The role of the bass guitar in reggae was established by bassist, producer, arranger, and engineer Aston "Family Man" Barrett. With his brother, Carlton "Carlie" Barrett, on drums, Barrett provided the essential rhythmic foundation for the recordings and performances by Bob Marley from 1969 until Marley's death in 1981. The undistorted but... [+] Read More

Yes No

Cosmo Fraser is not your typical reggae singer/recording artist. From Westmoreland, a Jamaican Parish near Negril Beach, Cosmo's route to recording reggae came via a totally different route than most of the island's historic artists. It began like the careers of American soul artists: Stevie Wonder, Carl Carlton, Darrow Fletcher, Lucky Peterson,... [+] Read More

Yes No

Vocal trio Culture helped define the sound and style of Rastafarian roots reggae, thanks largely to charismatic singer, songwriter, and leader Joseph Hill. True to their name, Culture's material was devoted almost exclusively to spiritual, social, and political messages, and Hill delivered them with a fervent intensity that grouped him with... [+] Read More

Yes No

A pioneering force behind the rise of Caribbean music, guitar virtuoso Ernest Ranglin was born in Manchester, Jamaica in 1932. He began playing ukelele as a boy, soon graduating to guitar; while in his teens he began performing live both locally and in the Bahamas, often in tandem with the young Monty Alexander. Ranglin's session work at the... [+] Read More

Yes No

A living lesson in fortitude, the vocal trio of Cecil "Skeleton" Spence, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin overcame adversity, illness, and poverty to become one of the finest roots groups in Jamaica's history. All three had been afflicted by polio and first became acquainted, albeit briefly, at Kingston's Mona... [+] Read More

Yes No

Clifford Smith got the nickname Mr. Vegas from his schoolmates who thought he high-kicked the soccer ball like a Vegas showgirl. The dancehall singjay (someone who combines his singing with rapping, or toasting) started by singing cover versions of popular Jamaican tunes with little success. Despite being named after showgirls, Mr. Vegas was... [+] Read More

Yes No

One of the most endearing brats you're likely to hear, ambitious dancehall DJ Red Rat's semi-comical lyrics, spoiled brat delivery, and frequent intonations of "Oh no!" have won the St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, native a following that spans all ages. Born into a musical family that includes a former guitarist for Byron Lee & the Dragonnaires (his... [+] Read More

Yes No