An important figure in the history of reggae, Lincoln Barrington Minott is credited with being the instigator of the Dancehall style that took over from roots reggae in the early Eighties. 

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The Gladiators were one of the best of Jamaica’s rich history of vocal harmony trios. Pocket Money was one of their finest tunes, with a wise message.

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Fred Locks recorded Black Star Liner, his tribute to Marcus Garvey and his dream of freeing Rastas from slavery, in this mid-Seventies rarity with a spacey dub. (more…)
A bit of a classic from 1979, as featured in the film Rockers, this is effectively a double-bill of vintage rocksteady duo The Maytones and the great toaster I-Roy.

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A mellow tune for a sunny afternoon by Don Carlos, original lead singer of Black Uhuru, the trio he formed in 1973 with friends Rudolph Dennis and Duckie Simpson.

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John Holt is one of my favourite singers and Police In Helicopter is a song that would probably be one of my Desert Island Discs. (more…)

Back to 1981 for a topical take on the perils of dangerous diseases by Anthony Fairclough and Erroll Bennett, aka Papa Michigan and General Smiley. (more…)

Madness were the only all-white band in the Two-Tone family and put the fun factor into the updated ska sound. This was their first top ten hit. (more…)

Black Uhuru could have been the successors to Bob Marley & the Wailers as the kings of reggae. Their early work, with Sly & Robbie at the controls, remains flawless. (more…)

Early hit by Barrington Levy, recorded when he was only 15 and released in 1979, five years before his huge crossover hit Here I Come changed the face of reggae. (more…)