Jamaican Music

Judy Mowatt (born in 1952) is a Jamaican singer. In 1978 she teamed up with Freddie McGregor to produce the critically acclaimed “Black Woman.” The album is a landmark as Judy became the first female reggae artist to produce or co-produce her own album. She followed up in 1982 with the strong “Only A Woman” album. She later became the first female to be nominated for a reggae Grammy award. The video below is a song that Judy Mowatt dedicated to Bob Marley. Enjoy.

Desmond Dekker (July 16, 1941 — May 25, 2006) was a Jamaican ska and reggae singer and songwriter. Together with his backing group, The Aces, he had one of the first international Jamaican hits with Israelites. Other hits include 007 (Shanty Town) in 1967 and It Miek in 1969. Before the ascent of Bob Marley, Desmond Dekker was one of the most popular musicians within Jamaica, and one of the best-known musicians outside it.

Cecil Bustamente Campbell, (born May 28, 1938), better known as Prince Buster and less known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica and regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music. The records he made on the Blue Beat label in the 1960s inspired many reggae and ska artists.

Cutty Ranks, born Philip Thomas in Jamaica in 1965, is a reggae and dancehall artist. Cutty Ranks has been influential outside the world of dancehall, particularly in the field of drum ‘n’ bass and jungle. His vocals have been frequently sampled and his songs remixed by other artists.

Marcia Griffiths (born Marcia Llyneth Griffiths, 23 November 1949, Kingston) also called the Queen of Reggae is a successful female singer. She started her career in 1964, and was also a member of the I-Threes, a background group which supported Bob Marley & The Wailers.

The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their Heart of the Congos album, recorded with Lee “Scratch” Perry.

The Gladiators were a popular Jamaican roots reggae band during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2005 the Gladiators released Fathers and Sons which has been regarded as Albert Griffiths farewell, presumably replacing himself with his sons Alan and Anthony in the future.

The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol “Flabba” Holt and guitarist Eric “Bingy Bunny” Lamont. They were joined by a great many musicians. As a combined force the Roots Radics became a well respected studio and stage band, which dominated the sound in the first half of the 1980s. They supported artists like Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs and Israel Vibration and have released several albums to their name as well.

The Wailing Souls are a Jamaican reggae vocal group still recording and performing live, whose origins date back to the 1960s. They have their own official website that fans can check out.

Israel Vibration is a reggae harmony trio, originating from Kingston, Jamaica. Lascelle “Wiss” Bulgin, Albert “Apple Gabriel” Craig, and Cecil “Skeleton” Spence all overcame adversity in the form of childhood polio and went on to be one of the most successful roots groups to form in Jamaica in the late 1970s. The trio initially met at a rehabilitation center.