‘Wake The Town And Tell The People’: U Roy celebration set for Sep 19
Five years after pioneer deejay U Roy’s death, his family has taken steps to ensure the songs that made him famous are in the right hands. His daughter, Dionne Beckford, made this clear in a recent interview with the Jamaica Observer.
U Roy (given name Ewart Beckford) died in February 2021 at age 78, leaving a solid catalogue of songs and albums that are still in demand, especially in Europe where he had a lasting following.
“As far as his catalogue being secure and his music being properly distributed, we’re working with a team of lawyers to get things in place. He had 13 to 15 children, and there are about nine to 10 who are alive, and we should keep his legacy going,” said Beckford.
A dance dubbed ‘Wake The Town And Tell The People’ is one of the ways to salute U Roy’s role as an artiste, sound system kingpin and mentor. It takes place on September 19 at Cling Cling Oval in Olympic Gardens, Kingston, and features his Stur Gav sound system.
Some of the artistes who helped make Stur Gav dominant during the 1980s will perform. They include Josey Wales, Little John, Little Twitch and Lone Ranger.
At the peak of its popularity in the 1980s, Stur Gav fielded the biggest names in dancehall music. Among them were Sugar Minott, Charlie Chaplin, Super Cat, Tenor Saw, Tiger and Early B.
Wake The Town And Tell The People is U Roy’s signature phrase. It is also the title of his most famous song, released in 1970 by producer Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle label.
It marked the toaster’s transition from sound system selector to recording artiste. Wake The Town And Tell The People hears him deejaying to Girl I’ve Got Date, a hit for Reid and singer Ellis four years earlier.
U Roy had similar success toasting The Wailers’ Soul Rebel (as Natty Rebel) and The Paragons’ Wear You To The Ball.
Dionne Beckford, who lives in New York City, says she has been aware of his musical influence since childhood.
“I travelled with him on tours, so I got a bird’s-eye view of what’s going on the international scene with dad. That proved to me that our father was a legend.”
