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 Culture

Even before Jamaica was known for their music, this country is so rich; culturally and spiritually. The Jamaicans live in two separate worlds – the modern and spiritual world. While they sit back and relax listening to the radio, they are somehow concerned about spirits and anything supernatural. Although Jamaicans nowadays have diverse religious affiliations, most of them still believe in their Jamaican folklores. It might be because it’s already engraved in the roots of their cultural awareness, or preserved in a modern way. Either way, it’s an interesting topic that intrigues the world most of the time.

Identifying the origin of the term “duppy” is quite difficult since it has been used by Africans for a long time. In the study of African language, this term has two meanings – a spirit or a child, which depends on a group or region. In Jamaica, the term revolves around the cultural spirit lore that might be a soul of a dead person that can be human in form, a supernatural being that’s associated with the dead, or soul of a dead person that manifests in different types of animals or beasts. Jamaicans believe in the concept of multiple souls, where a human being is composed of two different souls – the good (one that reaches the heavens), and the “duppy” (one that can get away from the coffin and form into different shapes). 

Lee “Scratch” Perry and the Duppy Conqueror

Now we know something about the term “duppy”, we can already incorporate it to Bob Marley’s song – “Duppy Conqueror”. It’s not really surprising for Bob Marley to perform this song since he’s also known for his Rastafarian movement – the roots of reggae music. The question is: how did he come up with this song?

Bob Marley once said that he had an evil spirit that haunted him most of the time. This spirit or “duppy” (that actually came from his own body), will always try to defeat you as a person. They will enter a dream – which is actually considered bad luck in Jamaica. Bob Marley added that the spirit who that haunted him stopped because he was able to conquer it – this might be the origin of the title “Duppy Conqueror”. This supports the story about Lee “Scratch” Perry into composing this song because Bob Marley was so tired about his profession. Lee knew that it was an evil spirit but Bob was able to conquer.

The Modern Day Term

The term “duppy” has passed through time and still used nowadays as a slang term for being attacked or killed. You can say, “He got duppyed” if you want to say something about a man getting killed from a gang fight or accident. It can also be used as a derogatory term for white people since it came from an African culture. Sometimes, it is used as a slang term for a ghost you see in TV shows or movies – although most of the time, it’s incorporated with something supernatural in the modern world.

As for the song “Duppy Conqueror”, it still reached the four corners of the world and revived into a different beat of reggae music. The reggae band “The Wailers” – which once been lead by the reggae legend, “The Gladiators”, and other popular bands have kept this song alive and possibly be one of the immortal songs of BoB Marley. If you’re haven’t hear about this song, it’s really great to listen to in a hot summer weekend getaway with your friends!

Read more »

1 comment

Tags: Bob Marley, Duppy Conqueror, Reggae Legends

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 Desmond Dekker in a Beverley’s fi two years straight before ’im sing a tune,” Morgan recalled. “Me an’ the man eat, we cook together, everything, but ’im never ’ave no tune.”

“Honour Your Father And Your Mother” was released in 1963. That first series of songs made Dekker labeled as the good boy in contrast to the “rude boys” coming form Jamaica. All songs were a hit. He also tried a Rasta piece with “Mount Zion”

Rocksteady surfaced in 1966 where Dekker found his place. The release of “007 (Shanty Town)” was an instant hit, which also linked the rhythm of James Bond, with Aces on the back up. This turned Dekker’s image from the respectful man to the rudest of rude. First tour in Britain followed after the album hit number 12 in the country.

Before Bob Marley took reggae into a new level in the international industry, Dekker Dekker long before brought the musc into global sound. His hits “Israelites,” “A It Mek” and “007 (Shanty Town),” paved the world to the sound of Jamaica.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: Desmond Dekker, Reggae Legends

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 known elsewhere and brought wide attention to Tosh. Before moving to the U.S., Tosh recorded one more album for Columbia, the powerful Equal Rights.

In the U.S., he signed with the Rolling Stones’ custom label. Bush Doctor, released in 1978, featured Tosh’s duet with Mick Jagger on the Temptations’ old Motown song “(You Got To Walk And) Don’t Look Back.” Mystic Man then followed, with it as the last for Rolling Stones Records.

Tosh teamed with EMI America with the release of Wanted Dread & Alive in 1981 and Mama Africa. It was his highest charting album in the U.S. (it included his hit cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”), two years later. Lastly, Captured Live (1984) was his last album to demonstrate good potential in the States.

Peter Tosh exhibits his revolutionary attitude in his music. He even used words (“politricks,” “bureaucraps,” “shitstem”) as an attack in his unending struggle. It was this thought-provoking lyrics and aggressive view that made his soulful baritone very influential. Tosh gave a provocative performance at Jamaica’s 1978 One Love Peace Concert. He deliberately aimed the politicians and policemen at the venue.

As a protest to his record company’s distribution agreement with South Africa, Tosh gave up recording for a few years. 

On September 11th, 1987, just after the release of No Nuclear War, three gunmen (one of whom he knew) got into his house demanding money. Getting nothing, they fired to at Tosh and two of his friends leading to their death. He died at 42.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: Peter Tosh, Reggae Legends

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 decks of cards, drinks, a table, and chairs. To familiarize yourself with the card game, check this cool site Then, set up your sound system for two hours or so of reggae music.

Perhaps black jack and reggae have one thing in common: so very few people appreciate it, but those who do get hooked. Black jack, although a gambling game, is actually a strategy game. Reggae, although very laid back, borrows its roots from rhythm and blues, which has quite a serious and a poignant origin. They are both an oxymoron in their own right, serving to contradict themselves.

One thing is for sure: when you play Black Jack with Bob Marley or Toots & the Maytals playing in the background, all bets are off. 

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: black jack, Reggae

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 Brown’s 1973 “Westbound Train,” which borrowed is from Al Green. His lyrics gradually developed into message-oriented songs. Niney’s productions were harsh – with the intensity given on “Africa” and “Tribulation.” Towards the end of 70s, big hit for producer Joe Gibbs, “Money In My Pocket,” moved Brown to major label A&M in 1980.

Brown remained a mainstream artiest amidst the overwhelming fright of politics and deeper excursions with Niney. His link with a U.S. label brought him international recognition. He then moved to London where he continued to record and produced. In 1982, with the help of Gibbs, his album “Love Has Found Its Way” made him topped the U.S. R&B charts, a success rarely achieved in reggae. In the end of the 80s, he returned to Jamaica where his market now turned to the youngsters. He sang with Gregory Isaacs and continued to travel around the world.

He faced a problem with cocaine along with his stardom, which he repetitively denied. In 1999, after a tour in Brazil, he whined about chills and fatigue as he flew back home. He died days after that. There were many possibilities – AIDS, pneumonia, the wears and tears of addiction; no one was and would ever be certain because there was no autopsy. A safe estimate of 100 albums was overwhelming as was how his death came unexpectedly. He played so much music in only 42 years of his life.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: Dennis Brown, Reggae Legends

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 York, performing in small clubs. He later made a name of himself for his self-composed reggae tunes, written in his peculiar French-inflected English. A rising Jamaican producer Clive Hunt pushed Blondy to write songs in his native tongue, Dioula, and in Ivory Coast Creole. The language, and Alpha’s very distinctive, quavering vocals, gave his songs the unmistakable accent of West Africa.

After returning home to Abidjan, he was sent to a notorious mental hospital following a dispute with a police officer. It was after he’s freed that he and won a national talent show that gave him the opportunity to record.
Blondy is esteemed as an astute, biting political commentator in today’s Ivory Coast. He never had second thought about speaking his mind. Some of his songs were banned in because of its aim on the recent political turmoil in the Ivory Cost. 

“When you make a sword, you dip it many times in a liquid to make it hard. The Creator is dipping us again and again to make us stronger. Even though I complain, I’m not sad. I say, ‘Why me? Why not me?’ You have to accept he bad things in order to appreciate the good.” That’s Blondy, not taking a step back.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: alpha blondy, Reggae Legends

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 page which tackles mainly about anti-homosexuality. Instead of killing his career, it rather became the momentum for Banton’s conversion into one of dancehall’s top conscious artists. “Willy (Don’t Be Silly)” was a pro-condom-use single from which all proceeds were donated to Operation Willy, supporting children affected by the HIV virus or AIDS.  

’Til Shiloh came out in 1995 and was ranked as one of the greatest reggae albums ever. He brought the worlds of hardcore dancehall and conscious reggae by incorporating more singing into his performance. It was enhanced with edgy, bass-pumping tracks like “Champion” and the anti-gun-violence “Murderer” standing next to rootsy, acoustic cuts like “Untold Stories” and “’Til I’m Laid To Rest.” Doubts about his singing ability were silenced when he held his own with Morgan Heritage’s Gramps on “23rd Psalm,” the most solemn reggae hit since Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”

It has been his trademark – singing in duets. These singles contrast loud melody with sweet touches of Beres Hammond and Wayne Wonder. The two-CD set Buju & Friends collects most of these. There were also hardcore DJ duets with Beenie Man, Bounty Killer and Red Rat, plus a remake of “54-46 That’s My Number” with Toots Hibbert and a “digital duet” with the late Tenor Saw on “Ring The Alarm.” 

He faced some problems with major labels and misguided attempts, but Buju Banton is still standing strong, and his name will forever be a legacy of reggae music.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: buju banton, jamaican, Reggae Legends

HELP SAVE LIVES

LET US SUPPORT THIS CAUSE

HOW TO HELP

Share 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 Appeal

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: Bob Marley, cause, HELP

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, released his solo records. Soul Reggae (Aquarius Records, 1976), his debut solo album, sold well throughout Jamaica.

In the early 80s, Hammond decided to create his own record production, Harmony House. Jamaica’s music industry was chaotic then and there have been frustrations in releasing hit records without proper monetary compensation. This led him to form his label. 

Since the release of his first single with Harmony House, “Groovy Little Thing,” was released in 1985, Since then Hammond continuously made hit records on the reggae charts worldwide. 

He entered the pop charts in England with his 1987 hit “What One Dance Can Do,” which was recorded for producer Willie Lindo. It stimulated more records including Hammond’s own “She Loves Me Now.” Both tunes steadily founded Hammond’s name on the dancehall reggae track. 

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: Beres Hammond, Reggae Legends

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”) from the University of the West Indies’ music department.

He use Maestro (VP) as an opportunity to show off his Doctor status. With the party atmosphere of the album’s big hit “Girls Dem Sugar”, it was toned down by several cultural songs. He maintained that with the album he considers his best, Many Moods Of Moses (VP), featuring the rootsy “Steve Biko” (complete with an intro based on Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”), the country song “Ain’t Gonna Figure It Yet” and “Who Am I” (“Zim zimma, who got the keys to my Bimma?”).

 

Beenie continued searching for genre (gospel, R&B, hip-hop) on The Doctor (VP). He brought this enthusiasm with himas he signed with Virgin. Producer Salaam Remi, producer of Art & Life brought back the hip-hop beat of “O.P.P.” on the Wyclef Jean collaboration “Love Me Now.” R&B singer Mya softened up “Gals Dem Sugar.” “I Got A Date” adapts the Staple Singers’ staple “I’ll Take You There” while “Tumble” features trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.  “Haters And Fools” along with Dave Kelly’s eerie “Bug” rhythm is the only track that’ll satisfy dancehall conservatives. This pop-music hodgepodge won Beenie the Grammy he long deserved.

The Tropical Storm  lead-off single “Feel It Boy” featured Janet Jackson brought  a near-death Hummer rollover that put the Doctor in the hospital with serious injuries. With his return was the release of his comeback album titled Back To Basics, marked a return to the hardcore dancehall.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: beenie man, jamaican, Reggae Legends

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 his works. It was a huge blast for Jamaica. His productions were sharp and his melodic sense was unusual. He usually turned to vocalists such as Hugh Mundell and Junior Delgado, making use of King Tubby’s studio for the making of his “versions.”

Their collaboration brought The 1976 LP King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown and was renowned as its most successful result. Although it was Pablo’s production and his keyboard was used to work through it, it was Errol T. (Thompson) and Tubby’s mix helped made the album dub’s defining moment. Styles were enhanced. Vocals were made to jump out for single echoed words before fading into the background or disappearing altogether, while reverb and odd phasing pull instruments in and out of the mix at unlikely moments, giving the bass the lead.

In 1978, Pablo produced his first instrumental set East Of The River Nile. It was also recognized as the manifestation of the “Middle Eastern” overtones he’d explored with Chin-Loy.

Pablo still continued solid on records way into the 90s but it was in the 70s that was considered as Pablo’s classic period.

He died in 1999 of cancer and a rare nerve disease. He was also diabetic and sought treatment from Rasta healers rather than doctors.

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: augustus pablo, Reggae Legends

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 of Nelson and eventually a spark was lighted. They won international acclaim with the haunting hits “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” “Abortion,” “Plastic Smile,” “Shine Eye Gal” and “General Penitentiary” recorded for Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare’s Taxi label. These singles were gathered, in extended versions, on 1979’s Showcase. They were latered reissued on CD by Heartbeat under the title Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.

The group then signed on with the Island-distributed label Mango. Their first Mango album, Sinsemilla, established their heavy-hitting, aggresive tone which continued on Red. It featured the driving title track, “Happiness” and “World Is Africa.” It was written by Rose and produced by Sly and Robbie. With the rootsy classics “Youth Of Eglington,” “Utterance,” “Rockstone,” “Sistren” and “Sponji Reggae,” Red is a near-perfect album.

Black Uhuru took a more electronic crossover direction when Sly and Robbie brought in keyboardist Wally Badarou with Chill Out and the Grammy-winning Anthem. Unfortunately, it marked the end of Michael Rose’s tenure with the band. Anthem was remixed for its U.S. release. Original versions can still be found on Liberation: The Island Anthology. Sly and Robbie’s versions of tracks from Red and Chill Out can be found on The Dub Factor.

Uhuru continued on signing up Junior Reid as lead vocalist and switching to the RAS label for Brutal. A dance hit co-produced by Arthur Baker of “Planet Rock” fame- “Great Train Robbery ended the days of Red/Sinsemilla. Every few years, the trio members are changed. After the death of Jones from cancer, the original Spencer/Simpson/Dennis lineup was brought up together for a series of unremarkable albums. The latest release, 2001’s Dynasty, Black Uhuru has been reduced to a duo: Simpson and the far younger Andrew Bees.

The group won their first Grammy award for Best Reggae Album back in 1985 for their album Anthem.

Video: Courtesy of Youtube / RastaChaka

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: black uhuru, Reggae, Reggae Legends

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, like bringing back exactly the same past music, but somewhat bringing back the values of reggae into the present. His first full-length recordings with albums such as One Way Ticket (largely a collection of early singles), Where There Is Life, Messenger and Sweep Over My Soul — were all amazing in their honesty and refreshing in their maturity. Luciano’s voice was defined as both warm and authoritative.  Producer Philip “Fatis” Burrell made simple yet stimulating arrangements with thrilling backings. These enhanced Luciano’s passionate commitment he gave to his lyrics. Nevertheless, the cultural, Spiritual themes, and lovers rock ballads of Luciano’s music had fallen out of favor with the rise of dancehall. Luciano later regained them back up to this date.

As of 2005, his works remained high-volume. Though some are confusing, he still maintained the quality of his works. His first release on the Kingston labes was as mowing as with others he had done. 

He was cited as “The Messenger”. It actually fit him because he came out to be a leader among the next generation reggae artists who stays true to the music’s primary intentions. His conviction and faith made his songs’ message alive.

Credits: Global Rhythm

Read more »

0 Comments

Tags: Luciano, Reggae, Reggae Legends