The story of “Java” is well-known. Clive Chin had originally recorded a vocal by Dennis Wright on the rhythm, but was unhappy with the result. He then asked his friend Augustus Pablo to play on it, and the resulting record was a massive success that launched Pablo’s career. The record includes supporting vocals from The Chosen Few, but it is…
Crown Prince of Reggae Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Emmanuel Brown is without a doubt one of the most prolific and popular reggae artists ever. Born in 1956, he began recording for producer Coxsone Dodd in his youth. It resulted in the 1970 released LP No Man Is An Island, recorded when he was only 13 years old. A second…
Manu Chao Manu Chao has gained quite some international popularity, since he burst on the scene in the mid-1980s, first with his band Mano Negra (meaning “Black Hand”). Born José Manuel Chao Ortega in Paris in 1961, to Spanish, anti-fascist parents, he grew up bilingually, explaining his many Spanish lyrics, as well as helping his popularity in Latin America. Musically,…
STAY UPDATED WITH OUR PICKS OF THE WEEK In general, Reggae Vibes’ weekly Spotify Playlist is compiled of tunes that were released in the previous week, a blast from the past, a dub piece, chart toppers and new entries in the dancehall & reggae charts, and tracks from albums and EPs that were reviewed in the past seven days. Share…
Hailing all the way from Spain comes this noteworthy 12-inch single showcasing a track by the esteemed reggae artist and producer, Linval Thompson. It would be quite astonishing, bordering on unbelievable, for anyone familiar with reggae music over the last fifty years to be unacquainted with this man. Linval Thompson has been a significant presence in the reggae scene since…
Throughout his career, Runkus has shared the mic with a number of artistes — from Jesse Royal to Jah9 and King Cruff. In April, he travelled to Germany for his most unconventional collaboration, with Bahamian creative Tavares Strachan. The roots-reggae artiste performed at the opening of Strachan’s highly-anticipated ‘SUPERNOVAS’ exhibition which runs from April 11-August 24 at the Kunsthalle Mannheim.…
One of the songs he listened to during his youth, Bobby Floyd longed to cover ‘Your Love Is Amazing’, made popular in Jamaica by Delroy Wilson and Errol Dunkley. In late 2024, he linked with producer Clovis Forde and finally cut his version. Released in March, it is Floyd’s first released song in some time. Not that he has been…
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Discovering Madrid-based Mango Wood through their 2020 release Stomp You Down was a delightful introduction to the band and their music. In fact, it sparked a desire for their next album. After a long four-year wait, that follow-up album is finally released under Liquidator Music, and it unequivocally lives up to the anticipation. Despite lineup shifts since Stomp You Down…