Honours Overdue: The music icons Jamaica still hasn’t recognised
Recipients of the National Honours and Awards will be announced this week by the government of Jamaica. Today, we look at stalwarts of the country’s music industry whose contributions have never been recognised.
Guitatist Earl ‘Chinna’ Smith
Earl “Chinna” Smith
Arguably the most prolific session musician in the history of reggae, Smith has played on classic songs by Dennis Brown (Westbound Train, Cassandra), Bob Marley (Rastaman Vibration), and Burning Spear (Marcus Garvey). His licks can also be heard on Grammy-winning albums by Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers and Lauryn Hill, as well as Amy Winehouse’s first album. In October 2023, Rolling Stone Magazine named Smith at #182 on its 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.
Lynn Taitt
Lynn Taitt
The Trinidadian guitarist is credited with starting rocksteady. He reportedly directed the 1966 recording session that resulted in Take it Easy by Hopeton Lewis, the song many musicologists believe launched that genre. Taitt played on numerous hit songs including the Shank I Sheck rhythm; (007) Shantytown and Israelites by Desmond Dekker and The Aces; Stop That Train by Keith and Tex; and Walk The Street at Night by Derrick Harriott. Lynn Taitt — who was named at #204 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2023 — died in 2010.
The Abyssinians: (from left) Bernard Collins, and brothers Donald and Lyndford Manning.
The Abyssinians
The legendary roots trio are best known for the seminal Sata Masa Gana, the 1971 song considered by many to be reggae’s official anthem. Bernard Collins, Donald Manning and Lynford Manning comprised the most famous version of the group, which still tours with Donald in its lineup. Declaration of Rights and Forward On To Zion are other famous songs by The Abyssinians.
Tenor Saw
Tenor Saw
Maybe the most original dancehall singer. His unique yodel made songs like Pumpkin Belly, Golden Hen and Ring The Alarm standards. That sound influenced singers such as Anthony Redrose and King Kong. Tenor Saw died in 1985.
Sister Nancy
Sister Nancy
A pioneer female deejay who made her name on sound systems before rocking the mic for producer Winston Riley in the early 1980s. It was Riley who produced Bam Bam, the 1983 song that remains her signature. Bam Bam has been used in ads by major companies such as Reebok, and sampled by heavyweight rappers including Jay Z.
Stanley Beckford
Stanley Beckford
The four-star general of mento! Stanley was not only a fixture of the Festival Song Competition (which he won three times), but he had hit songs during the 1970s when mento was shunned as ‘old people music’. Soldering (recorded with The Starlights), Broom Weed and Brown Gal were some of his popular songs. He died in 2007.
Sanchez (Photo: Karl Mclarty)
Sanchez
The dancehall Sinatra, Sanchez ruled the roost during the 1980s and 1990s with a series of hit songs. They include Loneliness, Baby Can I Hold You, I Can’t Wait, Here I Am and Brown Eye Girl.
Flabba Holt has played on classics like Gregory Isaacs’ and Freddie McGregor’s .
Flabba Holt
Bassist and founder of The Roots Radics Band, he is a ‘foundation’ of contemporary dancehall. Gunman (Michael Palmer), Big Ship (Freddie McGregor), Night Nurse (Gregory Isaacs), Police In Helicopter (John Holt) and Wa Do Dem by Eek A Mouse are some of the songs he played on. He can also be heard on albums by Bunny Wailer and Israel Vibration.
Guitarist Frank Stepanek, Andrew Bees and Duckie Simpson of Black Uhuru on their recent tour.<strong>.</strong>
Black Uhuru
The first winner of the Best Reggae Album (then known as Best Reggae Recording) Grammy, this group earned their stripes with edgy Sly and Robbie-produced songs like Plastic Smile, Abortion, General Penitentiary and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Mykal Rose, Duckie Simpson and Puma Jones (who died in 1990) comprised the most successful version of the group.
Steely (left) and Clevie
Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson
One of the godfathers of digital dancehall, this talented keyboardist was a member of The Roots Radics Band before forming a mega partnership with drummer Cleveland Browne, known as Steely and Clevie. They played on and produced countless hit songs including No, No, No by Dawn Penn; Love Is The Answer by Garnet Silk; Fast Car by Foxy Brown and Trailer Load A Girls by Shabba Ranks. Steely died in 2009.
Grace Thrillers
The Grace Thrillers
Formed in the early 1970s by Noel Willis, this group were the first successful exponents of what became gospel-reggae. Spiritual songs like Can’t Even Walk, Jesus and He’s Alive were played in dancehalls and drew ‘forwards’ from the most hardened ‘rude bwoys’.
Winston Wallace
Winston Wallace
This former educator and trade unionist wrote Land of My Birth, the unofficial national anthem of Jamaica. That song, by Eric Donaldson, won the Festival Song Competition in 1978. The previous year, they won that contest with Sweet Jamaica. Land of My Birth transcends ‘Festival’, and is played at national events in Jamaica and its Diaspora.
