with your audience?

Marco ("Polo"): When we're performing, we love to teach the audience the lyrics of our songs because the message in our music is really at the heart of our ministry. When people hear dancehall reggae, they tend to think it's only about dancing. Now, dancing can be used to praise God, but the lyrics are truly at the center of or our work, so we make sure our audience hears them clearly.

Mario ("Snipa"): With every performance, we always like to leave the audience believing within themselves that whatever they're doing with the guidance of God, they can do it without fear. Just like when Christ came, and he overcame all the obstacles in his path because he had a divine purpose, each of them can use that as inspiration to accomplish whatever God's purpose is for them.

GR: What country would you tour (even if you didn't get paid to perfom)?

Mario ("Snipa") and Marco ("Polo"): We would tour any African country just for the love of it. It's always been a dream to go to the motherland and minister to the people of our roots.

GR: What goes through your mind before you go onstage at the average show?

Marco ("Polo") and Mario ("Snipa"): There's an affirmation that we've written down that we repeat to ourselves before each performance to make sure it's instilled within our hearts: "God Guides us. God is with us. God protects us. They'll always see God instead of us. We always put ministry before anything else. Jesus Christ already made us fishers of men. Let's go fishing!"

GR: Could you please give a message to the reggae fans that are reading this and would like to know more about your faith and who Jesus is to you?

Mario ("Snipa") and Marco ("Polo"): If we could really talk to our fans, we would want them to know that what we're doing is real for us. We practice what we preach everyday of our lives. It's true that we all want to be materially comfortable, but that's not the motivation behind what we do. We're driven by our love for God. There are hardships along the way, but we never stop putting our ministry first. And yes, we're imperfect, but when we fall we get back up because as human beings our conception of perfection is different from Gods. God forgives and erases our sins completely so long as we're penitent--we don't have to be perfect in His eyes, so long as we humble ourselves before Him. We strive to walk in God's path daily, knowing that when we falter, we can get back on track.

Ministry

"Our purpose is to use Gospel dancehall reggae to reach the hearts and minds of individuals throughout the world so that they might be saved through the power of Jesus Christ. We want our music to uplift, heal, and provide clarity and knowledge of the Lord, while propelling Gospel dancehall reggae as a unique and highly respected form of music."--Avalanchee

Discography

Avalanchee, Hard 2 The Core (LOJ Sounds)
Riddim Invasion 1, Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
Riddim Invasion 2, Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
Riddim Invasion 3, Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
Riddim Invasion 4, Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
Riddim Invasion 5, Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
Trinity Mix 2.0, Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
DJ Frost Presents the Streetlight Mix Tape Vol. 1 Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
DJ Frost Presents the Streetlight Mix Tape Vol. 2 Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)
Overcomers Soundtrack , Various Artists (LOJ Sounds)

Avalanchee Hard 2 The Core

Concerts

There are currently no upcoming events listed.

Contact / Booking:

For Booking and all other inquiries:
Marco and Mario Gibson
(954) 234-2194
E-mail: avalanchee_loj@yahoo.com

Official EMail:

avalanchee_loj@yahoo.com

Official Website:

http://www.myspace.com/avalancheeloj

Photos