Music

Yabby You was one of the most unique figures in Jamaican music, beginning from the fact that he was a committed Christian yet wore dreadlocks and lived amongst one of the most militant Rastafari communities of Kingston’s ghettos. This is how he got his ironic nickname “Jesus Dread”. His music was characterized by sublime lyrics […]

Byron Lee, leader of one of Jamaica’s top bands – the Dragonaires – played an instrumental role in popularizing Jamaican music around the world in the years before reggae and ska were known outside of the Caribbean. He was born Byron Aloysius St Elmo Lee in Christiana, Jamaica, in 1935. His father was an immigrant

In the early 1970s, Dennis Alcapone was one of the toasters that ruled Jamaica, alongside U-Roy and Big Youth. Crashing out of the sound systems and onto the airwaves like a tidal wave, these artists were responsible for bringing the art of deejaying to the forefront. Born in Clarendon, Jamaica, on August 6, 1947, Dennis

Known as the “Cool Ruler” for his remarkably smooth and passionate voice, Gregory Isaacs was one of reggae music’s most popular singers in the 1970s and 80s. He remained active as a recording artist, live performer, and producer in the decades that followed. Gregory Anthony Isaacs was born in the Fletcher’s Land area of Kingston,

Earl “Sixteen” Daley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1958. His passion for music started at home, where his ingenious dad would create simple string instruments, such as a banjo made of coconut, fishing lines and bamboo strings. At the age of 13, Earl entered a talent show and won it, beating future stars such

This article was last updated in July 2025. Reggae has always been more than just music—it’s a cultural force, a spiritual language, and a historical voice for the marginalized. What many fans don’t realize is that some of reggae’s most influential artists began their careers as child prodigies, lighting up sound systems, studios, and stages

Discover Nasio Fontaine’s biography in his own words! The following is an extract of Nasio’s interview that ran in The Beat in the December 2003 issue. Scroll down for a shorter biography, and to discover where Nasio Fontaine is now. “I was born in Bagatelle/Carte-Bois, a little village on the South-eastern coast of Dominica. The

This article was last updated in July 2025. Linval Thompson is one of the most influential figures in reggae history—a true roots reggae singer, songwriter, and pioneering producer whose work helped bridge the gap between the golden age of roots and the digital evolution of dancehall. Though often underappreciated by mainstream audiences, Thompson’s contributions to

There are many great reggae documentaries, ranging from the evolution of this music genre to pioneering Jamaican reggae musicians. Here is a selection of some of the best documentaries about reggae, many of which are available in their entirety on Youtube. Studio One Story (2002) Studio One Story is a documentary that is a staggering

Born in 1957, Michael George Haynes – aka Michael Prophet – grew up in the western Kingston ghetto of Greenwich Farm. He was discovered 20 years later by legendary producer Vivian Jackson, better known as Yabby U. Michael Prophet had a distinctive voice and became known for his unusual “crying” tenor vocal style. Yabby You

Born Hopeton Overton Brown, Scientist is a talented recording engineer and producer. He was one of the leading dub artists of the 1980s, famous for his extravagant mixing style, his wild album titles and distinctive cover artwork. Scientist was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1960. He learned basic electronics from his father, and when he

The Jamaican record producer Clement “Sir Coxsone” Dodd fostered the career of almost every reggae artist that is famous internationally. He was one of the first to record local talent and he contributed to the evolution of reggae for more than 50 years. Clement Seymour Dodd was born in Kingston in 1932. He was a

Here is a list of reggae artists you probably didn’t know are musical siblings! Trinity and Clint Eastwood Reggae deejay and producer Trinity (born Wade Brammer) was the older brother of Clint Eastwood (born Robert Brammer), who also had a successful career as a deejay. [They are pictured in the image above: Trinity on the

Along with producer Bunny “Striker” Lee, Joe Gibbs is without doubt one of the most important of Jamaica’s musical giants. Joel A. Gibson was born in 1943 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. When he was a young man, he worked at a US naval base in Guantanamo, Cuba, as an electronics technician. When he returned in

Eek-A-Mouse was one of the first artists to be described as a “singjay” thanks to his unmistakable style that mixed singing and deejaying. He created a sensation in the dancehall scene with his bizarre, humorous, and original style, and he was one of the most unique reggae talents to emerge in the 1980s. Eek-A-Mouse was

This article was last updated in July 2025. If you’ve ever browsed reggae vinyl or streamed a Marley playlist, you’ve likely seen the names “The Wailers” and “Bob Marley & the Wailers” used interchangeably. While they’re often lumped together, these names refer to two distinct eras and lineups of one of Jamaica’s most influential musical

Cecil Spence, Albert Craig and Lascelle Bulgin became one of the finest groups in Jamaica’s history – Israel Vibration – after overcoming adversity, poverty and illness. The trio’s lesson in fortitude began in the late 1950s when they were three young victims of the polio epidemic that struck Jamaica. Cecil (1952-2022), Albert (1955–2020) and Lascelle

Osbourne Ruddock, a.k.a. King Tubby, was a legendary sound engineer, producer and a major influence on the development of Dub in the 1960s and 1970s. He is credited with inventing the idea of the remix that later characterized the production of electronic music. According to singer Mikey Dread, King Tubby understood sound scientifically because he

Bunny “Striker” Lee was a crucial figure in the history of Jamaican music: he pioneered the art of the dub and was one of the most successful and prolific reggae producers. He was born Edward O’Sullivan Lee in Kingston, Jamaica, on 23 August 1941. He grew up in the Greenwich Farm district and, after attending

Randy’s was the historic record shop in Kingston, Jamaica, from which one of the world’s most influential reggae labels was born: VP Records. The shop was founded by Vincent Chin, born in Kingston in 1937. He was the son of a Chinese carpenter who had moved to Jamaica in the 1920s. During his school days,

Note: This article was last updated in July 2025. Reggae is more than just a genre—it’s a cultural movement, a spiritual message, and a rhythmic force that has shaped music worldwide. Whether you’re a vinyl enthusiast digging for rare Jamaican pressings or a curious listener exploring the roots of dub and dancehall, these seven facts

African singer Alpha Blondy was one of the world’s top reggae artists during the 1980s and ‘90s. He was born Seydou Kone in 1953 in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), where he grew up with his grandmother Cherie Coco in the Jula (or Dioula) tribe. He got expelled from school for forming a band and not

Henry “Junjo” Lawes was one of the most important and influential dancehall reggae producers during the 1980s. He was born in West Kingston, Jamaica, around 1960. He started singing with the Grooving Locks trio but found his success when he moved into production in 1978, initially as an assistant for singer and producer Linval Thompson

Tenor saxophonist Tommy McCook was among the most groundbreaking Jamaican musicians of his generation, playing an important role in the evolution of ska and reggae. McCook was born in Cuba in 1927 (some accounts say 1932) and moved to Jamaica in 1933. He took up the tenor saxophone at the age of eleven, when he

In the early 1980s Yellowman helped establish dancehall as the wave of the future. He brought the popularity of toasting (the reggae equivalent of rapping) to a whole new level thanks to his talent for improvisation, easy flow and sense of humor. For better or for worse, he also symbolized dancehall’s predilection for “slack” lyrics

The rhythms of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare – Sly & Robbie – have been the driving force behind numerous songs, dubs and remixes since the mid-1970s, not only with major Jamaican artists but also international stars like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Sly and Robbie were already famous artists in Jamaica

1. The warm and authentic soundCDs, MP3s and music that is streamed all sound clean and pristine, manufactured. There is nothing digital about how vinyl records are made, and that’s why their sound offers an experience that is close to listening live music. The crackles and pops and variations in vinyl make it sound more