Alborosie’s soul tribute
Of the many roots-reggae artistes Alborosie listened to as a youth in Italy, the Wailing Souls stood out with their distinctive harmonies on songs like Jah Jah Give us Life and War.
The song that resonated with him most, however, was Shark Attack which they did in 1992 and which he and the ‘Souls’ covered recently for the duo’s Back A Yard album that he produced.
Their version of Shark Attack was released in late July; Back A Yard is scheduled to come out on Greensleeves Records on August 28.
Alborosie recorded the set at his Kingston home studio which is equipped with vintage equipment, perfect for the old-school sound he wanted for Lloyd “Bread” McDonald and Winston “Pipe” Matthews who have comprised the stalwart group since the early 1990’s.
“I love their music, it was a huge inspiration for me. I had a vision for the sessions which was to bring my world to their world. So, we recorded on vintage instruments,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Bassist Errol “Flabba Holt” Carter, who recorded with the Wailing Souls in the 1980s at Channel One studio, reunited with them for Back A Yard. Fellow bassist Mikey Fletcher and keyboardist Othmar Campbell also worked on the album.
Many hardcore fans identify the Wailing Souls with songs like Jah Jah Give us Life, War, Bredda Gravalicious and Firehouse Rock. Not Alberto D’Ascola who later became Alborosie.
“ Shark Attack was a huge record. I remember hearing the song as a youth an’ it blow me away,” he said.
The Sicily-born Alborosie first came to Jamaica in 1993. He visited periodically before settling permanently in 2000, the year he recorded his first song, a cover of the Wailers’ Burning and Looting with Ky-Mani Marley.
He is one of reggae’s strongest touring acts, thanks to hit songs like Kingston Town, Jah Jah Blessing (with Etana) and Herbalist.
The Wailing Souls’ roots are in Trench Town. Proteges of The Wailers, some of their earliest recordings as a quartet were for Studio One. In the 1970s, they became synonymous with the Waterhouse community and Channel One.
Their line-up at the time included Garth Dennis and Buddy Haye. Island Girl, The Wailing Souls’ previous album, was released in 2017.
