Brushy One String (born Andrew Chin) has a story that sounds much like those of the old-time Mississippi Delta bluesmen — orphaned at a very young age, illiterate until adulthood, and yet talented (he comes from some accomplished musical stock — his father was revered Jamaican soul singer Freddy McKay and his mother, Beverly Foster, once toured with Tina Turner as a backup singer) Brushy One String has created a unique sound using a one stringed acoustic guitar that he plucks at in a similar fashion to a bass, while tapping at it for percussion.

Brushy One String struggled to gain modest success but it was a chance encounter with filmmaker Luciano Biotta who was in Jamaica following three emerging artists for his film, Rise Up that introduced the singer/songwriter to the rest of the world.

Check out Brushy covering his father’s signature song “Picture on the Wall.” Not only will you fall in love with Brushy’s easy-going amiable 1,000,000 watt smile, he also has a sweet, soulful voice that brings Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and others.

Brushy’s debut album Destiny will see an April 30th release and he’ll be in the States playing as part of the lineup for the New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 3rd and May 5th, and as part of the Festival International de Lousiane in Lafayette, Louisiana. And if this video is indicative of his live performances, I think you’ll be hearing a lot about this man