Recently, when singer Rad Dixon returned to his native Manchester, he promoted Slew Babylon, his latest song, and paid homage to one of contemporary reggae’s most charismatic artistes.

The South Florida-based Dixon performed on the Garnet Silk Legacy Fun Day, held at Brooks Park, one of the hot spots for the roots-reggae revival of the 1990s.

“It’s always a good feeling in Manchester for me because it’s my hometown and birth parish. Performing in honour of Garnet Silk will always be a pleasure for me knowing he was among the greatest singers on Earth, standing up for righteousness,” he said.

Slew Babylon is produced by Tasjay Productions, the independent label that has guided Dixon’s career for the past decade. The company also produced some of his popular songs such as Sweet Caroline and Write Your Name, as well as Hard Times, Dixon’s debut album which was released in early 2023.

Like Garnet Silk — who died in December 1994 at age 28 — and other sons of Manchester, among them Tony Rebel and Luciano, Dixon prefers to write and record songs with a message.

“I like doing culture music because it’s more substantial and it paves a righteous path for the future. The message behind Slew Babylon is to remind people that whatever you do to hurt people unnecessarily, your time will come, it’s time they wake up and start doing the right thing,” he said.

Dixon has released two EPs — Change and Best Reggae Lovers Rock Covers, also produced by Tasjay Productions.

— Howard Campbell