United Reggae Magazine #7
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MAGAZINE #19 - May 2012 Christopher Ellis Peter Hunnigale I-WAYNE HOLLIE COOK PRINCE FATTY HORSEMAN HARD BREAKA JESSE ROYAL BROTHER CULTURE TARRUS RILEY DEAN FRASER ROOTZ UNDERGROUND MARLEY MOVIE PREMIERE Sly Dunbar “When I see the red light I go for it. I take chances” EDITORIAL by Erik Magni The children are coming It must be hard growing up with a world-renowned mother or father. Being in the spotlight from an early age and when reaching adulthood you’re predestined the same career path. Kind of like the royal families around the world. The nearest you come royalty in reggae is the Marley’s. Several of Bob and Rita’s children – along with kids from Bob’s affairs – started early in the music business and have had successful careers, especially Damian, Ziggy and Stephen. There are however several kids of famous reggae singers that have came forward in recent years. I’m talking about Jimmy Riley’s son Omar, better known as Tarrus, Derrick Morgan’s daughter Ventrice, aka Queen Ifrica, or Denroy Morgan’s children in Morgan Heritage. One of the latest additions to the list is London-born Christopher Ellis, the young- est son of the late and great Alton Ellis. United Reggae’s Angus Taylor has met him and learned firsthand about the road from his extraordinary childhood to his star studded present. And interestingly enough he is working with Stephen Marley on his upcoming EP and album. Original cover photo by Wonder Knack - Editorial photo by Brian G. Elliot United Reggae Magazine #19 - May 2012 Want to read United Reggae as a paper magazine? Now you can... In addition to the latest United Reggae news, views and videos online each month you can now enjoy a free pdf version packed with most of United Reggae content from the last month. SUMMARY 1/ NEWS 88 2/ INTERVIEWS • Hollie Cook, Prince Fatty and Horseman at St Pancras Station 14 • Christopher Ellis 18 • Jesse Royal 24 • Peter Hunnigale 26 I-Wayne Reveals his Top • Hard Breaka 34 Tunes • Sly Dunbar 38 • Brother Culture 54 90 3/ REVIEWS 102 108 • Skarra Mucci - Return Of The Raggamuffin 60 • The Dualers - Prince Buster Shakedown 61 • Listen to the Music: Caltone’s Jamaican 45’s 1966-69 62 • Cool Runnings 63 • Nazarenes - Meditation 64 • Lloyd de Meza - Back To Eden 65 Bankie Banx and The Dune • Marley Movie 66 Preserve... Just CooL! • Prince Fatty Presents Hollie Cook in Dub 68 • Romain Virgo - The System 69 • Rootstep by Zacharri and Roommate 70 • Anthony B - Freedom Fighter 71 4/ REPORTS • Tarrus Riley and Dean Fraser in Paris 72 • Rootz Underground in San Francisco 74 • Marley Movie Premiere in Kingston 76 • Tarrus Riley in Antwerp 78 • Western Consciousness 2012 80 • Reggae Splash Tour 84 All the articles in this magazine were previously published online on http://unitedreggae.com. This magazine is free for download at http://unitedreggae.com/magazine/. Not for resale. United Reggae. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. bie, Burning Spear and Aswad. Johnny Hudson, Head of Marketing at Trojan Records stated: “The themed monthly releases are just one of a number of exciting initiatives we are rolling out to mark the 50th anniversary of Jamai- can Independence this year. Trojan Records and its artists have played a significant part in the history and cul- tural influence of Jamaican music, and so we’re incredibly excited to be asso- ciated with this landmark event. We’re also looking forward to announcing several other exciting partnerships for this year soon too.” For more informa- tion and to purchase any of these titles visit the Trojan Records website www. trojanrecords.com 10 Deadly Shots Vol. 2 by 10 Ft. Ganja Plant by Erik Magni U.S. reggae band 10 Ft. Ganja Plant has dropped several mainly instrumental roots reggae albums on the ROIR label since they were signed in 2001. Trojan Records To Ska’, 40 massive Ska hits from the The latest set is ‘10 Deadly Shots Vol. early to mid-sixties. ‘Treasure Isle Pre- 2’ and its main instrument is organ, Celebrate 50 Years of sents Rock Steady’, highlighting what while the first version focused on the Jamaican Independ- many to believe to be some of the fin- guitar. And to master the organ, 10 Ft. est Rock Steady recordings ever, from Ganja Plant has invited Roger Rivas of ence a label that was at the cutting edge of The Aggrolites. by Karl Pearson this musical revolution with an array of talented vocal acts, backed by the ‘10 Deadly Shots Vol. 2’ is currently This year on the 6th August it will be legendary Tommy McCook & the Su- available on CD and digital download. fifty years since Jamaica gained inde- personics band. Then there’s ‘Treasure pendence from Great Britain and to Isle Presents Original Reggae’ a col- help celebrate this fact Trojan Records lection of the label’s output from 1968 will mark the anniversary with a series to 1973 and finally a limited 7” single of rare and classic releases, themed on featuring two previously unissued Ska a different reggae artist or label each sides, Easter Bonnet by Roland Al- month. Lee “Scratch” Perry actually phonso and Duke Reid’s Band flipped kicked things off back in March with with Feeling of Love by Stranger Cole three releases including a lost album and Ken Boothe. May will see six ti- from Candie McKenzie, George Faith’s tles themed under ‘Classic Island Re- ‘Super Eight (aka To Be A Lover)’ and cords Artists’ including Toots and the The Full Experience ‘Young, Gifted Maytals ‘Pressure Drop’, Black Uhuru and Broke’. This month (April) will see ‘Guess Who’s Coming / Best Of’ and four releases from the famous Treas- Steel Pulse ‘Prodigal Sons’, as well as ure Isle label: ‘Treasure Isle Presents ‘Best Of’ collections from Sly & Rob- Lloyd Brevett of The Skatalites Has Died by Erik Magni Lloyd Brevett – bass player and co- founder of the highly influential ska group the Skatalites – died on May 3rd at the age of 80 after being treated for a stroke and seizures. He helped to define and refine ska music and has played on countless of immortal ska, rocksteady and reggae tunes, among them Eastern Standard Time and Guns of Navarone, the latter versioned in the late 70’s by The Specials. The original Skatalites only existed for about 18 months between 1963 and 1965, but were essential in popularizing the gen- re, which included elements of R&B, jazz, calypso and Cuban music. The only remaining original member of the 48 year old Skatalites is now alto saxophonist Lester Sterling. The Universoul Re- bel by Chaddy Roy- al by Erik Magni U.S. based singer Chaddy Royal album debuted last year with ‘The Awaken- ing’, a collaboration with South Afri- can producer Bereket Tafari. But prior to that set Chaddy Royal had recorded Stress Free and Warriaz together with French producer Little Judah. These two tracks are now brought back to life together with nine other songs for Chaddy Royal’s second album titled ‘The Universoul Rebel’, currently avail- able for digital download on the usual platforms. LLOYD BREVETT Babylon City by Cli- nark by Erik Magni Bermuda born singer Clinark – who dropped a Michael Jackson tribute album two years ago – sends out a message for the youth with his latest single Babylon City, voiced on House of Riddim’s Crisis riddim. Clinark now lives in Edmonton, North London, and saw firsthand the devastation last year’s riots had on his local commu- nity and nearby Tottenham. “I had the Crisis Riddim sent to me by Sam Gilly at the House of Riddim several months ago and I just had the chorus, ‘can’t you see what a gwan in Babylon City,’ as I watched the riots unfold on the TV last summer, I immediately thought of this song,” explains Clinark in a press release, and continues: “When I passed through the affected areas, seeing that whole buildings had to be torn down I was shocked. I just felt able to finish this song with those images in mind. It’s a dire warning that we need to focus on our children’s well- the future and all need to communicate able as digital download. being, more than ever, to safeguard better.” Babylon City is currently avail- Impression by Zen ing a long lost roots gem from Jamai- can born U.S. resident Zen Bow. ‘Im- Bow pression’ 12” was originally released by Erik Magni in 1986 in 1,000 copies on a small label based in Connecticut and nowa- Seb Carayol is a French writer that has days fetches huge sums in the collec- been writing for the now folded French tors market, and some have paid up to reggae magazine Natty Dread as well $600 to get their hands on it. as acclaimed U.S. magazine Wax Poet- ics. He has been writing about obscure ‘Impression’ 12” will be available in reggae for almost a decade and now stores on May 15th, and in the mean- wants to give something back to the time you might just check Seb Caray- artists he has encountered. His new ol’s story on Zen Bow in Wax Poetics venture Reel-Heavy Records is reissu- no. 43 September/October 2010. Warm My Soul by the rasta man Courtney John, for exam- to produce an emotional response be- ple. We met out in Jamaica and later I cause that’s what I appreciate in other Blundetto sent him some demos without giving people’s music.