From a Farm Boy to Professional Reggae artist

Ivorian Alson Stayley a Reggae musical artist was born in Aboisso Comoe, South Eastern of Ivory Coast. 

As a young boy working at his father’s plantation Alson’s passion for reggae Music was born. From an early age, he strongly believed that Reggae Music was his calling.

Alson recalls that one day he informed his father that we wanted to move to town to learn driving so he could get a job as a cab driver. However, though his father out rightly rejected this idea, in 2001 Alson left his parents’ home. Without any paperwork to get a licence into the driving school, it would prove much more difficult than Alison had anticipated.

Fortunately, Traore Soumgalo an elder man working at his father’s plantation promised to help Alson get the necessary paperwork that would take a year to process. He asked Alson to return to the village as he waits for the return of the documents.

After only six months, Alson got his license. His excitement was short lived because his father died after a short illness. This forced Alson to stay in the village so he could help with the running of his late father’s farm.

When Samba Oussou, an internationally recognised artist came to his hometown, Alson got an opportunity to speak to him. He asked him if he could perform on his show. Samba asked Alson which genre of Music he did he responded that ‘’I have a reggae virus planted in me’’. Samba let him play but advised him to go to the capital Abidjan where he had friends that do reggae. He told him they could help Alison do more reggae trainings, Samba connected him to his friend Ibrahim Sababou.
Alson finally settled in Abidjan at his sister’s place where he started work as a bread deliverer with his brother-in-law. He was able to support himself from the proceeds of this job while in Abidjan for a few months.

Whilst in Abidjan doing his Bread runs, Alson kept looking for Abbabo Cultural Action Centre where they told him he was most likely to meet Ibrahim. One fateful day, while he was doing his delivery run Alson met Ibrahim and they easily got along. Ibrahim advised him to stop delivering bread and concentrate on doing music.
Alson heeds his advice but life becomes difficult after he quits his job, which forces him to the streets to scrape a living. Even as a street kid Alson always spent, his days at the Cultural Action Centre whose keeper sometimes let him sleep in after the departure of all the workers. Ibrahim became too busy and Alson barely never got chance to interact with him again.

Alson finally got his break in 2010 when made it as professional Reggae artist.