In 1989, troubled by sustained hostility in Jamaica’s inner cities, Junior Reid wrote and recorded One Blood — an anti-violence song that became his signature.

Today it is the emblem for One Blood Family Fest, a June 3 show celebrating his 60th birthday at Plantation Cove in St Ann.

The event boasts a line-up of veteran and contemporary roots artistes such as Fred Locks, Cedric Myton (of The Congos), Winston McAnuff, Jahmiel, I Wayne, Warrior King, Kiddus-I, Big Youth, and Chezidek.

The diverse line-up, Reid told the Jamaica Observer, sums up his concept of One Blood.

“A lotta times a lotta show keep an’ is pare violence an’ all kinda thing gwaan, ’cause it nuh come under a family order. Dat’s why wi haffi bring dis order for love an’ unity so nuh fighting gwaan. Yuh haffi have these people together ’cause di elders can teach di youths an’ di elders can learn from di youths same way,” he said.

The Waterhouse-born Reid told the Observer he has been inspired by roots singers, including Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Fred Locks. He added that he learnt from several elders early in his career, mainly Augustus Pablo and Sugar Minott as well as Hugh Mundell, the talented roots singer who first recorded him in 1978.

He was with Mundell when the singer was murdered in Kingston in October 1983 at age 21. Forty years later, he remains a major influence on Reid.

“Mundell was a youth who believe dat yuh mus’ own yuh own thing. Him mek mi know seh there is nothing like when yuh can go into di studio an’ voice yuh song an’ own yuh masters an’ publishing. Mi love Hugh Mundell fi dat,” he said.

Songs like Boom-Shacka-Lack and Babylon Release The Chains, released in 1984, kept Reid’s name afloat in the dancehall and Europe, where he gradually gained a following. In 1985 came Original Foreign Mind, his mainstream breakthrough co-produced by himself and Sugar Minott.

Reid joined Black Uhuru in 1986, replacing Mykal Roze. He had two big hits with the group, Great Train Robbery and Fit You Haffe Fit, before going solo again two years later.

He returned to the charts with the self-produced One Blood. Featuring keyboardist Tony “Asher” Brissett, saxophonist Dean Fraser, bass player Chris Meredith, drummer Cleveland Browne, and guitarist Dalton Browne, the song’s opening wail (“Modern vampires in the city, hunting blood!”) became as distinct as his sound.

One Blood has also won Reid fans among a new generation of dancehall and hip hop disciples. It has been sampled by hip hop acts like Wu-Tang Clan and The Game, on whose 2006 hit song It’s Okay (One Blood) he appears.