Reggae's most transcendent and iconic figure, Bob Marley was the first Jamaican artist to achieve international superstardom, in the process introducing the music of his native island nation to the far-flung corners of the globe. Marley's music gave voice to the day-to-day struggles of the Jamaican experience, vividly capturing not only the... [+] Read More

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Ska music is not a genre easily defined. To the uninitiated, the word provokes an image of a punk band with a horn section. Well The Brentford Sound hopes to initiate you.
Taking their cues not from the punk-ska bands with which you might be familiar, The Brentford Sound instead draws their inspiration from the original rhythms of 1960's... [+] Read More

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One of reggae's most important and prolific producers, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd was a towering figure in the genre's development, from both creative and business standpoints. Like Motown's Berry Gordy, Dodd set up a streamlined, highly professional hit factory at his Studio One facility, recording vast amounts of music for his label of the same... [+] Read More

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Year 2000. Al "Karma" Martin (vocals) and Angel (guitar and choirs), influenced by ska-core and third-wave revival bands, like Mad Caddies or Sublime, they joined to compose songs in acoustic with the hope to form a punk-ska band.
Soon the trombonists Pablo "Boldhead" Gonzales joined them. He previously played with Angel in The Subs. The... [+] Read More

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Probably no other Jamaican artist has brought more international acclaim to his island home than Desmond Dekker, barring, of course, Bob Marley, but Dekker came first. Most people's introduction to the island's unique musical sound came via the singer's many hits, most notably "Israelites" and "0.0.7. (Shanty Town)." Needless to say, he was even... [+] Read More

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More than a band, the Skatalites were and are an institution, an aggregation of top-notch musicians who didn't merely define the sound of Jamaica, they were the sound of Jamaica across the '50s and '60s. Although the group existed in its original incarnation for less than 18 months, members brought their signature styles to hundreds upon... [+] Read More

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Following leader Bob Marley's death from cancer on May 11, 1981, the Wailers Band struggled nearly a decade for direction, hampered from releasing their own music by a Gordian knot of legal entanglements. Anchored by world-class bassist Family Man Barrett and his drummer brother Carlton (who was murdered by gunmen hired by his wife in April... [+] Read More

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