23/11/2020: “Youth Of Eglington” by Black Uhuru

For context, Eglington is an area of Toronto with a large Jamaican community. Brixton is an area of London with a large Jamaican community. And Kingston, of course, is the capital of Jamaica.

So this song name checks the Jamaican diaspora at the time. It’s essentially an exhortation not to fight, to stay away from the gun crime which affected places like Brixton at the time, and to this day.

For a reggae song of the time, it’s oddly fast, particularly the drum – but that makes it even more of an anthem. The vocals are strident and righteous, the bass slow and purposeful. The guitar work is brilliant too!

The song was released in 1981 on Red, with Sly & Robbie on production.

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