This one really took me by surprise. Barrington Levy is a great singer, for sure. But this burst of sheer soulfulness stands out! Instead of…
Reggae
28/11/2020: “Jah Is Mighty” by Bob Marley
Dig into Bob Marley’s back catalogue, past “Buffalo Soldier” and “Three Little Birds”, and you’ll be surprised. Many of Marley’s most profound and beautiful songs…
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…
14/11/2020: “Jah Is My Light” by Kyle Sicarius
I first heard this song at a reggae soundclash, played by Aba Shanti. When people say “that song took my breath away”, they mean that…
06/11/2020: “Look Youthman” by Barrington Levy
Barrington Levy is up there among the most prolific and successful Jamaican Dancehall Deejays. Not by accident, either. Using his distinctive voice and versatile delivery,…
31/10/2020: “Fu Man Chu” by Desmond Dekker
This is surprising weighty for a song of its time. The tone is a lot darker than much of Desmond Dekker’s work. Released in 1968,…
20/10/2020: “Hard Time Pressure” by Sugar Minott & Captain Sinbad
Sugar Minott is one of the all time greats in reggae. To me, he represents a period in reggae history where dancehall and reggae were…
16/10/2020: “Prodigal Son” by Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse splashed on to the international reggae scene with Handsworth Revolution. Handsworth is an area of Birmingham with a large Afro-Caribbean community, which has seen…
07/10/2020: “We Need Love” by Johnny Osbourne
Johnny Osbourne is one of my favourite artists. Given the right rhythm, he can nail it – in any style. This is one of his…
20/09/2020: “Man Next Door” by John Holt
This is one of the classic reggae riddims. It’s heavy, sticks in your ear like gorilla glue, and has been covered by acts such as…