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ONE LOVE: REGGAE

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  • : Grounation“The album I choose is “Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari - Grounation.” There’s a lot of meaning here, there’s a lot of historic meaning. That meaning comes through the drumming is strictly linked to the Rastafari religion and the lyrics are really strong, that’s why I’m really attracted to this album.”Abu-Bakarr Bacaicoa: Honest Jon’s Records, London, November 27th 2018Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation of Rastafari: Grounation released 1973
  • “Yes, well this album is called 'Countryman' and it's by a band called The Twinkle Brothers. The reason why this album is of particular interest and why it's so special to me is .. I'm aRasta man, my liberty is one of Rastafari. And as a young Rasta man we faced a lot of trialsand tribulations growing up in Britain. It was in a time - a lot of misunderstanding, therewas a lot of racial prejudice, a lot of discrimination and also a lot of misunderstandings. And so my generation when we talked about .. we like the Rastafari way of life and theRastafari philosophy our parents nearly lost their minds, simply because back in the thirties in Jamaica a Rasta man was deemed as a scum of the earth, as they would say.And in Jamaican society the only place for a Rasta man would have been in and amongst the thieves and the criminals and such like, such was the ..... I don't know how to put it butthey weren't liked and I can see why a lot of times people wouldn't have liked the Rasta Jamaica being a place where it has more churches per capita then anywhere else in theworld. Christianity and religion has a very strong influence on society as a whole and has for many many years so when the Rasta man came along talking about Africa and repatriation to Africa as the motherland that went against the grain, very much so. Especially as Jamaica was a British colony , even though Jamaica changed hands and had many many influences .. Spanish etc ..in terms of as a colony .. colonialism, slavery, the influence was of the British culture. So that said with Christianity, right, the white Jesus, in terms of sovereignty the Queen of England .. when the Rasta man came along and said - 'Well actually we're Africans and we are already kings, queens, princes, princesses, emperors, it's about time we look at who we are ..acknowledge who we are, where we're coming from and rekindle that relationship and reignite that strength and that power' right and you know .. as Royal deities. Let's look at who we are. iif we look into history, the most recent history, there's slavery, there's that .. but if we look back ... further back and bring that forward we are people, we are men and women, we are human beings and we are a lot more mighty than the most recent histories would have suggested. So, it definitely went against the grain and those in the upper echelons of society who look towards the European model of hierarchy it just didn't go well.So, Rastas back in those days... so you can imagine some years l later being in the United Kingdom .. my parents have come here, right, to further themselves economically, tofurther assist all the family back home, you know, when we came along with Rasta they were like 'oh my gosh what's going on here'. Things were tough enough for them being inEngland as immigrants, like I said with the racism and the social inequalities etc. and then when we came along with the Rasta talk that just blew their mind. So you know the termnowadays 'disenfranchised youth' well back in that time, you know, it was a real struggle, you know, being black in Britain was a struggle. And being a black youth in Britain was, you know, almost like that .. you know the term when they say middle child misunderstood and left out and stuff. So we were like the middle child in terms of our parents did not grow up in Britain so with regards to the education system and the psychology involved in grooming people, in grooming a nation of people to think and behave a certain way that was totally over our parents heads, they were coming from islands like Grenada, Trinidad, St. Kitts, Barbados, Jamaica ,etc where the British had an involvement in and the education system there was a lot more strict. The level of attainment was a lot higher, all be that it was British education system that was there the students in Jamaica were scoring so much higher, in relation to what's going on in the UK, and that's because of the discipline of where we're coming from and the cultural aspects of how we saw things from a family structure going right the way through to .... yeah ..so It was hard, really really hard. Going to school, being chastised, going home to tell your parents .. going 'look guess what happened at school'. They'd be like 'What'. Well in Jamaica that don't happen .. you must have done something wrong because the teachers always right, authorities always right. Well we were then struggling with authority here that was looking at us in a different way. They didn't know about us .. we didn't know about them. Our parents couldn't tell us about them because our parents only had one mind set ... we're here to work we'll put up and shut up . We're just here to work. Our parents didn't know police stations and all that kind of stuff, they never got into trouble. We we're getting into trouble our parents thought 'Well it must be you.. it's got to be you. How come there's problems at school and the police have arrested you'.Some of the parents rcognised what was going on and did not turn a blind eye. So it was a struggle all the way along to be understood in a situation that was evolving and you hadno way of knowing which way the pieces are going to fall after these minor explosions and eruptions. Though, that said I felt like I had no place. My mum was disappointed, my father was disappointed ..tremendously disappointed. I was in top class when I was at school; when I was seven years old they said I had the brain of a nine year old I should have been two years ahead and all that stuff. I went to school I was in top class in school, I was the only Carribean boy in my class at school. My parents said 'Oh my gosh he's going to be great he's going to be a doctor, a lawyer, whatever. But how I felt about whatwas happening to me didn't point me in that direction and I saw, and still does that Rastafari liberty, the peace and love, the respect, the acknowledgement of my self that I found in Rastafari .. I recognised that was my way. You know, it didn't mean that not going to school or not whatever.. people had a problem with the fact that I'm saying Rastafari because the connotations of that, coming from Jamaica, is the worst thing that I could have ever decided to do. My parents thought 'Oh my gosh we're finished'. And what happened immediately I wasn't allowed to go to my friends houses anymore. You know you go call for your friends call ... no .. are you coming out.. going up the road ..kick some football whatever then roller skating... all of a sudden my friends parents told their children don't bring him back round here anymore. I experienced that. So you know .. the term 'marginalised'. I had my family, my mum was kicking me out the house, she said 'I'm going to America .. when I get back you comb that hair or you're out'. She came back and she said 'give me the front door key - get out'. You know so ..these are the things. There's a song on this album called 'Countrymen' by the band called Twinkle brothers that actually encompasses a lot of the experience of .. not just myself ..a lot of what other young Rastas were going through. You know there's one of the verses talking about when he got fired from his job, right, and you know, fired without pay.. and it's just because he became a Rasta man he went to work and the boss man looked at him and said 'What..that hair 'and you know.. And then family disowned him, you know, and all these different stories about the persecution basically, because of a personal belief. The final verse on this song says, you know, something like; 'When your boss man discriminates against you, right, and your mother and father rejects you that is the time that Jah, God, Jah the Almighty he will guide and protect you. So I toldthem all to go away with their brutalisation, go away with your discrimination, go away with your victimisation'.So that song told me I will be all right. I'm gonna be just fine as hard as things are.... And being a teenager as well ( laughs). Things are always hard ... puberty ..adolescence ..allthese things thrown in top of , you know, what was happening on the street, if I left Handsworth it was a problem. We moved from Handsworth to Perry Barr - major problem,Police on my case, mad mob chasing me, all kinds of things going on. Get arrested for stupid stuff. Police driving on the street you know. Five a clock in the morning I'd come from Putney .. on the pavement .. driving me down on the pavement. You know, all kinds of crazy things. This song 'Since I threw the comb away' is the name of the song and my goodness I'm still here because of this music and you know .. so that's about it man ..yeah Twinkle Brothers .. “Since I Throw The Comb Away”.Oh yeah big up Will. Yeah bless him. Will is the man. Will came to my house he had ackee and pear and super malt .. yeah . My cousin Will. Rastafari ! yes man. (Laughs)Twinkle Brothers {quote}Contrymen{quote} released 1980
  • “It's Bob Marley and the Wailers “Natty Dread” and it's special because it's got two of my favourite songs on it. One is “No Woman No Cry” and the other one is “So Jah Seh{quote} and I like the words. These words relate to life, which is what a lot of his tunes are about such as “Revolution” and talking about how people are hungry and it's just a deep LP.Bob Marley is a very powerful influence to the music industry and his music lives on as he is an icon to Reggae music.”Audrey Bathley: Digbeth, Birmingham, 4th February 2019Bob Marley and The Wailers: “Natty Dread” released 1974
  • “Before 'Catch a Fire' album came out, when I was a little kid, I used to listen to reggae music. I used to like reggae music to an extent but it was mainly kind of your normal stuff you know ' I love you ..blah blah type of thing. And then I was in Handsworth Park - I was talking to my friend earlier about this,I was in Handsworth Park, I was probably about thirteen .. fourteen, fourteen maybe and I heard a track called “Blood and Fire” by a guy called Niney and it just blew my mind because it was different, it was hard core .. it was strong ..it was talking about something positive, you know. As you know reggae is always talking about daily life and the struggles and the fights, you know, that you have to go through to make it in life, you know. And that just summed it up you know.And it kind of, in a sense got me into music, into going 'ooh yeah .. I think I'm going to start a band'. But then when 'Catch a Fire' album came out I thought - ooh they're taking reggae serious. Because before you didn't have guitars, cause I play guitar, they didn't have guitars - rocky solos you know ..cause I like a bit of rock. I used to be into a band called Isley Brothers, simply because of the guitar playing on it.So anything with guitars used to just blow my mind. And it's like this particular “Catch a Fire' album I was like I couldn't believe it - I must have worn out at least two copies of it. Because they had guitars on it, they were talking about consciousness. It was well produced, it had attitude and it made me start Steel Pulse, you know. If it wasn't for this album there probably wouldn't be a Steel Pulse. So that's the importance it has for me.”Basil Gabbidon: Edwardian Tearooms, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, 28th January 2019Basil Gabbidon: Producer - Reggae Rockz - the story of Reggae music, a journey from Africa to the U.K.The Wailers: “Catch a Fire{quote} released 1973Basil Gabbidon
  • “Yes, the LP is called John Holt 'Sings For I' and it's an old album in which he used the full Philharmonic Orchestra to play reggae music. It was the first time it was ever done and this was in the era of the seventies when there was a lot of good music out there. That's about what I can say. That's one of the reasons why I chose it, especially the artistic work on the front, was to try and portray Rasta in more positive lights, you know, rather than in a negative light of the persecutions that they went through in the sixties. That's one of the reasons why I chose this particular album.”Christafari: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018John Holt: Sings For I released 1973
  • “I chose the album {quote}One Life To Live{quote} by Phyllis Dillon as the cover itself depicts a powerful image of her sporting an Afro. This for me marks a time of pride and political struggle, an era of Black Power where we were encouraged to embrace our natural hair as African diaspora people globally. The cover has her fully clothed unlike many other albums of this era which objectified women, showing them scantily clad in very sexualized poses.The album itself is very easy to relate to as it is one of love and heartbreak, two very common human experiences/emotions. The album is easy to listen to, and reminds me of my mum's friend Auntie Bev, who was also a DJ and would play some of these tunes and sing along over the microphone at her house parties. To some extent this LP reflects the softer and more romantic side of Sister Culcha - the sound woman who operated in that male dominated world.Produced by Duke Reid of Treasure Isle, this album has stood the test of time.”Sister Culcha: Peckings Record Shop, Shepherd’s Bush, London, 18th January 2019Sound operator and music historianPhyllis Dillon: “One Life To Live” released 1972Peckings Record Shop
  • “The album is “Put The Stereo On” Gappy Ranks. It was a ground breaking album following on from the success of Bitty McLean what my brother just showed you. He's a UK artist outof Harlesden and now he's kind of world famous but this was his first album 'Put the stereo on' and was combining original rock steady rub a dub tunes with an artist of today - Gappy Ranks. It's special to me because it was a different kind of string to our bow going from a singer to a DJ dancehall artist and it kind of propelled him in his career across the world and this is what we do at Peckings and what we aim to do with many other artists that's coming through the ranks.”Chris ‘Peckings’ Price: Peckings Record Shop, Shepherds Bush, London, 18th January 2019Gappy Ranks: “Put The Stereo On” released 2010Peckings Record ShopPeckings Records
  • “Well the album is very special to me because it's the first one we released on our label. It's Bitty Mclean “On Bond Street” that we actually produced and that's what we launched the Peckings label on. And it was a smash and not only that, I know that the accolades and all the things that went with this album which is so true because the album is truly a classic album, d’you know, and will remain a classic for ever d’you know, if I was supposed to compare it to an album I don't really even (think I could) - the album - it's fantastic. You don't have to skip a track you can just play from track one to track twelve on the vinyl - yeah that's my favourite.My dad is the first person to sell Jamaican music in England in 1960. I came to England 1966 and I was nine and I used to have to stay in on some Saturday's when I was ten and sell records when the sound man come around and I'd have to play them on the ‘gram and sell records, d’you know. So I've been selling records from when I was ten. It's my culture, d’you know, its paid for me to come to England, paid for me through school, my parents bought their house. My dad’s had the shop from 1975. You know the music is - that’s all we do - d’you know. I have no retirement because I'm just too music until - yeah yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah - that’s it!”Duke ‘Peckings’ Price: Peckings Record Shop, Shepherds Bush, London, 18th January 2019Bitty Mclean & The Supersonics: On Bond Street Kgn. JA. released 2004Peckings Record ShopPeckings Records
  • ““My LP of choice is by Jonah Dan and the record is called “Intergalactic Dub Rock”. It's an absolutely amazing record. It's a classic in my opinion and I can listen to it again and again and just want to hear it more. It was originally released in 1995 on Jonah Dan's own label, so self-released, and then it was recently reissued in 2018 on a label called BokehVersions which is based in Bristol. Bokeh Versions started around 2015 and I love the variety and the depth of dub influenced music featured through this label. Some other really amazing releases on Bokeh Versions are by Jay Glass Dubs, who's from Athens as well as an incredible collective called Seekers International. Then there's also some heavyweight old school UK dub like TNT Roots. The label really digs deep into the dub continuum and this particular record is very special. Its got a sort of cosmic intergalactic vibe to it. I look at the Rasta message of positive vibration as being something other worldly at times. It looks at universal collectiveness and consciousness and this record for me sonically represents the sci-fi futuristic take on dub music but at the same time staying true to the roots, the traditional sounds as well.”Mat {quote}Goosensei{quote} Goose - DJ, producer, visual artist and co-founder of the Listening Sessions event and community:Jonah Dan: “Intergalactic Dub Rock” released 1995Photographed with one of his murals, Digbeth, Birmingham 28th January 2019Listen earGoosenseiBokeh Versions
  • “This was an almost impossible task because there are so many different records that mean so much and cover different aspects of my life. But I chose The Royal Rasses “All Time Friends and San Salvador” because it really spoke to me at a time where as a young man growing up I was going through a transitional period where I was part of a political organisation called Afro Peoples Organisation. But then I was also in a position where I was going to study, and so to transition from being in an environment where I was surrounded by my own people - growing up within a Jamaican environment to going to an environment where in the university I went to I was the only black man there.And so it meant that at times I felt very isolated and things, and at times I felt I needed to have signifiers of myself around and I used to use the music as part of that. But also I used to use the music to inspire me like “All Time Friends” is really uplifting and it reminds you that you have a community that you’re part of and it reminds me that the community isn’t just the physical community around me but it is the extended family that I have home in the Caribbean, home in Africa and also the ancestors who are with me, who guide me and these are all part of the “All time Friends”. But “San Salvador” - when he sings about San Salvador it relates very much to the situation in Jamaica. The struggles that people will go through in Jamaica but how as Jamaicans we really live up to the proverb - the saying - ‘you take the smile and the laugh” to cover the fact that you’re hurting at times and to lift you out of that situation to give you hope. Because without hope then we wouldn’t survive, we wouldn’t be able to move forward and we wouldn’t have made the impact that we’ve made on the world through the music, and also through sports, within acting - there’s so many Jamaican’s who have had such a great impact. The fact that we are Africans, we come from a line of Kings and Queens, so when we are belittled by others we have to remember that. The “All Time Friends” that we carry with us, our lineage, our genealogy is coming from greatness as well and so that is what inspires us to move forward and keep being creative and keep giving hope for the next generation.”'H' Patten: Choreographer and Artistic Director - Koromanti Arts: Black Cultural Archives, Brixton, London 12th December 2018The Royal Rasses: {quote}All Time Friends/ San Salvador{quote} released 1979
  • “Basically I've chosen this LP - this is called “312” on Jah Shaka Music and basically the reason why I’ve chosen this as I was kind of part of the process of making this - even though I’m not really a singer or an artist as such like that - and certainly not a producer. But I love Reggae music and obviously I’m involved in the industry in terms of playing music and presenting on radio and organising events and so on. Basically since I’ve started doing my events “One Dub Events” for the last six or seven years now - as we see some of my merchandise here!I worked very closely with the son of Jah Shaka whose name is Young Warrior - based in London. Jah Shaka is my inspiration in many areas of life to be honest - now I know him as well now - we’ve got to know each other. To cut a long story short - Young Warrior produced this in Wales it was - it was an event called 'The United Nations of Dub Weekender' which was like the biggest U.K. Roots, Dub, Reggae Sound System Festival - ever. And it was held at Pontins in Prestatyn and it happened I think about four or five years in a row and I think this happened in 2015. So Young Warrior would perform with the sound system from London and like I say I’m crew, part of the crew kind of thing. I was roomed next door to him - this is his room number. So basically he set up a studio in the room, yeah his room was 312 I took that photograph and come up with the idea ‘just call it 312 ‘. So all of the artists that are involved I sort of one by one saw them at the festival and just says ‘hey - come let’s go for a walk you know’ - and so they were like - ‘what?!’ So I took them to the room - I took them to room 312 and as we opened )the door) they saw Young Warrior with his studio - pop-up studio, microphone, his laptop and everything ready to record, he had all his music ready so they just did their thing - one by one. Most of them were all from Birmingham apart from Sistah Lore - she’s from Spain. And yeah - it’s a wonderful album basically a mixture of lots different artists and a couple of riddims and it’s done really well. It was released last year 2017.And yeah it’s just wonderful to be part of the process - and I love the music as well it’s fantastic - it’s very very good! So yeah - that’s my choice “312” by Young Warrior.”Iman Issachar: The Hatman, Birmingham, 27th November 2018Young Warrior: Presents 312 released 2017Iman Issachar - One Dub EventsThe Hatman - Birmingham
  • Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse ot The Vampires“So the album I have chosen is {quote} Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires{quote}. And that I mean, apart from the name, like when I listen to that record and it was early in my exposure to instrumental dub and it made a profound impact on me because I didn't even know the songs that were being dubbed but I got so into the music of it. I mean it was very inspiring for me as a poet because of how the music was treated. It was almost like it wasn't even music, it was like it was creating an environment and it was telling a story. So separate from what the original songs were I thought it was incredibly powerful what Scientist was able to do by creating a whole new narrative with sound. And it inspired me as a producer now and as a songwriter because it is music that gave me space because it emptied out so much it gave me space to put my words in. So actually wrote a lot of music, you know, a lot of poetry listening to that music. And so it's something I always go back to and it's something I use in my yoga practice it's sonic healing. And that's why that's such an important record to me and that's why Scientist is such an important producer to me too.”Jah9: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Scientist:Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires released 1981Jah9
  • “It's Visions of Dennis Brown, obviously by Dennis Brown. It’s special to me because I came from a Soundsystem background, It was one of the very first albums that we bought as youths for our system - Wassifa Sound. We played it continuously. Errol Mitchell, who's one of the original members, and Mykal Brown, had Dennis Brown as one of their favorite artists and the album was constantly played. I am now a concert promoter and tour manager and yeah, Dennis Brown inspired me. I’ve even had the pleasure of working with Dennis Brown on several events and this is where it all started.This iconic album was produced by the legendary Joe Gibbs and it features some of my favourite musicians - Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass with Bobby Ellis and Tommy McCook on horns. It’s endless - it’s a gem.”Jahmi Williams: Digbeth, Birmingham, 4th February 2019Dennis Brown: “Visions of Dennis Brown” released 1978
  • “I'm going to talk about a track and it's by Tappa Zukie and it's called {quote}Biko{quote}. It was around the time of Stephen Biko's death so this really hit me you know this was a student activist .. a young man who was beat to death in a South African prison. So I lived for a year in South Africa as a child with my parents who went over there with work. So I really experienced, at an age when I don't think people are so critical, as a kid you just see the world you think.. that's it, that's the way it is .. so I experienced apartheid. And coming back and growing older and realising the whole notion and nature of what was happening you know it's incredibly difficult and complex, all the people that I interacted with in South Africa that are black are migrants, as of course the white people are. The indigenous people were all made extinct by the British and the Boer, the Hottentot and the veldt San. So you know I had really powerful feelings about that and people tried to acknowledge what had happened to this young man in that cell. I mean I saw the battles on the street, I saw the beatings froth South African police on black people. And of course Peter Gabriel did a really famous track called {quote}Biko{quote} which I listened to and it's really powerful and he combined that with another one called {quote}Wallflower{quote} which is about somebody incarcerated unfairly. But there was something about that Tappa Zukie track which is so simple, it's kind of mantra like. It sort of repeats the name in a mantra like way that just got, despite those other great tributes, it just got right to the heart in the simplicity of it. You know the line was ' They shouldn't have killed Biko', it just sounds so conversational, so every day and yet somehow in that track was incredibly powerful and that really hit me, you know, that really affected me.”Jonathan Day: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Tappa Zukie: Tribute to Steve Biko released 1978 (From the LP {quote}Peace in the Ghetto.{quote}Jonathan Day
  • “The single I have in my hand is Marcia Griffiths 'I Feel Like Jumping ' it's mid sixties - (maybe) bit later. And it's on the Boops Rhythm. And I mean I just love the sound of it and I love the lyric to it. Her voice, Marcia Griffiths, you know quite a young woman in those days. She's got a beautiful voice and the whole thing just kind of like fits together. 'Feel Like Jumping' it is what it says it's about being in your body and enjoying your body. But why I like this particular single so much is where I got it, you know, 'cos a 45 is a piece of vinyl and it has a history and this single I know came from Jamaica to London in a suitcase that was carried by Mr Peckings. And anybody in the reggae business will know that Mr Peckings record shop on Acton Lane, well, was the place where reggae music started for London.. in so far as Mr Peckings was the man who literally travelled on the airplane with the boxes of 45s and brought them to London. And so at that time, that was in the eighties, when I got this record I was making a little documentary film for the BBC about reggae music and the sound so I did my research and knew that I had to go to Daddy Peckings, everybody called him, he passed away sadly some years back. And so that was part of the relationship that we built doing the research before you actually have a film crew and discussing the music we discussed that particular track. ... probably actually come to think of it he was the one .. I said 'Well what should I play when I'm showing the shots of your record shop' .... He said 'Why don't you play this', and that's what I did. So I have that very one still with me because I never threw any of my vinyl. And what is nice .. just a few weeks ago I went and his son has taken on the business, Duke Peckings, and in fact he's got a record shop just opposite where his dad's was on Acton Lane. So that's a little epicentre of good vibes and I've had some good conversations with Duke Peckings about his dad and stuff and he did some ... (I did ) a radio program with him. And so that kind of like brought it back like thirty years later and I told Duke Peckings about how Daddy Peckings had give me this record and so this record is very precious to me.”Julian Henriques: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Marcia GriffithsProfessor Julian Henriques
  • “So I selected “One Drop” from the Bob Marley album called “Survival” that came out in 1979 and it’s quite an iconic album because it also includes the track called “Zimbabwe” which he actually performed in Zimbabwe around the time of independence. The reason why I’ve chosen “One Drop” is that there’s something about that record, and when you think how old it is - I mean next year it will be forty years old. Whenever Lynda and I play it as part of Nzinga Soundz, it creates this vibe without fail each time in the space, in the environment that we’re playing it. And there’s something about it that creates almost like an atmosphere of being at church - sort of religious - more so it has a spiritual feeling about it and it just creates a unity - and people start to sway and move. There is this almost untouchable sense of oneness that it creates. And you can just see them going back in time to where they (the people in the audience) were, recalling memories and how the track makes them feel. So it it’s a very emotive song and it never fails - you know wherever we play that song it creates this feeling that you could cut - almost touch and it’s inexplicable but you can it see it brings people together, whether they predominantly like soul, whether they predominantly like reggae - whichever genre they particularly like, this record creates a feeling of unity and that’s why I chose it.It just takes you somewhere that you just can’t explain. The lyrics are amazing. 'But read it in Revelation (dread, dread, dread, dread): You'll find your redemptionAnd then you give us the teachings of His Majesty,For we no want no devil philosophy;A you fe give us the teachings of His Majesty,A we no want no devil philosophy:' - Bob MarleyIn the late 70’s we were young people trying to find ourselves and establish our identity at a time when it was quite hostile for young Black people, so I think it has that significance and that resonance for all those reasons.” June Reid Aka DJ Junie Rankin, Nzinga Soundz: Black Cultural Archives, 12th December 2018Bob Marley and The Wailers: {quote}One Drop{quote} from the album {quote}Survival{quote} released 1979
  • “An album, it's {quote}Legalize It{quote} 1976 by Peter Tosh. With him sitting in like a field of ganja around him and it was such an important, in terms of the visuals - at the time when you know ganja was associated with Rasta and persecution of Rastafarians for the use of ganja in Jamaica knowing that Peter Tosh was one of the main protagonists for legalising ganja. So that album for me kind of epitomises the revolutionary stance that Peter took, you know, in not just his music but in his persona as somebody who stood up for equal rights and justice. So {quote}Legalize It{quote} for me is the album.”Kokumo Noxid: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Peter Tosh: {quote}Legalise It{quote} released 1976Kokumo Noxid
  • “My name is Lyle Bignon and my favourite reggae record of all time is Steel Pulse's {quote}Handsworth Revolution{quote}. Released in 1978 on Island record it features groundbreaking song writing and musicianship, exceptional production and there's lots of socio-political commentary that really has helped to secure it's place amongst those influential LP's to come out of post industrial Britain.It's such a landmark reggae recording. It helped catapult the band to global recognition and it blaze the trail for those artists of Caribbean and African descent that followed.Beyond the significance of all of that and the longevity, it features some incredible tracks, from “Macka Splaff{quote} to “Handsworth Revolution” itself and of course Prediction{quote} - one of the best songs ever written. Phenomenal record. Definitely my favourite of all time.”Lyle Bignon: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Steel Pulse: “Handsworth Revolution” released 1978Lyle Bignon
  • “I have to start by saying it was an almost impossible task to choose one album but I’ve chosen “The Front Line” album for the fact that 1976 when this LP was released was a very significant year for Black struggle, including the June 16th Soweto Uprisings in South Africa. The following year 1977 I visited Africa for the first time which had a profound and life changing impact on me and it was also the year that Steve Biko of the Black Conscious Movement (BCM) was assassinated which began the awakening of my political consciousness. Growing up in Britain I was aware of the Front Line on Railton Road near to where I grew up in Talma Road, Brixton and later knowing other Front Lines in Handsworth in Birmingham and Toxteth in Liverpool as back in the day we as black people in Britain were more unified in our struggles against oppression - and also saw our struggles reflected in places across the world where we had never been to.For me the {quote}Front Line{quote} is a genius compilation of seminal tracks including the Mighty Diamonds’ “Africa’ and “Right Time” Delroy Washington’s “Freedom Fighters”, Johnny Clarke’s “Declaration of Rights” and U Roy’s “Natty Rebel” such powerful tracks that punctuated our struggles as black people internationally.Visually the LP is very powerful too, made even more striking as it’s in black and white – I don’t think it would have been so compelling had it been in colour. For me as well as the wider struggle of black people I think it represents my personal struggle for identity and the spirit to overcome physical and mental oppression. The late 70s and 80s was a time of my musical awakening and I suppose the time when I began playing at family parties which led eventually to me setting up Nzinga Soundz as DJ Ade alongside June Reid aka DJ Junie Rankin my close friend and partner in the sound.The reason why this LP is particularly special for me is because it was produced by Virgin Records – and Virgin Records was where June and I had our first {quote}proper{quote} jobs back in the 80’s on Oxford Street in London. I was the first black female buyer for Reggae 12 inch and Soca sections and I also established the World Music and the Africa sections at Virgin Records. We learnt a lot about music during those years and spent a lot of time with suppliers such as Jet Star Records and we were very instrumental in making sure that this album was really well stocked along with many other really important records coming out at that time particularly Jamaican and African Reggae artists.As a DJ - alongside Junie Rankin we played this LP a lot, I remember thinking how cheap it was £1.29 if I'm correct! So little for such a genius album, I think even in those days it was the same price as a 12 inch single. As a sound we had the good fortune of playing at some seminal events not just parties and private functions but also on community radio and at certain concerts when we were booked by promoters such as Wilf Walker to play at The Astoria, then in Charing Cross when the Mighty Diamonds were in concert and then having the chance to meet these artists and have them sign our records was a major honour for us.So the Front Line represents a key part of my journey but very much resonating with the struggles of black people both in the Caribbean and in Africa, for me it is really like a commentary of those journeys from my youth to womanhood and fighting for agency within U.K. society.”Lynda Rosenior-Patten AKA DJ Ade Nzinga Soundz, CEO Maestro7 Creative Management Consultancy: Black Cultural Archives, Brixton, London, 12th December 2018Various Artists: {quote}The Front Line{quote} released 1976Black Cultural ArchivesNzinga SoundzNzinga SoundzNzinga Soundz
  • “The album is Fisherman Style Riddim, the One Riddim album. It's very special for me because it represents innovation a lot, for me, it's the best of the old and the new. You have all the old legends on it, I don't know ..... Gregory Isaacs, Max Romeo, Big Youth all of them. And then you have like the second part of the album which is composed of recent artists, Lutan Fyah, for example. And personally it's special because it was the only soundtrack that I took with me to Ghana for one year. And these songs get a different meaning, when you're there sitting in the tro tro and like, you know, Sugar Minott sings “Jah is the bus driver” ... bringing the album to life seeing it in African context and stuff. And I'm a very big fan of One Riddim albums and this is like one of the best.”Martin Gansinger: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018The Congos and Friends: Fisherman Style released 2006Martin Gansinger
  • “Well the album I chose is a classic reggae album, regarded as a classic album right now, {quote}Catch A Fire{quote} by Bob Marley and The Wailers released in 1973, so quite some time before I was born. But this album really to me represents my journey, let's say, into the world of reggae. I think about 15 years ago I was playing a computer game with a friend at a friends house in the Netherlands and at the time I didn't really have any direction in life, so to speak, in terms of study, in terms of work, in terms of what next in this life. And at that point that friend just put on {quote}Catch a Fire{quote} LP and it was immediately when I heard the first tunes and then the rest of the album I thought 'this is really a sound and a message I've never heard before'. Of course you hear 'Three Little Birds' in summer on the radio or 'Could You Be Loved', songs like that of Bob Marley which are well known. But that {quote}Catch a Fire{quote} album really had a militancy to it, really almost a spiritual message to it, a strong force behind it which made the music somehow very appealing to me. And I could immediately sense or feel, not only hear but feel the power of the music and that there was a whole lot more to it than relaxing tunes to listen to. And basically that album really marks for me a change of direction in my life I might say and I'm also standing here today at a reggae conference because it turns out it was the start of - I guess, a life long love relationship with reggae music and also developing an academic scholarly interest in it and doing research about it and writing about it. And yeah, becoming part world of reggae music. So that's why {quote}Catch a Fire{quote} it also caught a fire in me that's been burning ever since.”Martyn Huisman: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018The Wailers: Catch a Fire released 1973Martijn Huisman
  • “Yeah, well I've gone for Handsworth Revolution by Steel Pulse. The reason that I've chosen this LP is because I think, well first of all its just such an incredible album and it's stood the test of time so far you know. For me it's those words {quote}doesn't justice stand for all{quote}, they where speaking about all the injustice, all the racism and brutality that was happening to the black communities in England at the time and those words are still as relevant today as they where in the late 70's.Being from Birmingham they've also had a lot of influence on my band {quote}KIOKO{quote}, some of us where lucky enough to catch Steel Pulse playing in Birmingham a few years back at a festival that's actually held in Handsworth called {quote}simmer down festival{quote} It was only a short set but they had the place rocking! The whole of Handsworth was there ..all the people you know, everyone came down to watch them and regardless of them only being able to play five or six songs, the crowd moved to every beat and sang every word back at them In the end they didn't get to play Handsworth Revolution, but it was like they didn't need to, just the band being back playing in their hometown made the people of Handsworth feel represented and strong, they just brought everyone together, it was just such an amazing atmosphere. I think there's just a lot to be learned from this album and it's lyrics, things that we can still get right about Birmingham and the rest of the U.K today and yeah. It's just an incredible LP represented by beautiful artwork as well.”Matt Doyle: Digbeth, Birmingham, 28th January 2019Steel Pulse: Handswoth {quote}Revolution{quote} released 1978Matt Doyle - Kioko
  • “Ok so the album is Dr. Alimantado's {quote}Best Dressed Chicken In Town{quote}. I bought this in 1979 from the Virgin Record Store in Brighton, so I was 14 at the time. I was massively into punk rock and I'd heard John Peel on the radio talk about punk and The Clash and he was starting to sort of reference reggae music and I started to pay a bit of an interest in it. And I remember John Peel one night playing a song called {quote}Poison Flour{quote} that comes off this particular album and it really really struck me. And I thought I need to hear more of that so I literally went down to the Virgin Record Store in Brighton when it was still a very small Independent store;I think it was one of the first stores that Virgin set up. I went in there and said 'have you got this, have you got this'. And they went 'No sorry but we can get it for you'. And I think Virgin had connections with Island Records and what have you and it was about a week later that I went back to the store and they said 'yes it came in yesterday'. And I've still got the original copy that I bought in 1979. I still play it at least two or three times a year and it just reminds me of my younger days but also my first introduction into reggae which has now become a large part of my listening habits over the past forty something years.”Matt Grimes: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Dr.Alimantado: {quote}Best Dressed Chicken in Town{quote} released 1978Matt Grimes
  • “The album that I've chosen is “Rockin' Time” by Burning Spear. It was released in 1974 and was one of the first albums we bought as a collective for Jah Wassifa. We would all put our biscuit money, funds and pop bottles money together to buy these albums from off the wall in Black Wax Record shop in Lozells Road in Birmingham.We didn't have all the funds at once so we paid a deposit and returned when we could afford to pay the balance off. Albums like these could be sold out easily in minutes but Fred - who ran the shop, used to look out for us as 13 or 14 year old youths and made sure that we got a chance to this iconic album. As a popular store the older sound system members from all over the UK came to Black Wax Record Shop to buy their records.We used to visit the record shop to get a lot of cultural music because we preferred to focus on our identity back then and we achieved that through reggae music as we weren't taught that at school. Luckily, the record shop was opposite our school. We played this album because it gave us a lot of inspiration with several tracks like “Call on You”, “Foggy Road”, “Getting From Bad to Worse” and on the B side we had tracks like “What a Happy Day, “Walla Walla{quote}, and the title track “Rockin’ Time”.The album told us about our identity culture and looking about Africa. It speaks of Marcus Garvey, Haile Selassie, to study the Bible and be righteous young people. Living in Handsworth Birmingham at the time, things weren't going good for us there was a lot of racism and discrimination, so we focused on this album, playing it in the evenings and trying to understand it as young teenagers. Around the time purchasing this album, we only had 2 little speakers but this is how we started playing these songs and dreamt that one day we would be one of Birmingham’s biggest sound systems. Fast forward over forty years, we are actually one of the UK’s prominent sound systems.This album was produced by Coxsone Dodd and recorded at Studio One with real instruments and not computerized as with most recordings today. I would love to see the new reggae artists start looking back and be inspired by some of the old-time rhythms and see what made people work as a unit, culturally, fairly and righteously.While working as a tutor at South and City College Birmingham I focus on my revival records and this album amongst others gives me inspiration to positively guide the youths and through all of what's going on in society today”.Michael Brown: Outside HQ, Handsworth, Birmingham, 4th February 2019Burning Spear: “Rocking Time{quote} released 1974
  • “The title of the song is {quote}Can't Stop Loving You{quote}. It's a reggae cover of the Leo Sayer hit back in the seventies. What's special about it first of all in many ways the artist on the label is written Grey Storm but there is really no singer called Grey Storm but a lot of Jamaican artists would sing under different names for reasons of income and revenue. I got a message within the last year that I was told correctly years later that the artist actually singing it was Owen Grey and I was told that by man who's name was on the record label, and it was Clem Bushay. So I bought a 12{quote} single of {quote}I Can't Stop Loving You{quote} actually by Owen Grey on the Bushay record label. The interesting thing about it was that I bought it out of the back of the boot of a guys car, because in the early days there weren't any reggae record shops at all and what used to happen is that guys used to come to venues, the venue that he was parked at was called the Burlington pub in Leicester, and sell music ..new music .. directly out of the boot of their cars. And the originator of that really was Daddy Peckings who later on had the Peckings record store in Shepards Bush. He had his team of people and he organised them to go round various places and take the music to sell.”Mike Wire: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Grey Storm (Owen Grey): {quote}I Can't Stop Loving You{quote} released 1978Mike Wire
  • “Yes, it's actually Steel Pulse 'Handsworth Revolution' and the reason I've chosen this is because back in the 80's when I first heard this particular album it had a huge impact upon me. The lyrics - “One hand washes Another” and the whole kind of lyrics and the musical content, but particularly the lyrics - it’s very much unique about the black British experience. It comes out of Handsworth, it talks about racism it talks about unity and it talks about a valiant cry to take up arms against injustice - against racism and that there needs to be a fundamental change in society.And Steel Pulse’s track 'Handsworth Revolution' was a seminal tune and had a huge impact. And since then becoming the Festival Director of Simmer down festival , which has now grown to become the biggest free reggae festival in UK I've been fortunate that I've been able to program many of the reggae artists and in 2015 we had Steel Pulse headline along with some of the other great Birmingham reggae legends Musical Youth and Apache Indian. We paid tribute to Birmingham’s reggae heritage and Steel Pulse headlined and it was a real honour to have them in Handsworth Park. Since then I've become very close friends with Amlak and Selwyn, members of the Steel Pulse. So that's my album and those are my reasons for choosing it.”Mukhtar Dar: The Custard Factory, Digbeth, Birmingham, 22nd January 2019Steel Pulse: Handsworth Revoluion - released 1978Simmer Down Festival - Facebook
  • “The album that I chose is a Bob Marley one called “Exodus”,which is a incredible album as far as I'm concerned. I've met Bob Marley several times I photographed him after he came to this country, Britain, and he brought some ganja in his suitcase and he was arrested. He was taken to Marylebone Magistrate Court, which I've taken photograph of that, and he thought that they was gonna deport him back and imprison him. But fortunately because so many of us was there cheering him the magistrate allowed him to go without having a custodian sentence. Later on I was lucky enough to go to his house in Chelsea and we both sat down. He sat in one chair, I sat in another chair and I refused to speak to him and he refused to speak to me. Because if a famous people come meet me I never ask them question, which is probably the wrong thing - I should have got more out of him but anyway he left the room that we were in and went into this bedroom and came back and he brought me this record. Maybe you can read it out for me.” (laughs)W {quote}Rastafari - 'Bob Marley and the Wailers ..Exodus' - yes ...wow!{quote}“Yes that's great, great stuff. And another thing when I first know of Bob Marley and I listened to his lyrics I was thinking that he was copying natural songs and sayings of Jamaican so he wasn't really that proper artist that he should be because he was replicating the community. Whatever people say, you know - was thrown away so he would just say them and grab them and use it as his own. But later on I realised that I was wrong - that what he did was fantastic. He passed many messages to the community, encouraged them to be successful, you know, and he gave them joy and strength and carry Jamaican name around the world. So I was wrong on that, you know, I liked him in the end.”W “Thank you so much.”Neil “You're highly welcome (laughs) - Rastafari!”W “Rastafari!”Neil Kenlock: Black Cultural Archives, Brixton, London 18th January, 2019Neil is photographed at the Archive during his exhibition 'Expectations:The Untold Story of Black British Community Leaders in the 1960s and 1970s. He stands before a photograph he took of his parents and one of himself as a young man.Bob Marley and The Wailers: “Exodus” released 1977Neil Kenlock Creative Review interviewThe GuardianBlack Cultural Archives
  • “When I came to England in ’98 I must have moved into a shared house in ’99 with English people cos I was with French people the first time ‘round and somebody pulled this record out and said ‘listen to this if you like reggae and yeah instantly became a house classic - in our shared house. There’s a lot of memories of this tune being played at certain parties, house parties in Moseley at the time when it used to be thriving - when I was at uni kinda time. Yeah - it became an instant favourite kinda thing. There;s a lot to it but I think what makes it is the production and the Sly and Robbie kind of sound - it’s kind of really deep and dubbie. And also it’s a kind showcase format where you have extended tracks which go into the dub which is nice because the production’s so trip as it were And actually it’s interesting because when the whole reggae revival thing came about people started resampling this album and even recently one of the most popular tunes by Chronixx “Here Comes Trouble” was actually directly sampling “Wings With Me” off this. But then pretty much every track off this album has been sampled for the last ten years for some hit singles so it’s still unbeatable.”Robin Giorno: In his studio, Birmingham, 3rd December 2018Ini Kamoze: Sly & Robbie Presents Ini Kamoze released 1984Robin Girono - Friendly Fire
  • “Right this is {quote}Civilisation{quote} by the Classics. And it's a Lee Perry production. It's not on the original label that it was on but the fact that it's been repressed that's fine by me. And also the label here with the sleeve it's actually got a picture of Lee Perry on there as well, which is really nice. But 'Civilisation', it's about...the songs basically saying that we need more civilisation, we need more unity, we need more love, we need more .. you know .. looking after one another and so forth. It's as simple as what it does say, we need more civilisation, we need to be acting like we are civilised people and, you know, stop the back biting, the fussing and the fighting and so forth. So, that to me replicates what reggae music is about, it's about peace. It's a different angle of saying we want more peace, yeah that's what it's about.”Rusty Rebel: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018The Classics: {quote}Civilsation{quote} released 1971Rusty Rebel
  • “It’s {quote}Prophecy{quote} by Fabian on the Tribesman label. It's a 12{quote} 45 and for me it's really special because well it's an original press, it's a limited edition of this tune. The most well known one was done on Black Swan but this is a Tribesman 12{quote}, so I'm really happy with that. Produced by Lloyd Coxsone And it's, I think, 1977 but it's still like, it's the hardest tune I have. When the bass comes in, every time, it always blows everyone's mind. I have a nice little story about this; So I select on a sound system back in the Netherlands called Backattack and at our last dance we had to have the system raised a little bit so the subscoops were really like at head level and we hadn't introduced the sub bass until this song and then when we introduced the ... apparently the sub bass blew a girls hat off .. which I thought was quite great. Everyone was like 'oh my god someone's hats flying around'. So I thought that's quite a nice story .... I don't know if it's true but yeah this is my chosen (record)…”Sebastian Davies: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Fabian: {quote}Prophecy{quote} released 1977Sebastian Davies
  • “So it's Jah9 - since she's here today, and it's {quote}New Name{quote}. And I chose that because when it came out about 2013 it was like inspiration, it was like new, it was with the times... a new name Rastafari ., bringing it back, you know, the realisation of Rastafari back in the community.. back into life .. as a young artist. So I was like yeah I'll definitely choose this one.”Sister Stephi: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Jah9: {quote}New Name{quote} released 2013
  • Taleba is an activist and founder of the British Sound System Collective Forum.“This album is without question the backdrop of my childhood growing up in inner-city London. When I was 12 my dad, who was and still is a sound man, used to drive me to school in Hackney and the haunting sounds of “Rasta Man Camp” used to chime continuously on our journey to and from. At the time I was annoyed, wasn’t listening, struggling with my Jamaican roots against the backdrop of British school life. But, at the same time, subconsciously absorbing every word which would later manifest itself in becoming my love and passion for reggae music. In the 80s I didn’t have any friends who I could discuss reggae music with so it was weird growing up in school, wanting to talk about this amazing album but being met with discussions on pop music and popular white British bands. So I loved reggae music in silence. I’d sneak into the front room and turn my dad's set on when he wasn’t’ home - turn the volume up and absorb the basslines to “Bobby Bobylon” – it almost felt like a defiant song that you weren’t allowed to sing but felt compelled to as you chanted ‘down Babylon’ in the chorus. I was a mere child just beginning to become socially, economically and culturally aware. British but culturally different, just beginning to understand and appreciate the importance of reggae music in terms of the legacy I grew up in but had no idea to its significance until today. Every song held a special place in my heart especially the track “What Difference Does it Make.” A poignant message, hard to understand as a child, but with time age and wisdom became an important and valuable way to tackle life’s hardships. It’s not that important - why worry about it?Move on, stay strong - the perfect track when I’m feeling as though I’m giving too much thought into my life’s issues. Even today it’s still my go to track. Ultimately it means so much to me to belong to sound system culture by blood not relation. Although I grew up in a reggae environment since birth, this album was one of my first reggae albums I really took notice of. A real introduction into wholesome roots mixed with the refreshing sounds of Studio One. If someone asked me to give them one album to introduce them to the world of reggae music this would definitely be at the top of my list. An essential album through and through.”Taleba Wax: The Custard Factory, Digbeth, Birmingham, 22nd January 2019Freddie McGregor: {quote}Bobby Bobylon{quote} released 1979Taleba Wax: The British Sound System Collective
  • “It's Agustus Pablo's {quote}East of the River Nile{quote} - a record that was released in the 1980's and I think it's a really key piece of reggae history. It developed a completely different style of reggae, really from the rhythm track up. He introduced lots of interesting instrumentation and new approaches to working in the studio and it's interesting how different sorts of music adapted and adopted things that he'd done on an instrumental reggae album. So he played the child's toy, the melodica, and again I think that influenced quite a lot of the people throughout the eighties and into the nineties .. you got more and more people using that. But as the name suggests {quote}East of the River Nile{quote} it has quite a spiritual, Eastern, feel to it so it picked up on that thread in reggae and made it stronger and more important.”Tim Wall: Parkside Building, Birmingham City University, 4th April 2018Agustus Pablo: {quote}East of the River Nile{quote} released 1977Tim Wall @profofpop
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  • That time it was the small 45's . That time it was Randy's 17 North Parade. And it was good, people loved those kind of music.It was very exciting. As you push up the shutter in the morning as the people just pouring in. You know and you work with the spirit and you know the music was good those time. Oh yeah Gregory Isaac, Dennis Brown, Freddy McGregor all those - the Skatalites - you have a vast amount of them you know it was so nice and it give you the spirit to move on and it was so good and people appreciate the music those time. ‘Cos it have Studio One .. remember studio one? Mr Dodd yeah. You did have some good good music.”And then you have the small 45. You have some of them juke box,you remembered jukebox? And then you have the small 45. You have some of them juke box,you remembered jukebox?They come from far in the country, like it's their Portland, Westmorland, Montego Bay, May Pen, Saint Elizabeth.. Browns Town - all over. And Monday morning you see them coming, some of them have on their working clothes same way but they want to catch the first thing that come up. The first thing yeah. They did appreciate the music and it was good those time.WE - {quote}So exciting it was so fresh wasn't it everybody was just starting off really.{quote}{quote}Yeah, because people just come and buy music for the record store. For the sound system you know. You have people like Rico from Port Antonio. You have the great Se Busca, Anotonio. You have well Duke really did have his store and so on. You heard about Joe ? You have a lot of them - alot of them.Channel One - all those was good times.{quote}Amy Dudhi: VP Records Retail Shop, Jamaica, NY, 6th February 2019Keeling Beckford: {quote}Combination{quote} released 1978
  • “I am Amy Wachtel, known as the Night Nurse, and I chose Papa Michigan and General Smiley's {quote}One Love Jamdown{quote} 45, a seven inch. And I have to tell you that your terminology 'of great personal significance' - as opposed to choosing a favourite record, really coloured and informed what I chose and the reasons that I chose {quote}One Love Jamdown {quote} is that when I was first getting into reggae, which was maybe 1980 ish. I was living in Boston, I was still in college, I had just graduated maybe and Iboth worked in college radio and I had a job at an AM radio station in Cambridge which was well cool. It was like, you know, t was like for the zucchini growers. It played some pretty hip music and some hippyish music and Peter Simon of reggae bloodlines and international fame had a show there every Saturday. So I was getting exposed to reggae a lot and then my my college radio station WZBC had someone named Derail, who was in a reggae band 007 and he did radio. So even though I was a rock and roller and then getting into punk and new age .. reggae was coming at me. It as coming from experts. And I don't remember if it's a Derail or if it was Peter but someone gave me One Love Jamdown, the seven inch {quote}56 Hope Road{quote}. I loved it. I loved it and sometime later Garland Jeffrey's came out with an album called Escape Artist in 1980 and with it was a seven inch, that was included. And it had a song called Miami Beach because there were horrible racial riots in Liberty City in Miami at that time and he did a song about it. And it was on the same rhythm as One Love Jamdown. Now I was green and new to reggae so I had no idea that rhythms are used and rinsed time and time again, you know, from day to day, year to year, so I was appalled I thought that they'd ripped it off Michigan and Smiley and I was really upset ( laughs).Crazy enough knowing we were gonna talk about the record I went to look for the Garland Jeffrey record. Ok - are you ready? Who produced that song {quote}Miami Beach{quote}? - Dennis Bovell! Who is on it with Garland Jeffrey's? Lynton Kwesi Johnson. Ok I have to confess it took me 35 years to like realise that - that's amazing!So then further with Michigan and Smiley I had come home to New York, somewhere between '80 and '82 for a weekend maybe to visit my mom - I don't remember why and I see in the Village Voice an ad that a club called The Armegeddon club on Jane Street in Greenwich Village is presenting Michigan and Smiley. I can't believe it like these are like my favourite unknown, you know, people love the record I have to go. No one wants to go with me. A friend who was sort of reggae related said 'oh my good friend Earl Chin will be there he's the Chinese Jamaican, say hello to him. Again I have to say I was so green and new to reggae and Jamaica and Jamaicans that I'm like 'wow a Chinese Jamaican - that's wild' (laughs). You know there's so much history I just didn't know, which now is now like my life and my people, my friends, it's just very funny. So, went to see Michigan and Smiley in Greenwich Village - awesome. Ironically who knew that about five years later that would be my neighbourhood that I live in to this day. And then I went to my first ever reggae sunsplash in Jamaica, that was the summ of 1982 and I went with my friend Rachel, a college friend, and you know it was such a hustle - it was like hustlers paradise. A. It's Montego Bay and B. it's reggae Sunsplash so everyone's flocking in to make a buck somehow and then here we are two young white women on our own. So we wrote a song called {quote}Shifty Dub{quote} and it was to the rhythm of {quote}One Love Jamdown{quote}.(laughs). And I kind of remember it - but I'll refrain from sharing those lyrics!{quote}Amy Wachtel: Long Beach, NY, 10th February 2019Papa Michigan and General Smiley:“One Love Jamdown” - released 1980Amy Wachtel - The Night Nurse
  • “Well you know what you said to bring a record and I wanted to bring a dub plate because a dub plate signifies a lot of my life of -you know, voicing artists. Not only for the Master B Record label but for Master B Sound System over twenty five years ago. Starting with Barrington Levy, Super Cat, Buju Banton and so forth. Nicodemus and Half Pint. And so many more. I brought the Sammy Dreadlocks dub plate with me and just the fact that it's a ten inch acetate dub plate and it kind of signifies if you know anything about me you know I love foundation reggae, I love rub a dub reggae and just the fact that we used to have to work so hard to get money to voice these dub plates and pay them.It wasn't like downloading an MP3, you know, you had to fly Jamaica go to the studio, voice the artist, mix the dub plate and then cut it on acetate, ten inch lacquer you know.Whereas with the record label you'd have to build the rhythm, voice the song, mix the song, master the song. And when you master it you make probably the seven inch lacquer in which they make the metal plate off of and they press the record. Cos you know I have my own label and they used to press in Jamaica, and I pressed in Tennessee and in Pennsylvania and everything so. It's been blessed because I've been fortunate enough I've met most of my heroes, voiced them on dub plate or I've voiced them on my label you know so it's great. Hope I answered that good.Sammy Dreadlocks M16 and this is basically years ago when we were cutting dub plates there was a style amongst the sound systems where top sounds would have their own sleeves and being with Massive B I printed these, I think, in Jamaica. We had our logo and our little character on it that was on the record label. Massive B was the records and you know you leave space to write the artists name and so forth and it's you know - doing what you love.”Bobby Konders: Brooklyn, NY, 7th February 2019Sammy DreadlocksBobby Konders
  • “I'll give you a little context as well. So, the record I picked out is called “Cheating{quote} by Earl Sixteen, which is a Lee Scratch Perry production, and it was recorded in 1978 I think. The reason I picked this particular 45 is because I first went to Jamaica in 1996 - and at the time I had a pretty healthy obsession with Jamaican music. But like a lot of Americans who were into music - records, CDs - we were focused on LP's. So I had a lot of reggae LP's, and a good handle on the music at the time, I mean probably ten years worth of interest, from teenage years into my mid-twenties at that point. But I wasn't a 45 collector but I go to Jamaica and I was introduced by Ralph Smith to a sound man in Belmont, which is in Western Jamaica. And this is right across the street from where Peter Tosh was from. And this area sound man, KD - I can't remember his right name, but people in the region knew him because he had a club and he was just a big guy in music in the area. He showed me all the stuff he had and he sold me some records for - they were ridiculously cheap prices at the time, and I didn't even know about the extent that there was this collectors market for records, it was just music to me.And so I got a stack, you know, of records like this out of [his collection]. I bet he had ten thousand records and I went through what I could go through. And so I picked out these records and that was for me the beginning of my understanding and interest in Jamaican music as a singles music and the 45 rpm single as the essential medium of the sound system.Here I was in the middle of this system that had been operating since the seventies, it was regionally significant and this guy who was just really cool to let me go through and take records out of his collection ‘cos to him he had everything.I pulled out a cracked one, and I showed it to him I was like 'this has a crack in it' and he took it and just flung it into the ocean because to him it was just like ah! -you know.Any of the records that I got from KD would have been appropriate for this project.I picked “Cheating” by Earl Sixteen because I know that, at the ime I had never heard the track. I knew who Earl Sixteen was from albums - it’s a non album track. And it's enchanting, it's innocent, it's a break up lament, you know, it's got all these elements that are pervasive in a good reggae love song.And it's produced by Lee Perry so it has a signature [Black Ark] sound. Earl Sixteen as a young singer just couldn't sound better. So of all the records that I have, of all the 45's, I think I must have like eight thousand of my own by now, anytime I see any of the handful from KD I know that's where it started for me. You know and I went on to found an event called Coney Island Reggae On The Boardwalk, which is probably one of the largest, certainly in the United States, the largest allvinyl reggae sound system events, and it's known internationally. My foundation in this and where it started - this is just a through-line for me to an event that I started that now has an audience and recognition and everything. An add-on to the story is that I was going through the records the other day and I ran across another copy [of {quote}Cheating{quote}], because I have two copies and this is a different pressing.This is stamped 'VP records 170-03 Jamaica Avenue' and what this means is that this is one of the first records that VP pressed and distributed in the United States. So it's the same {quote}Cheating{quote} by Earl Sixteen, but this is the New York version.If you look at the matrix number it says VP Records on it, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of my bosses, Chris Chin actually mastered the record. So, you know, it kind of came full circle when I was going through and I found another copy of it. So yeah, that's what I have to say about that!”Earl Sixteen: “Cheating” - released 1978Coney Island Reggae - FacebookConey Island Reggae on the Boardwalk - TimeOut New York
  • “Like I was saying a few weeks ago Carter (Van Pelt) was doing a project for VP and interesting enough he asked me, he came across a 45 in his collection that had some inscription on the inside of the record and he was asking me about it, and I asked him to bring it in for me to look at. And when I saw it the handwriting that was mine, and then I started to go back to remember exactly how it happened and I give him the story and he found it interesting. I'd totally forgot about it really to be honest with you but when he brought it in it jogged my memory. It was 1979, I had relocated, I was living in New York from '77 but I would go back to Jamaica from time to time. I remember the time when I went back on this trip - at that time a lot of producers were coming up to me and asking me to master some records for them and to release them. AndI really didn't have any formal training as a mastering engineer, but I've always been into studios and always fascinated with them. So at that trip a friend of my dad's,his name was Bill Garnett, was there with me and he was familiar with the process and he kind of taught me on the trip. So, you know, it's a bunch of producers one of them being - he got famous after that - Henry Lawes, known as 'Junjo'. While I was in the store, around this time, he came over and obviously he had a quarter inch two-track tape and he asked me if I could put his records out for him. I didn't knowwho he was really. And you know - in some ways I kind of found him a little bit intimidating because he was kind of a bit .. you know ..look a bit on the rough side.But nevertheless I was kind of used to dealing a lot of different people so I said - 'alright cool'.And one of the records he brought me was a Barrington Levy record called {quote}A Yah We Deh.{quote} So this was probably maybe one of the first seven inch records that I had mastered.There were a bunch of other ones in the same time frame. There was another Barrington Levy, that 'Trinity' produced, I think I did at the same time. Barrington Levy went on to be a big artist, you know, a year or two after. And Junjo became a big producer. Ever since that time, this was the first record ... it was the first time I actually met him we kind of developed a bond and he went on to be a very very big producer in the early eighties, produced all the big Barrington Levy records, Yellowman records, Frankie Paul records, Michael Prophet, {quote}Gun Man,{quote} Wailing Souls, you know, so he had a really good run. And we maintained a good relationship throughout the years and he actually had, maybe in the mid eighties -early eighties had migrated to the US and, you know, we were here and we kind of fellout a bit since you know until he went back to Jamaica to restart his labeland at one point he went to England. And, you know, at that point sad to say he was killed, you know, and that's kind of my special vinyl record that meant something to me.”Chris Chin: VP Records, Jamaica, NY, 6th February 2019Barrington Levy: {quote}A Yah We Deh” - released 1979VP Records
  • “It's Bob Marley and the Wailers 'Kaya'. And it was the late 1970's and I had been working in the live music production and promotion business as a concert promoter for about a decade. I had worked with some very large named talents like Jethro Tull and Arrowsmith and Kiss and the like but I knew nothing of reggae music. And I started working at a nightclub called My Fathers Place for a gentleman named Eppy and he was famous for doing a Monday night reggae series. And one day he said to me 'Hey we're going to Jamaica in a couple of weeks we've got a live festival that we're promoting, here check this out'. And he gave me a copy of Kaya and he said go listen to this. And I listened to it and my head exploded from it. I couldn't believe how different it was from the music I was used to and yet it had the same basics from the blues that I always loved, the 1,4,5, kind of chord structure. And there was so much space in it, between the bass and the drums, there was so much openness in it that wasn't being filled that was so powerful. The lyrics were so amazing and the vocals were great and it just changed my life. I've worked in the reggae business ever since.”David Baram: Long Beach, NY, 10th February 2019Bob Marley and the Wailers: “Kaya” - released 1978
  • “I picked Johnny Osbourne “Truths And Rights” which is one of my favourite reggae albums of all time. And it's definitely in the second era of Studio One, which is the mid to late seventies sort of roots era which has a special place for me and was one of the these records from this era - the first Sugar Minott Record, this record, first Freddy McGreggor record - these were basically using these old Coxsone rhythms which are wonderfull rock steady rhythms and it's Coxsones way of keeping up to the time of the day when these were released. And what I love about this record is it's wonderfully soulful reggae, there's a huge, you know, sort of Chicago sixties soul influence in his singing and I love the fact that it repurposes these rhythms and makes them quote unquote conscious kind of tunes and political tunes. Taking these old love songs and flipping them lyrically and the lyrics are just they're marvellous and so heartfelt. And I'm trying to think about what else I can say about this record - it just has so much soul to me.I think that's a very important aspect of reggae, you know, that some people appreciate and some people care less about but for me it's really important. And I'm trying to think about what else I can think of with respect to this record. It's the second wave of Coxsone.Well every time I pick it up I want to play it ( laughs) well that's a good sign. And “Truth and Rights” is still an anthem.And Johnny is still about and he's often in New York and he often will just pick up a microphone at, you know, small gigs. And his voice is impeccable, you know, fourty years after this record, he keeps it in good shape. And so you can actually still hear him sing these songs - especially “Truth And Rights”. And everyone always goes crazy because it's as if you're hearing him in his prime because he's still got that prime voice it's still amazing. So it's an extra component he's part of New York reggae culture for sure.”Ian Clarke: Brooklyn, NY, 7th February 2019Johnny Osbourne: “Truths And Rights” - released 1979DigiKiller RecordsRecord City
  • {quote}“I picked up Jackie Mittoo “Black Onion.” I love his instrumentals as he got me interested in 60s reggae music. The instrumental always brings me happy and positive vibes along with the same nostalgic feeling as Japanese folk songs.”Keisuke Hirosaki: Record City, Brooklyn NY, 8th February 2019Jackie Mittoo: “Hokey Jokey” / “Black Onion” - released 1969
  • “Well actually Fred Locks is the artist, which is Fred - Locks, and I should think it's his first album when maybe I was like around - I could say about nine - ten years old, maybe. Well yeah it's Fred Locks is {quote}Black Star Liner{quote} and that album is like what I would call, I would call it Rasta La you know. It's one of the first albums that I really got inspiration from and knowledge of it like, you know, of Rasta and like them.Well I was born in Trinidad, right. I was born on the island of Trinidad San Fernando way down in the south and I grew up at that tender age - I left Trinidad when I was thirteen. At that time at that young age I used to be amongst some notorious Rastas, you know. As a youth you know you always want to be around the big man. The big man - the bad man, the big man. Know what I'm saying?So I would, in the night I would wait till they go into party and follow them, you know, cos most of time, most of the time we walk like for miles to the party. I would like wait on corner in the bushes and wait till they, you know, and follow them and then after when we get to the party - actually they would see me and like 'yo go home, go home boy'. And I would like - I would go hide and like wait and I would like follow them like still like a half a mile after them and when they reach the party then I would like show up again and they would be like ' but I told you to go home'. 'But I'm not going - I want to go party. ''But you have no money'.bYou have to jump over fences and stuff to get in those parties, yeah. But coming back to Fred Locks, as a little youth nine .. ten years old .. one of my elder sisters - Judy..she passed away from cancer a few years ago..she had a boyfriend who was a Rasta, yeah, and he had a sound system called House of Dread HiFi. Like you know cos I, a lot of people wouldn't understand I've been seeing this sound system thing from when I was a tender age even before I came to America, even before I went to Jamaica I've been experiencing and witnessing these things in Trinidad as a little youth, you understand me. And so my sister's boyfriend would bring over records and leave for her to play, yeah. Like you know Big Youth album with the red, gold and green teeth and you know -what is it called..Natty Dread yeah. And you know the Fred Locks and you know mostly in that time, growing up in that time, the most popular songs were like of Joe Gibbs label, in my time -growing up in Trinidad it was Joe Gibbs label. Those 12{quote} disco mixes were like the most popular music like, you know, the combinations with Dennis Brown and Prince Mohamed and like Culture and Nicodemus, you know stuff like - those 12{quote} disco mix. Mighty Diamonds, Like a River etc, and you know. Those kind of 12{quote} disco mixes with the singer and then the DJ like, you know. The singer and then Trinity after, you know. But then there was another side like a culture side,yeah, which I really took to cos I had the opportunity of playing the albums cos as I said my sister's boyfriend used to bring them over and leave. And when she goes to school, when I would come home from school ..I would try to get home from school as early as possible, right, cos my father had a thing - we called it gram.it's this long, t's like maybe a couple of feet long the speakers are on the front - you know what I'm talking about ..and in the middle you lift up the lid and there's a turntable down there in there with the knobs and stuff,yeah. So that's where I started from. I would pray for my father not to come home early from work and try to get home before my sister gets home so I could play those records and Fred Locks is one of them like, you know. I really love that record like to the maximum Blackstarliner .to this day, you know. I even left Trinidad with it as a little youth, like, the guy who owned it Hans gave it to me you know.And so yeah, and even coming to America -well actually I left Trinidad and migrated into the US Virgin Islands, yeah, and I came to New York where I got my diploma, yeah. And so when I came to New York I happened to me, like two blocks away from where I lived ..I came to New York in Brooklyn Sterling Street and Rochester my sister lived there and then next to that I woke up. William - would you believe, the next day I woke up I walked two blocks over to Utica Avenue and it was like my dream come true. Would you believe William who was standing on those corners..Sterling Place and Utica Avenue two blocks from my house - people who Ive been dreaming of seeing. I've been playing their records from when I was a little youth. Nicodemus, Louis Lepkie, Lee Van Cliff Cliff. Like these are like - agh!!what! And then every day they would, cos they have friends that would you know be on those corners from Jamaica ..those people from round that area they ..every artist that comes from Jamaica they know them all. They know the artist very well so all the artists come round here and check them, so I would be like yeah well that's the place to be. So I would be there every day, you know, started hanging out getting to know people then, you know, people getting to know me and I would just fall into it,know what I mean. Fred Locks was one of the first like main reggae albums that inspired me, that made me love reggae music. Not even Bob Marley at the time but it was Fred Locks yeah. So Big Up Fredlocks, yeah man. Even to this day.I need to add to it that after migrate you know to New York and happen to be working in a record shop, this reggae record shop, in Crown Heights Utica, Crown heights Brooklyn one block from ..between Utica and Scenectady It was called Rockers Forever. And I was very very very very good at selling records, you know, very very good at selling records and cassettes. Live dance hall cassettes and I would make custom cassettes for customers who come in and like ' I need these songs and these songs' and they would be like so satisfied and I was really into it from, even as I said from a little boy House of Dread HiFi when I was ten year old. I used to jump my fathers - when my father go to sleep at night open up the back door - jump over and I said go follow..you know - those guys and stuff. I would go far away to quite out of town - follow them on the truck with the sound ..they'd be like, you know 'Put that in the case and put that in the case and go put on this record and stuff', as a little boy. So you know it always stuck with me it was in my blood. Actually when I moved to the Virgin Islands I moved with a like a box of records, there was those same Joe Gibbs 12{quote} and stuff that I was telling you about. And those people in the Virgin Islands they didn't know anything about those music all they knew about was Bob Marley, Third World, Culture, you know the group Culture, stuff like that. Like cultural music and then I introduced, we call it rockers. In high school I used to make cassette tapes and stuff and it was the most popular cassette tape, it was like new music to them. And I came to America and as I said then, talking about Fred Locks now, so while moving to Crown Heights, working at the record store there was this guy who had a sound system called Addis HiFi, which you would know as Addis international now, Addis HiFi that's how it started. The owner of Addis HiFi used to come around to the record store and buy records every Saturday and then he used to just love how I sell records and how - you know. And one day he came and said 'Man do you want to join my team, you want to join my sound system, man you bad in the record store, like you bad ass in the record store. You want to join my sound system'? I was like whaaat! I'm like yeah ok. On Monday there's a holiday, there's the sound systems going to string up outside around the corner just come around and get yourself familiar. And I went around there ..that was it..that was history. And then I became part of Addis HiFi. And so I met the great Danny Dread the famous selector , Danny Dread from Volcano, Papa Roots, King Atarney. One of the original foundations selector of dancehall Danny Dread. And so he mentored me, right so, I grew up on that team. He mentored me and I develop that skill, right. Actually we started I used to be a DJ on the mic first with Supercat and Nicodemus and Tenor Saw and Chuck Turner and everyone who came to New York used came around there by Addis HiFi and practice every night, there was like a party every night. And so the sound became very famous. We started taking on ( class town clash) dates and so I became one of the baddist ass class selectors in the world over the two decades. You know you could look me up , Google me , you know LionFace aka Babyface formerly of King Addis. And so Dub plates. Just to close it off talking about Fred Locks again and so dubplates was a thing that I used to be like .. I lived for dubplates. I was the first one to voice like Billboard hip hop dub plates. I used to be like 'what can I do that the rest of sound systems not doing..what can - to take myself up to another level..like you know. So I used to study about dub plates like ten days a week - there's only seven days in a week ..I used to study about dubplates from morning to morning. I used to be searching for artists that never voiced a dubplate yet etc etc . I always used to be like 'who we haven't heard yet on a dub'. and that's how I always went that way and then I came across .... Gosh I've never voiced Freddy ...I was like Fred Locks ..gosh William ..Fred Locks my reggae hero he's never voiced a dub yet. And then he would happen to be in New York and I called him, I got a link with him and I called him like 'Fred Lock can you get ..' and he said yes. And we went to Long Island Philip Smart studio, Philip Smart has passed away, and he voiced the first two dubplates for ever in the world for Addis international and so we kept that relationship.Anytime I go to Jamaica I go visit him out in Harbout View where he lives, you know. Yeah so that's Fred Locks , you know. And also you know along with other artists too kind of inspire me and has played a part in my growing up and, you. Know, Steel Pulse. You know in high school like when I moved to the Virgin Islands as I said they only knew about culture not rub a dub music you know and so Steel Pulse was one of the main reggae bands that people in the Virgin Islands theyyouths they knew in the Vigin Islands along with Aswad. Aswad is Brinsley and Drummie and Gad and man I love those people William man like. Aswad it's like ..man I love ..man Aswad. David Hinds Steel Pulse you know. That's my high school growing up right there and that who played an important part I my reggae growing up and being. Right!”LionFace: Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY, 9th February 2019Fred Locks: {quote}Black Star Liner{quote} - released 1976The Real Lionface
  • “This is The Wailers on Tabernacle label singing {quote}Let the Lord be Seen in You{quote}, which is a 1920 gospel song. It's credited to the Freedom singers and it's a different label then the normal blue and white labels. This one is green and white.And it's an aspect of the Wailers that hasn't been spoken about too much, about the gospel stage which is about sixteen songs that they've done throughout their career. That's why I picked this one. Because the labels unusual and the provenance is unusual.{quote}WE: {quote}How did you come by it?{quote}{quote}I might have bought it in the hills of Jamaica when I bought a lot of records, yeah. I used to go buy them and risk my life (laughs) but it was fun!{quote}Lowell Taubman MD: Long Beach, NY, 10th February 2019The Wailers: “Let the Lord be Seen in You” - released 1965
  • “The record I’ve chosen is Bobby Sarkie’s “Why Keep Rasta Man Down”,as released on Young Tubby’s Records out of Brooklyn, New York in the early 1970s. What makes this record particularly interesting is the fact that it was produced by King Tubby’s brother Leslie “Stagga” Ruddock, who moved to Brooklyn from Jamaica in the 1960s and went on to build amplifiers for many New York sound systems in the early 1970s. While his brother is often credited with “inventing” dub, there is credible evidence that points to Leslie Ruddock as the originator of certain equipment and techniques that made dub music as we know it possible. As the story goes, Stagga shared these Brooklyn breakthroughs with King Tubby, who in turn brought them to a wider audience in Jamaica and then worldwide. The connection between Jamaica and New York has always been strong, and in the ‘70s it was in full-swing in the reggae world. This record is a great example of the unique New York sound being produced at that time by local producers such as Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes and Brad Osborne of Clocktower Records.I think it’s important to keep this legacy alive, and the selection goes over just as well with today’s basement session crowds as it did in the 1970s. While many people know of the tune and even more are familiar with the rhythm, the actual record is quite rare; I know of only one other person who has a copy. Give thanks to my musical partner Miss Gemini for mine!”John M. Schultz: Long Beach, New York 10th February 2019Bobby Sarkie {quote}Why Keep Rasta Man Down{quote} - released circa 1972
  • “I have chosen “Don't Stay Out Late.” It's one of my husband’s first hits and it was in 1964. And very special because of the time it came out it was a little after Independence. He also made “Independent Jamaica{quote} and quite a other few hits.So this one is very special because it was our good friend Lord Creator.And it was a positive song telling the young ladies 'don't stay out late'. The song is all about going out to a party but don't stay out late. Very positive and I liked it very much. I like the orchestration in it, I like the words and I like how it came out.”Patricia (Miss Pat) Chin: Jamaica, Queens, NY, 6th February 2019Lord Creator: “Don’t Stay Out Late” - released 1962 VP Records, Written & Produced, Randy Chin.VP Records
  • “This album is Dutty Rock by Sean Paul, which sold over four million copies. I mastered this album, and this is my recognition plaque for the work. It was a big record for VP, a Murray Elias project. It's known all over the world in reggae, and I'm really proud to have been a part of it.{quote}Paul Shields: Studio at VP Records Retail Shop, Jamaica, Queens NY, 6th February 2019Sean Paul: “Dutty Rock” - released 2002VP Records
  • {quote}So I've chosen this LP called {quote}Man from Wareika{quote} From Rico Rodriguez. And this LP I think has a lot of significance actually at multiple points in my life. And you know when I was a youngster ... when I was in Paris France so this is where I grew up right. You know I was a musician from a long time and I played violin since I was seven years old, played national conservatory actually and then when I was a teenager I got interested into jazz and I started playing trombone. And, you know, I started playing in jazz bands, funk bands, all kind of stuff and at the time I wasn't really into reggae quite yet you know. But someone introduced me to this record and the reason why this is very significant for me is because this is really a record that treads the line between jazz and reggae and he's a trombone player right. Rico Rodriguez is a trombone player so it really spoke to me because obviously as a jazz man and,you know, as a musically curious teenager, you know, I felt that this was an entire new world that really I had discovered through this record. So in a way this was my introduction to reggae.You know obviously I knew Bob Marley and Peter Tosh and all of those but those were like more of a you know part of my listening rotation but not so much as a deep interest. Andso when I listened to this record it was kind of really a whole new world for me, you know, because it was again you know instrumental and kind of the tromboners was leads whichis quite rare, you know, in any kind of music but it was really about like the trombone as the main, the shining kind of element of the sound. It's produced by Sly and Robbie who you know are obviously like giants of the Jamaican music industry so. The sound itself was kind of like the signature Sly and Robbie kind of sound and then, I don't know there's something about this record that really fascinated me and that's one of my first memorable reggae records one honest right. So I guess like fast forward maybe seven years, eight years from there from that time, from when I first got introduced to this record. And by the way at that time it wasn't in LP format, I got it in CD or cassette. It was late 90's ..I don't remember what was the .... mini disc! (Laughs) And then what was really funny is that I found this record as an LP so this is the one that you see now. In the one dollar bin at goodwill in college in Seattle Washington. So I was in college probably like 21.. 22 .. and at that time I was - I had kind of given up on playing music just because I was just .. I guess I made the choice of not continuing a like an actual musician career, right, and getting more into kind of like my .. the real world. (Laughs).And I saw this record literally in the one dollar bin, for those who know this is like a hundred dollar collectable. This is actually the Blue Notes ratio, very rare records basicallyright, found in like a one dollar bin. And I did have a record player at the time and I just saw it and it brought back these memories and I just had to have it. It was a dollar so itwas kind of like ok you know why not. So I bought it and this is the first vinyl in my collection basically you know. And at that time that's kind of when I reconnected with reggae and started becoming more involved as a DJ, as an event organiser. And, in a way, looking at the last five years of running my own record label and being involved in the, you know, part of the community here in New York, part of I guess the contemporary reggae and sound system culture for me like tracing it back you find this record, you know. And the moment when I found it at goodwill was really the beginning of what I'm doing today, you know. So yeah this is it, this is my kind of story around {quote}Man from Wareika{quote}. Beautiful record, you know, every track on their is like they're just lovely. Beautiful production, beautiful cover as well you know. Kind of like Ethiopian orthodox drawings you know. Yeah everything about this record is just like .. its very special to me.{quote}Quoc Pham: Brooklyn, NY, 7th February 2019Rico Rodriguez: {quote}Man from Wareika” - released 1977Dub-Stuy
  • Randy Chin: President VP RecordsFrankie Paul: “Hot Number” - released 1992{quote}The reason this particular album is special to me is that I actually happen to be the photographer on this album. I took both the cover shot and also the shot on the back of the album.The album is Frankie Paul Hot Number. And the big song off of the album was {quote}Kushumpeng.{quote} And I guess my focus really is the photography, but I remember the time that I took the picture - this was actually at the VP retail store on Jamaica Avenue and I took the picture in the parking lot because I know Chris, my brother, wanted to do this album and he needed some pictures of Frankie Paul. I happened to be there with my Canon camera.. I don't remember, an F1 or whatever the name of the camera was .. but I happened to be there and I just, you know, got a hold of Frankie, and we just went into the parking lot and I took a couple of shots, then lo and behold they ended up on the cover - incredible!{quote}Randy Chin: VP Records, Jamaica, Queens, NY, 6th February 2019Frankie Paul: “Hot Number” - released 1962VP Records
  • {quote}The tune {quote}Reggae Beat{quote} by The Pioneers holds a special place in my heart because it is one of the first tunes I bought over 20 years ago. I have played it at events in Jamaica, Europe, South America and around the US, but most frequently, I have played this lovely tune at my own vintage Jamaican party in NYC, Reggae A Go-Go, which I have hosted in for the past 15 years. Two of the group's singers, George & Jackie, are dear friends of mine and I have had the pleasure of playing this tune at their live performances in London and Mexico City. I am proud to be one of a handful of women (and perhaps the only Palestinian American woman) who collect original press Jamaican and UK 45s from the 1960s and early 1970s. Original pressings are special to me because there is often a beautiful history behind who owned the tune before and which sound systems they were played on in Jamaica or the UK. In addition to these Jamaican treasures, I collect vintage furniture and dresses.The Pioneers and other early Jamaican artists often depict how they faced sociopolitical struggles and oppression in their lyrics. Their ability to persevere and create music despite these hardships is admirable. I often find myself turning to their music for solace and inspiration when I experience racism firsthand or when I witness Palestinians experience oppression in the occupied territories. This tune is an example of the joy that Jamaican music brings and how the reggae beat uplifts one’s heart & soul.”Rania Kanazi: Long Beach, NY, 10th February 2019The Pioneers: {quote}Reggae Beat” - released 1968Miss Gemini Selector
  • “So I've chosen a Popcaan - well Popcaan’s “Where We Come From.” I like this album it's special for me because I really think it represents today's dance hall and reggae scene. I think Popcorn, I followed his career since he was in the Empire Crew with Vybz Kartel. He's grown a lot. One of the things I like about the title “Where We Come From”, and I've had a chance to like see Popcaan, grow with him, interview him, talk to him on many occasions when he was doing a release for this album he took me with him to one of his stage shows in Ocho Rios so we traveled together. I went on stage with him, so I was able to feel the vibe that the audience really feels for him. Coming back to the title I remember asking him why did he pick “Where We Come From” and not “Where I Come From” and you know his answer was pretty much that, you know, he's not just talking about himself and a lot of his records are not just about him. He really is talking about, you know, a lot of people who come from his community and as a whole. I think that's a big reason why a lot of dancehall artists are such stars and so admired because it's this thing that happens where you become such a community and you grow with the person that is growing from your community. So it's kind of, it's nice.It's fun, emotional, entertaining and he's also, I think Popcaan has a great vocal. I think he is able to DJ well which you know, in the West we say rapping and he can sing. Anytime he jumps on a record he can pretty much outdo I think the otherperson (laughs). This record was his first album so I think it was special and you can really feel his energy on the album. I really also like UIM and Anju Blaxx from UIM also produced, I think, two of the tracks on this and I felt those were one of the best tracks on this album. So that's why I picked this one today.”Good Records, New York City, 9th February 2019Popcaan: “Where We Come From” - released 2014Reshma B
  • “Well I chose the album Ini Kimoze which was the artist debut album. He's become quite an important artist over time but this was his first project on Taxi records so it was produced by Sly and Robbie, some of their finest rhythm tracks. And when it first came out I remember buying the record when I was a college student in Chicago spending all my book money on vinyl and I fell in love with the record right away. One of the tracks, well there were two in particular that were quite awesome. First was called “Trouble You A Trouble Me”, which is just a very powerful account of reality in the ghetto and, you know, some of the life that Ini Kinoze as a young Rasta was trying to kind of move away from. In addition there's a record on here called “World-A-Music”, that song was sampled on a record called Welcome to Jamrock by Junior Gong, which became really an anthem in years later in the streets of New York and really all around the world, in Jamaica and elsewhere. And Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise has now become one of the most important forums for live music around the world. And as the publisher of Boomshot media I've actually had the opportunity to work with Damian and the Jamrock team, we're media partners on the cruise we publish a zine every year. On the same boat is (?)So it's been quite an important part of our appreciation of reggae music, you know, that song and what Welcome to Jamrock represents. It means a lot to me and it would not exist without this original recording of Ini Kimoze World of Reggae music. So I was very happy to lay hands on this piece of vinyl for our shoot today and I just want to say Big up Ini Kimoze, Sly and Robbie and of course Junior Gong and the whole Jamrock family.”Rob Kenner: Good Records, New York City, 9th February 2019Ini Kamoze: “Sly & Robbie Presents Ini Kamoze” - released 1984Boomshotshttp://www.boomshots.com/
  • “So, the 45 I have with me that is special to me is a Coxsone Studio One 45 of “Always Together” by Bob Andy and Marcia Griffiths and the flip side, the one that I love most on this, is “Baby Face” by the Sound Dimension group. And the reasonwhy it's so special is cos I love, I've always loved, Marcia Griffiths and Bob Andys pairing on this particular track and they just sound so beautiful and just as one. I don't know if that sounds kind of cheesy but (laughs). But it's just an absolutely lovely song, just everything that you'd want in a .. not just a reggae tune but just in any good song in general and their heartfeltness, for lack of a better word, just shines through beautifully on this production.And I love Baby Face because the riff is based on the sixties garage song “Black is Black”.And it's just a very uptempo - I don't hear it often but whenever I hear it always .. my ears always perk up! And that is why this record Always Together by Marcia Griffiths and Bob Andy and Baby Face by Sound Dimension is very special to me.”Selam Samuel: Record City, Brooklyn NY, 7th February 2019Bob & Marcia / Sound Dimension- “Always Together” / “Baby Face” - released 1969 (approx.)
  • JAM-INTRO-PAGE
  • William. {quote}I know you have lots of albums that you love, I wonder if there's just one that comes to mind at the moment please.{quote}Bongo Herman - {quote}Well, {quote}Redemption Song {quote}for me. That's a question I'm asked several times. Sharing the Bob Marley song. I love, I love all of them. For every one that Bob do have a meaning in the world, to people's soul. So, for me as a musician who been around with him and played with him I never chose none of those - there is no one is a better one.For Bob is a man when him rehearse him song then before him go in the studio and if he don't like when we rehearse them him go back in studio and rerecord it over. So for me, I ask that question several times, and this is the answer I gave; I love ALL of Bob Marley’s songs. I love Dennis Brown's songs, I love Gregory Isaac songs - and not because I tour with Dennis Brown, I toured with Gregory Isaac as Roots Radics percussionist, yeah!! That is my opinion you know.”Bongo Herman: The University of The West Indies, Mona Campus, Kingston, Jamaica, 16th February 2019.Bongo HermanBob MarleyDennis BrownGregory Isaacs
  • “We’re at Randy’s Records Museum 17 North Parade, Downtown Kingston Jamaica. This is a Max Romeo {quote}Free At Last{quote}. This was used in the politics of Jamaica back in the seventies. So I like this, you know. {quote}Free At Last, Free At Last - Jamaicans are free at last. Michael Mann used to use it back in the days to run elections and things.{quote}Carl Lauder: Studio 17 Musueum, 17 North Parade, Downtown Kingston, Jamaica, 18th February 2019Max Romeo - Freedom Group: {quote}Free At Last{quote} released 1973
  • “Well first and foremost, you know, the person, the artist that is on this album is a school mate of mine from Kingston college. We went to school back in the early seventies and his name is Agustus Pablo - well his real name is Horace Swaby aka Agustus Pablo.And it so happens that one evening after school coming down to 17 North Parade - as you know my usual schedule instead of going home, I’d come down to the store Randy’s and it so happened that there was a session going on upstairs.So, you know, I took Horace upstairs and he was actually in the hallway while the session was going on and he fell in love with the riddim, you know, the track that was done. And so happens that I got a dub plate run off for him, took it home did some working out on his piano and stuff, cos you know he’s a keyboard player, and the following day he came back and said “I’m ready to lay the track .. my melody.” And he brought this plastic wind instrument.. it was not a usual instrument that we used to record during the recording time at Randy’s. It was a wind instrument called melodica, you know, students use it to practise music and so forth at school.So he took it out and started running the track and it so happens that you know the track became the number one hit for 1972, you know, voted number one instrumental and from there, you know, history was being made.So my step mother Miss Pat commissioned an album to be done and this album that I’m holding here - ‘This is Agustus Pablo’.It’s his debut album the first album he recorded for an individual, produced (by) myself. So it’s very personal to me and this is why I chose this album - my debut album - “This is Agustus Pablo”.It also featured on it things like “Pablo in Dub”. “Jah Rock{quote}, “Too Late{quote}, “Skateland Rock”, you know, just to name a few.So it’s very personal to me really and know that Pablo has passed on but his son has now picked up the flag and is running with it you know Addis and you know it’s such a stepping stage also for the movement called Rockers, you know, and Dub.The first innovation of Dub music with myself and Errol Thomson we did this album called “Java Java Dub*” back in 73 you know so this is very special. It’s still selling on the markets, not probably physical but digital sales and downloads you know streaming and so forth. So it’s very special really.”Clive Chin: Studio 17 Musuem, 17 North Parade, Downtown Kingston, Jamaica, 18th February 2019Agustus Pablo: “This Is Agustus Pablo” - released 1974* “Java Java Dub”
  • “Yes, I've chosen Dennis Brown's and friends {quote}Tracks Of Life.{quote} and the reason why it's so close to my heart is because that album has my son and my grandson included on it. They sing and they DJ with Dennis Brown so it's very close to me, you know. I did it (the album) myself, I did the mixing and everything. The voicing and everything, I did everything. I have engineers, assistant engineers but I actually did the mixing.King Jammy: Waterhouse, Kingston, Jamaica, 16th February 2019King Jammy Presents: {quote}Dennis Brown -Tracks Of Life{quote} released 2018King Jammy
  • “First of all blessed love and greetings William. Greetings to all the ones who are tuned in here and now and that will be tuning in later on. I am Sister Carol the original Roots Star out of Kingston Jamaica, yeah.And I brought here with me today my second album entitled “Black Cinderella” on the Jah Life record label.And this record means a lot to me because not only the song - my very first single that debuted me to the world, it's also the name of the album and it's also personifies who Sister Carol really is as a “Black Cinderalla,” The Goddess within this time, You know, and like I said its my record label 'Black Cinderella', my clothing line “Black Cinderella”, my production company “Black Cinderella” and I also have a sound system that I'm now playing called Cinderblack.This record it means a lot to me, you know, and I brought it here today to be a part of the One LP vibration because not only it’s a classic but it's really a true collectors item. And something that I'm really proud of and this was thirty five years ago and thirty five years later we can still look on it and say wow the work still stand up strong’, fresh, vibrant, full of message, full of vibes, same energy that transcend from that time to this time. So I give thanks, yeah - Black Cinderella.”Sister Carol: Orcho Rio, Jamaica, 18th February 2019Sister Carol
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