“FLASH BACK GLIMPSES AND PROFILES OF A CULTURE FROM A TO Z” SCRATCHES THE SURFACE OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THIS CULTURE [REGGAE]. THE ENTERTAINERS, THE MUSICIANS, THE LIFESTYLE AND THE FASHION [DANCEHALL] ARE ALL PART OF THIS CULTURAL REVOLUTION THAT HAS TAKEN THE WORLD BY STORM. THIS IS A PREVIEW COPY OF THE BOOK.
3. 3
Moses Davis a.k.a. Beenie Man is a
remarkable example of what hard
work and determination can
achieve. Beenie Man’s success took
15 years to achieve, having
struggled since he was five to
accomplish his dream. It was in
1981 that he first met Little Kirk,
his very good friend. They entered
a talent contest in their
Waterhouse neighborhood and won
the deejay and singing contests out
of a field of 42 contestants, at the
tender age of eight.
Jamaican disc jockey Barry G
introduced them to producer Henry
“Junjo” Lawes. Lawes produced
Beenie Man’s first single “Too
Fancy”. As a youth Beenie Man
combined schoolwork and deejaying,
attending Primary school by day and
deejaying with his uncle’s disco
‘Master Blaster’ at night. He began
to make a name for himself
performing at numerous talent
contests. It was at one of these
contests, that he and Little Kirk
met Patrick Roberts of ‘Shocking
Vibes Production’.
Roberts suggested that they join
his disco, ‘Stax’. Beenie Man lacked
discipline then, and while Kirk would
stick with Roberts’ plans, Beenie
explained, “as a youth, I did some
things that weren’t too right. So
while Kirk would listen to him, me
never like too much talking so me
leave and not come back for a
while.”
Beenie Man recorded “Killer Sound”
for Winston “Technique” Riley.
Bunny Lee heard him and took him
to King Jammy and he did an album
eventually titled “The Invincible
Beenie Man: Ten Years Old Boy
Wonder”. He recalled he got
nothing for that album. He decided
to return to Roberts’ label,
“Shocking Vibes”, and did a single in
1986 titled “We Run Things”. In
1987, he followed up with “Kip
Whey”, which did so well in Canada
that it earned him a trip there. On
his return he did his first major
stage shows: DJ Roll Call, Sting 87
and King Jammy’s 10th
Anniversary.
In 1991 when President Nelson
Mandela and wife Winnie made an
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official visit to Jamaica, Beenie
Man worked on a free public
concert at the National Stadium to
honour Mandela. Beenie Man has
performed at many public events,
including the Reggae Boys
international football qualifiers and
even carnival at the National
Stadium. Beenie Man has
performed to sold out crowds both
locally and internationally for years.
In the 90’s Beenie Man top the
charts with songs like “Kette
Drum” (featuring Determine),
“Blackboard”, “Old Dog”, “Nuff
Gal”, “Oyster And Conch”,
“Dancehall Queen” (featuring
Chevelle Franklin), “Romie” and
“Better Learn”, among numerous
others. His albums “Maestro” and
“Many Moods Of Moses” were
massive successes internationally.
He has won all of the major music
awards both locally and
internationally over the years. He
has joined an elite group of
entertainers by capturing the
prestigious Grammy Award in the
Reggae category with his album
called, “Art And Life”. Is Beenie
Man really “the king of the
dancehall?”
In 2003, Beenie Man’s new Hummer
H2 motor vehicle ran off the
Mandela Highway and was
completely written off. He
suffered a few broken bones and
recovered to unleash a string of
hits. The vehicle was replaced with
a brand new Hummer. In 2004 his
catalogue of songs included,
“Straight P*m, P*m”,
“Somebody”, “Still Naw Dweet”,
“Have You Man” (featuring Miss
Ting), “Back Against The Wall”,
“King Of The Dancehall”,
“Compton” (featuring Guerilla
Black), “Dem Talk”, “No Secret”,
“Breast Specialist” (featuring
Vybz Kartel), and “Zigi, Zigi”.
In 2005, rumours were being
spread that Beenie Man was
involved in the death of the popular
dancer called “Bogle”. This forced
him to travel with several
bodyguards because his life was
being threatened. He had cried on
television and pleaded his innocence
on many interviews, but still the
rumour continued. This incident
caused him to release the hit song,
“Frame I An’ I”, which sent the
message, not only locally, but also
internationally. These rumours
cannot stop this artiste who is
destined for greater things to
come. In 2005 Beenie lost his
brother, Mark Davis, who died from
injuries he received in an
automobile accident.
Beenie has continued his onslaught
of songs in 2005 with tunes like, “A
5. 5
Nuh Mi”, “Chakka, Chakka
Dance”, “Genuine Friend”,
“Hygiene”, “Advice” (feat. Tami
Chynn), “Take This Message”,
“Walk Inna My Shoes”, “New Gal
Ah Call”, and “Left Dem To Die”.
Out of every generation come a
handful of exceptionally talented
individuals. Beres Hammond is one
of those special people. Beres like
good wine is definitely mellowing
with age. Beres Hammond was born
in Annotto Bay, St. Mary on August
28. He was an active member in his
village’s church choir, when he
recorded his first song “Wanderer”
at the age of 15, for producer
Clancy Eccles.
Beres was a member of the sonny
Bradshaw Seven and Zappow bands.
This Reggae crooner has made an
impact at home and abroad with his
unique musical style. His first hit
single was the giant recording to
this day “One Step Ahead” done in
1977.
Several more hits followed after
this, but they were far and in
between, because Beres had
stopped recording for a period of
three years. Songs such as “Full
Attention”, “Freedom”, “Double
Trouble”, “Putting Up Resistance”,
“Who Say”(with D.J. Buju Banton),
“Hit On Every Corner”,
“Emptiness”, “Groovy Little
Thing”, “What One Dance Can
Do”, “She Loves Me Now”, and
“Tempted To Touch”, were just a
few of the bombs Beres dropped on
us.
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6. 6
Beres’ determination and
commitment to recording music of a
very high standard paid off in 1992
when he walked away with four
Jami Awards, out of the six that he
was nominated for. He won “Best
Musical Composition” for the song
“Putting Up Resistance”. He also
won the awards for “Best Individual
Performer”, “The Best Arranged
Single” and “Best Vocalist For
1992”.
The 90’s saw him topping the
charts with songs like “Step Aside”
and “Pull It Up” (featuring Buju
Banton). The 90’s also saw him
releasing songs such as, “Love
Means Never To Say”, “Give Me
A Break”, “Show Some Love”
(featuring Capleton), “Resistance”
(featuring U Roy), “Can’t Stop A
Man”, “Every Man Has A Way”
(featuring Luciano, Tony Rebel, and
Louie Culture), “Rose Garden”,
“Can You Play Some More”,
“Always Be There”, “Under
Pressure”, and “Penny Ketcher”
(featuring Anthony B), among
others.
Beres has given us several albums,
“Beres Hammond”, “Full
Attention”, “A Day In The Life”,
and “Love From A Distance” to
name a few. “Love From A
Distance” was one of V.P. Records
biggest selling album that year.
Beres has captured Tamika Awards
for “Best Vocalist” and also “Song
Writer Of The Year”. His
determination and commitment to
his music has earned him the title
of “Chairman of the Board”, an
honour that is endorsed by all his
peers, in and outside of Jamaica.
In 2004 Beres gave us songs like
“My Pride And Joy” and
“Hardcore” (featuring Louie
Culture). His album entitled “Love
Has No Boundaries” was released
in 2005.
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7. 7
Bling Dawg, who’s real name is
Marlon Williams, has been around
for some time. He was however
given public recognition in 1999.
Bling Dawg says that he respects
every artiste, but he looks up to
Louie Culture, because it was Louie
who taught him to deejay.
In 2004 his catalogue of tunes
read: “Dem Hurt Eeh”, “Hear
Back One”, “Grades”, “Floss On”,
“Realist”, “Aint Easy” (featuring
Vybz Kartel), “Girl Tonight”, “Bad
Dog Attack”, “Run Di Place”, “So
She Want It”, “Nuh Trust Dem”,
“It’s Over”, “Whole Night Party”,
“Nikkie Ann”, “Road Block
Already”, and “That’s How We
Roll”.
Bling Dawg has become an avid gym
goer, and has lost a lot of weight.
This has inspired him to release a
single and exercise video called
“Breathe Stretch”. In 2005 songs
like “Aerobics Class”, “So It
Wet”, “Joy I Bring”, “We Ain’t
Scared”, “Get Up And Run”,
“Weapon”, and “Man A Star”, has
kept his fans dancing.
Keith Anderson, popularly known as
Bob Andy is one of Jamaica’s most
prolific songwriters. He is more
revered for his writing skills than
his singing and is among one of the
few artistes who have had their
8. 8
songs re-recorded by other
artistes. Bob has had several chart
successes since 1969 when he
recorded “Young, Gifted And
Black”. He gave us songs such as,
“Unchained”, “My Time”, “Too
Experienced”, “Games People
Play”, “Feeling Soul”, “Sun Shines
For Me”, “I’ve Got To Go Back
Home”, “Fire Burning”,
“Desperate Lover”, among others.
Spawned in the steaming ghetto
called Trench Town, the Wailers
are the masters of reggae; the
acknowledged voice of Rastafari is
Bob Marley. Brother Bob Marley
and the Wailers touch the very
core of our psyches and as the
musical branches of a growing
Caribbean roots consciousness,
these brethrens made
understandable the foundations of
our being. We see ourselves
reflected in their music.
Robert Nester Marley,
internationally famous superstar
was born in 1945, the son of an
English army Captain and a
Jamaican woman. Bob started
singing professionally at the age of
fifteen (15), “But why?” “That is a
hard question he says, “I couldn’t
see myself doing anything else, I
just like music.” In 1963, himself
along with Peter McIntosh (later
Peter Tosh) and Bunny Livingston
(later Bunny Wailer) formed the
Wailing Wailers. Two of their
earliest hits were “Simmer Down”
and “Rude Boy”.
In 1967 he did some work with
Johnny Nash. Nash came to record
in Kingston and later had a series
of Reggae singles on the British
charts culminating four years later
with “Stir It Up” which was
written by Bob Marley. 1969
emerged as one of their classic
periods. Recorded by the most
9. 9
famous Reggae producer of them
all, Lee “Scratch” Perry, they did
two LPs and the singles “Duppy
Conqueror” and “Small Axe”.
It was at this stage that their
Rastafarian religion became the
core of their music. Bob Marley
believed the concept that His
Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile
Selassie I as being the King of
Kings and the Lord of Lords,
Conquering Lion of the Tribe of
Judah. He says, “Haile Selassie is
the Almighty. We belong to Africa.
Everyone in the world will have to
respect that. Until we all realize
that civilization started from
Ethiopia and we multiplied from
that and spread out, there will be
pure war and our lives will be in
torment and vexation. We have to
respect Africa to find peace of
mind.” “The devil may tell you we
have no link in Africa but we have
to stop letting the devil tell us –
white people and black people both
– and we have to think for
ourselves.”
In 1970 they successfully launched
their own label, Tuff Gong. Their
breakthrough to recognition came
when they signed to the British
label, “Island”, for which they did
the albums “Catch A Fire” and
“Burning” (including “I Shot The
Sheriff” which Eric Clapton made
into a hit single in 1974).
In 1975 the Wailers split up, Peter
and Bunny both went solo. It was
then that Bob released the album
“Natty Dread”. He then recorded
the “Live” album, which produced
the group’s first UK hit single “No
Woman, No Cry”. Marley’s first
platinum was from the L.P.
“Rastaman Vibration”.
Marley’s works are among the most
powerful songs of black rage ever
written. Some of Marley’s songs
talk about Rastafari, some about
slums in Jamaica. At times songs
are about situations that exist in
Jamaica but they are international
situations – they also exist in other
parts of the World. People suffer
everywhere, in every city and
ghetto.
Bob Marley’s presence in the music
halls throughout the world has
cleared a path that has established
listing posts in Britain, the United
States, Africa, France, Germany,
Canada and Japan. His music has
created thousands of faithful
disciples in the home of Reggae
music.
Marley, who has put in lyrics, in no
uncertain term, the gut reaction of
the have-nots, coupled with his
10. 10
exuberance and charisma has made
him the voice of his people as
related in his song “Ambush” from
his album “Survival”. Bob’s music
sends a crystal clear message to
those who seek to oppress the
mind, must be eradicated at all
cost. So arms in arms with arms,
we’ll fight this little struggle. Cause
that’s the only way we can
overcome our little trouble.
Some of Marley’s great works are
on albums such as “Kaya”,
“Exodus”, “Babylon By Bus”,
“Uprising”, “Confrontation”,
“Rebel Music”, “Live” and
“Legend”. In 1973 Bob Marley and
the Wailers launched their first
major U.S. tour as the opening act
for Sly Stone (Marley upstaged
superstar Sly on that show). In the
National Stadium in October 1975,
Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder
shared the same stage. The crowd
went wild when they harmonised on
“I Shot The Sheriff”.
Bob and Stevie again shared the
stage in 1979 at the Black Music
Association’s Conference in
Philadelphia. It was no surprise
when Stevie paid tribute to Bob in
the song “Master Blaster Jammin”.
Shortly after the release of this
song Bob Marley collapsed in New
York and his illness diagnosed as
cancer, this caused the plan for
Bob and Stevie to go on a world
tour to be aborted. Stevie took
time out to call bob at the cancer
clinic in Germany. Two days before
“Stevie Wonder in Concert in
Stockholm”, May 11, 1981, Bob
Marley died and Stevie dedicated
the show to his brethren “Bob”.
Bob Marley is more popular today
than at his death in 1981. Bob has
been selling more albums since his
death than when he was alive. The
World has gravitated towards his
music since his death and Tuff
Gong doesn’t have to advertise Bob
Marley t-shirts, records and
memorabilia, they just sell. Bob
Marley received the Order of
Merit from the Jamaican
government in 1981 and was
inducted into the American Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in January
1994. The album “Legend” has
become the number one best seller.
The song “One Love” was voted
“Song of the Century” and Bob
Marley, “The Artiste of the
Century” by Time magazine. The
legend truly lives on.
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11. 11
Daddy Lizard was popular in the 80’s with songs like “Winery” and “Run Gal
Run”.
DADDY SCREW
12. “Turn On The Heat”, “Good Like
Gold”, and “Kill Me Dead” were
songs that caused dancehall fans to
pay attention to Daddy Screw. He
kept the fans rocking and in 1993
he cranked up the pace with a song
called “Goodas”. 1999 saw him
releasing a single entitled
“Remember God”.
Dancehall has been around for ages
and it is simple any place where
people gather to listen to the
contemporary music of their
culture. Dancehall music is just the
music of the dancehall. The
dancehall population is a cross-
section of the society, the upper,
middle and lower class. It is for the
rich man, the poor man, the beggar
man, etc. Reggae is the heartbeat
of the Jamaican people.
Let us journey back into the
dancehall. The stage has been set.
One of the top sound systems is
belting out some hardcore Jamaican
Reggae, from speaker boxes
towering in the air. The curry goat
and rice, and the mannish water are
selling like hot bread. The bar is
busy as patrons try to purchase
their favourite liquor or soft
drinks. The cane man is also doing
good business.
The ladies are clad in tights, b-
riders, p-printers and a wide
assortment of fashion and
jewellery. The men are clad in name
brand clothes, the Nike, the Fila,
the Tommy Hillfiger, to name just a
few, with wide assortments of gold
and silver jewellery. The ladies
hairstyles are beyond your wildest
imagination, not to mention the
men. The Benzes, the Lexuses, the
B.M.W.’s are all parked outside. The
Ninjas and Kawasakis are parked
beside their riders. Then there are
the crews; you have this crew and
that crew (there are so many crews
it will not be possible to name them
in this article).
Now let us take you into the
juggling. The deejay blurts out,
12
13. 13
“fine sound courtesy of the one
Nadine Sutherland”, and he plays
“Baby Face”. He then moves into
“Center Of Attraction”, Lukey D,
“I Think I Can Fly”, Tony Curtis.
He follows this with “Love Sponge”,
Buju Banton, and “Jah Works”,
Terror Fabulous. The disco then
blurts out “Put Down Your
Weapons Of Destruction”, Yammi
Bolo and the prophet Capleton.
Singing Melody then sings, “First
Thing Early Monday Morning”,
followed by Buju Banton’s, “Run Di
Place”. The selector then plays
another Buju Banton’s song,
“Legalize It”. In between the
deejay uses such slang as, “haul and
pull up selector”, “early juggling”,
“watch ya now”, “lawd a mercy”, and
at times bigging up the various
crews in the place.
The selector then moves into Dawn
Penn’s, “You Don’t Love Me”, Bob
Marley’s, “I Don’t Want To Wait
In Vain For Your Love”, and
“Murderer” by Barrington Levy.
Beenie Man then asks, “How you
feel if you wake up one morning
and saw, a big m-16 press
against you jaw”. While Spragga
Benz sings, “if a gal think she
bad, stand up in front a man
when man red”. Next comes Beres
Hammond’s, “Thought I Could Live
Without You” and Wayne Wonder’s,
“Saddest Day Of My Life”.
The session is heating up and the
crowd starts going wild, shouting,
“forwards” and “lift it up selector”.
The deejay then says, “massive,
now hear dis” and Buju’s, “Fast
Car” hits the turntable. “I Gave
You Everything I’ve Got”, from the
late Garnett Silk was next. It was
now time for the hottest rhythm in
town (Joy Ride Rhythm). The
selector started off with
“Bashment Girl”, he then moves
into, “You No Ready Fi Dis Yet”,
Tanya Stephens, “Joy Ride”,
Wayne Wonder and Baby Cham.
Beenie Man then says, “Him Nah
Run Away”, Lady Saw tell us about,
“Sycamore Tree” and he closes
with “Strange Things Are
Happening”.
It was now time to give us a flick of
the past. He started off with
Dennis Brown’s, “Love and Hate”
and then it was “Revolution”. His
next selection was, “No Lazy
Body”, followed by Half Pint’s, “Two
To One”, “One Big Road”, Tenor
Saw and then “Four Season Lover”.
“Boops”, by Super Cat was next.
Dennis Brown asked, “Should I
Have Faith In You?” Beres said,
“Step Aside”. It was now time for
the x-rated stuff. Shabba said,
14. 14
“Love Punany Bad”, next was,
“Magnet Have Fi Sample The
Steel”, “Gal Dem A Holla Fi Di
B*ddy” and Shabba’s, “X-Rated”.
The selector was working up a
storm, has he moved into, “See The
Gal Dem Man Yah”, “Blackboard”,
“Probably You Neva Heard A Wi”,
“Some Gal Man Confuse”, “Born,
Born, Born Again”, “Labba, Labba
Gal”, “Gal Think We Nice”, “New
Suzuki”, “Bad Mind A Go Kill
Dem” and “Poor People Fed Up”.
It was now time to really get down,
as he changed the pace. He started
off with Freddy Jackson’s, “Rock
Me For Old Time Sake”, then
Chilites’, “You Look Better In The
Dark”, Barbara Striesand’s,
“Nothing To Be Guilty Of”.
“Reasons” was next, Then came,
“No Romance Without Finance”,
“The Beat Goes On”, “Last Night
A Deejay Save My Life”, “Just
Can’t Break Away”, “Aint No
Stopping Us Now” and “If You
Could Read My Mind Love”.
He was about to change the pace
again, so I made my departure
having gotten value for my money.
It was minutes to three when I left
the dance, reason being I had to go
to work later that morning.
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Danny English, who was christened
Donald Cox, has been in the
business for quite a while. He is a
part of the Q45 camp, along with,
Egg Nog, New Kidz and Singer Jay.
In 2005 he gave us songs such as,
“Everynight” (featuring Wayne
Marshall) and “Take Me Home”
(featuring Terri-Ann).