Wayne Wonder, better known to friends as Von Wayne Charles has been making music in Jamaica since 1987 when his self-titled disk, Wayne Wonder came out. He is still going strong today and is better known for his mainstream hit, “No Letting Go” which features the Diwali Riddim.
Tommy McCook was a Jamaican saxophonist and also a founding member of The Skatalites. He also directed The Supersonics for Duke Reid, and during the 1970s backed up many sessions for Bunny Lee or with The Revolutionaries.
Tommy McCook’s death in 1998 passed by unnoticed by the press, and like his fellow Skatalites, Roland Alphonso and Jackie Mittoo, he never received the respect from the general media for which his contribution to Jamaican music richly deserved.
TYRICAL Michael Haris is a versatile reggae music artist whom has contributed to the industry by performing and writing for some of the most prominent individuals in the music fraternity. He grew-up in the heart of Barbican (Barbican Square). His formal education peaked at Shortwood All Age School but he was able to increase his knowledge base by reading and associating with elders in the music profession (and prominent individuals outside of the industry as well). His professional musical work spans 15 years. The first song was recorded approximately the same time he made his debut in the music business. Tyrical has being getting enormous exposure for his ‘No Guirrella War’ product that he has contributed to the Tremor Rhythm compilation.
The Paragons were composed of Garth Evans. Bob Andy, Junior Menz, and Leroy Stamp. However, in 1964 Stamp was replaced by John Holt, and Howard Barret replaced Menz. The group was heavily influenced by American soul music and the tight vocal harmonies of of Jamaican groups of the early 1960s.
The Paragons shifted from their soulful sound to become the most popular rocksteady group in Jamaica, but the band broke up in 1970 due to disagreements with money.
Capleton also known as Clifton Bailey II is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica. Many of his fans refer to him as King Shango, King David, The Fireman or The Prophet. His record label, office and home is called David House Productions. Capleton first arrived on the scene in the late 1980s and dancehall music was very different than it is today. The present day Capleton announced his promising arrival with a string of hits such as “Bumbo Red”, “Number One on the Look Good Chart” and “Woman We Lotion”, jus to name a few. Capleton was making such a big hit that everything that touched the charts became a hit and pretty much established him as the Dancehall hit maker.
The Ethiopians is a ska, rocksteady, and reggae vocal group founded by Leonard Dillon, Aston Morris, and Stephen Taylor where they initially started recording for Clement Dodd in 1966.
After the group left Dodd, the group started recording for the W.I.R.L. label where they released the ska classic song, Train to Skaville, which is the video below.
Stephen Marley was part of the reggae group Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers with his siblings Ziggy, Cedella, and Sharon. In 1985 Stephen was featured on a 12″ single of his father, Bob Marley, titled, “Jah Is The Healing”, and again on “Lord We A Come” from the 1986 Melody Makers release Hey World. Many tracks feature Stephen including the track “Unuh Nuh Listen Yet” from Play the Game Right (1985). Stephen produced much of his brother Damien Marley’s three solo albums, most notably 2005’s Welcome to Jamrock, where he is featured on the tracks “All Night”, “Pimpa’s Paradise”, “For the Babies”, and “Hey Girl”. He also produced for brother Julian Marley, and executive produced and performed on the 1999 Bob Marley mash-up, “Chant Down Babylon” tour. Stephen released the video for Traffic Jam (which also features brothers Damian and Julain) in December 2006. His debut album “Mind Control” was released March 20, 2000. Stephen is a five time Grammy Award Winner.
Historic reggae collection stolen in Jamaica - Music - Entertainment
“A massive collection of 1970s music including original recordings by reggae greats Bob Marley and Peter Tosh has disappeared from the archives of the former Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation.” This is indeed a sad event. The motivation, profit, or prank? Whatever the outcome, the fans of Reggae music and Jamaican culture are shocked to hear of this news story.
The Wailers was a ska, rocksteady, and reggae group that was formed in Kingston, Jamaica in 1963, with Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso, Bunny Livingston (aka Bunny Wailer), Robert Marley (aka Bob Marley), Winston McIntosh (aka Peter Tosh), and Cherry Smith as its members.
The Wailers recorded groundbreaking hits like Simmer Down, Trenchtown Rock, Nice Time, Stir It Up, and many others before their break-up in 1974, with the band members pursuing solo careers.