Robert Nesta Marley or simply Bob Marley in pop-culture is one of the legends of the reggae world. He’s known for his “No Woman No Cry”, “Buffalo Soldier”, and “One Love”. Raised in Jamaica, he incorporated his beliefs in his songs – from political, cultural, and religious views. This probably touched a lot of listeners around the world that made him so popular even today. One of the most talked about songs of the reggae legend is “Duppy Conqueror” – probably one of his weirdest songs ever. The thing is, it was not Bob Marley who wrote this intriguing song but his colleague Lee “Scratch” Perry. Before we talk about how Lee Perry came up with this song, let us figure out what a “duppy” or a “duppy conqueror” is. Duppy in Jamaican CultureEven...

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Desmond Dacres was born on July 16, 1943 to a musical family in Kingston with his brother on the Pioneer while his sister Pauline sang with Derrick Morgan on “You Never Miss Your Water.” Though Desmond sang in church, singing was not his main course in his younger years. He worked as a welder after his parents died while he was young. His workmates encouraged him to go back to singing. He hit off with big producers Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid in 1961, but with no success. He tried next with Leslie Kong where he clicked and was renamed Dekker for recording.  Just before that, Leslie Kong had great success with Morgan and the Beverly’s label. Morgan then turned to be Dekker’s mentor and tried to look for the right songs for him. “I ’ave...

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Winston Hubert McIntosh a.k.a “Peter Tosh” was born in Jamaica in October 1944. Tosh’s conviction is shown in his music with the straightforward lyrics and fiery stage sermons. He received severe beatings at the hands of the police, but he never retreated.  Ironically, he gained one of his solo successes in Joe Higg’s anthem for vertically challenged rude boys, “Stepping Razor.” It was a Wailing Wailer’s recording, and in one of its first solo, “I’m The Toughest,” Tosh used a customized guitar that looks like an M-16 rifle. In the early 1970s, after the original Wailers broke up, Tosh signed with Columbia Records and released his best album of career, Legalize It. The pro-ganja title track was banned in Jamaica. However, the song was widely...

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Have you ever been to a casino? The music that they play in casinos is meant to make you feel bold, adventurous, and willing to gamble. The bright, flashing lights, high ceilings, and sexy wait staff embody the power and money that casinos everywhere embody. But high stakes gambling does not have to be too uptight, does it? Black Jack, for instance, is commonly played by men who want to spend their Saturday nights relaxing with friends, drinking the occasional beer, exchanging stories, and trying to relax. In this case, reggae seems to be a fitting theme, given its naturally relaxed vibe. If you want your own version of Black Jack Reggae Saturdays, invite your friends over after dinner. Prepare finger food, a few...

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Child prodigy of Jamaican music and Bob Marley's chosen successor At nine, Dennis Brown started to played in West Kingston charity balls in the mid-60’s with Byron Lee’s Dragonaires. The band’s leader later made him a full-fledged member. The Falcons noticed him because of his association with Lee. They hired him as vocalist. He was again noticed, this time its Studio One impresario Coxsone Dodd, in a casual gig at the Tit-for-Tat club. In 1969, Dodd produced him the Van Dykes’ soul hit “No Man Is An Island” and the album of the same name. Brown was then 11. Brown has the perfect timing as 1970s approached Jamaica with political injustices and Rastafarianism were transforming the music into a cultural force. Legendary Niney the Observer produced...

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While growing up, life wasn’t that good for Alpha Blondy. He was a citizen of the Ivory Coast and as such have gone through hardships and struggles. He was a rebel for most of his life. It was this root that made him attractive in the international audience in his release of the album Jah Glory in 1985. Blondy believed reggae music as a spiritual celebration and as a tool for human liberation. His songs were a balance of outcries for justice and and more subtle and gentle homilies and touch of love songs. He was inspired for most by Bob Marley’s style of music during his youth. He went to the States in 1976, where he soon made friends within the Jamaican community in New York City. He grabbed every chance and sang Marley’s songs around New...

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Buju Banton was born Mark Anthony Myrie, a.k.a. Gargamel in 1973 in Jamaica. At 19. He was already named the most popular artist in Jamaica. He broke Bob Marley’s record for the most number one singles in a year. Most of them are from his outstanding 1993 debut, Mr. Mention. His “Love Me Browning” was controversial as the song was celebrating light-skinned women. He quickly answered it with the followup hit, “Love Black Woman.” He also helped start a major dance craze with “Bogle.” More from Banton’s first hits were rather controversial. By far, his biggest and most controversial hit was an old track “Boom Bye Bye.” As it was greatly on air in some of America’s largest markets, the New York Post put a translation of the lyrics on its front...

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HELP SAVE LIVESLET US SUPPORT THIS CAUSE HOW TO HELPShare this PAGE on Facebook and Twitter.DONATE DOWNLOAD High Tide or Low Tide at iTunes. Sales will go directly to the Save The Children's East Africa Appea...

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Beres Hammond merited an outstanding place in Jamaica’s music industry despite the island being overpopulated with good song makers. It wasn’t luck but his persistent vocalizing, superb songwriting skills, and wonderful production that made him where he is now. Beresford Hammond was born in 1955 in the island’s garden parish of St. Mary. He was a constant hit maker for more than two decades on his native island.  He began traveling from the rural one-street town of Annotto Bay to Jamaica’s busy capital city of Kingston at the age of eleven to observe singers who normally goes to the downtown record shops. Hammond joined the Jamaican fusion band Zap Pow in 1975 as lead singer. He stayed with the group for four years, at the same time,...

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Beenie Man was widely known for his throaty chuckles and “Zagga zow!” catch phrase. He was born Moses Davis in 1973. He was named Beenie Man as a toddler because he was “a little boy with a man’s brain.” Living in Kingston, he was exposed to some of Jamaica’s greatest sound systems at an early age. At the age of eight, Beenie was a certified recording star himself with the single “Too Fancy.” He then released his first album when he was 10. But he didn’t stop to just being a child star. By the mid-’90s, he was drawing together awards as DJ of the Year. He signed with Island to record the Rastafarian-influenced Blessed. This made him internationally famous with his featured hard-hitting smash “Slam.” He was even given a doctorate (“of all lyrics”)...

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Augustus Pablo was born Horace Swaby in 1954 in Jamaica. As teenagers, he and his brother established the Rockers sound system in Havendale. They often meet at a local record store, Aquarius, run by noted producer Herman Chin-Loy. In During a normal day in 1971, fortunately, he happened to stumbled upon a melodica — a part recorder, part keyboard instrument made from cheap plastic. Chin-Loy decided to take Swaby into his studio and had “East Of The River Nile,” recorded among other titles. Chin-Loy, then used the name Augustus Pablo for Swaby. He had already been using the mysterious name Augustus Pablo as an imaginary figure often credited on his Aquarius productions. It was in the mid-’70s, that Pablo carefully and intensely sorted through...

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Black Uhuru is an evolving group originally began as a trio founded by Derrick “Duckie” Simpson, Rudolph “Garth” Dennis and Euvin Spencer (a.k.a. Don Carlos). Black Uhuru got its name from the Swahili word for freedom (ergo, “Black Freedom”). After releasing a couple of singles such as “Time Is On Our Side,” Dennis and Spencer were replaced by Errol Nelson and Michael Rose. They were first reggae act to win a Grammy Award. They did a cover of Bob Marley’s “Sun Is Shining” on Channel One’s Hitbound label. Just before that, they recorded the album Love Crisis (later remixed and reissued by Greensleeves as Black Sounds Of Freedom) produced by Prince Jammy. Around this time, the attractive, American-born Sandra “Puma” Jones took the place...

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Luciano was born Jepther McClymont in 1974 in Davey Town. He started singing in church before moving to Kingston. From there, he made series of recordings for a number of producers and indie labels. The break came when he teamed with Burrell in 1993. They started with a handful of singles and then with a series of fine albums. Luciano’s work appeared on labels such as Island, VP, Ras, Shanachie, Jet Star and Burrell’s own Xterminator. Reggae became less fashionable in the early 1990s. Ironically, Luciano surfaced as Jamaica’s next big thing. It wasn’t because he introduced new styles and trends, but rather he unraveled the classic roots reggae. It reminded the people that saying something still meant something. However, he wasn’t a revivalist,...

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