A proud son of Greenwich Farm, Alphanso “King Shark” Henclewood credits that working-class community for his love of roots-reggae and respect for the marginalised.

Those themes run deep in four albums he produced for his Montego Records.

Instrumentals to The Fullest, Roots And Culture Sound Clash, Welcome to Greenwich Town, and Green Farm All Stars are the titles of those projects which were released this month.

The compilations feature songs from roots veterans such as Earl Zero, Sylvan White, Johnny Osbourne, and Tony Tuff.

Marlon Brown, an emerging singer/guitarist from Greenwich Farm, represents that community’s new generation of artistes.

Many of the songs on the albums were recorded at the studio of famed guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith, Henclewood’s childhood friend.

“I was blessed to have these bredrin in my corner in the early 70s when we didn’t have water or light. I selected these artistes because we have a history together,” he said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

Bassist Flabba Holt, guitarist Paul “Wrong Move” Crosdale, and drummer Kirk Bennett are some of the musicians who help interpret that history which can be traced to the late 1960s when producer Bunny Lee put music on the map in Greenwich Farm (also known as Greenwich Town).

That period saw him producing songs by singers including Slim Smith, John Holt, and Delroy Wilson. In the 1970s when roots-reggae exploded, Lee produced numerous hits by Wilson, Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy, and Cornel Campbell.

Henclewood, who is based in New Mexico, started Montego Records there during the 1990s. Most of the label’s projects are roots-based, involving veteran acts such as Fred Locks and rising stars like Autarchii.