Hip-Hop News

Glen and Daves 'Wake up to reality' is an early plea for Jamaicans to get along and live together.
The song is underpinned by the thumping Nyabinghi drums of Count Ossie.
So many of the Gayfeet records seemed to feature Rasta infused drums around this time.
The flipside is JoJo Bennetts Musical Pressure. Limited to just 600 copies.

Limited edition pressing from Sonia Pottingers Gayfeet of just 600 copies.
Living Soul which was also know as the Loop. Soulful heartfelt and smooth on the A side.
The B side is a thunderous poly-rhythmic percussive assault. Both long available and limited to 600 copies.

Limited edition pressing from Sonia Pottingers Gayfeet of just 600 copies of the long out of press
'Miss Cushie' by Junior Soul aka Junior Murvin. The super laid back 'Pure Soul' with Lennie Hibbert on Vibes.
Killer. Pressed in the EU. Miaow.

Two superb rock steady sides produced by Derrick Morgan.

Hop Special see's Roland Alphonso lead Saxaphone glide through Procul Harem's 'Whiter Shade of Pale'.

The flip side has The Inventors waxing lyrical on subjects beloved by daytime TV. Relationships and food.

The Inventors 'Food of Love' has not been re-pressed on 45 since its original release. Comes in a hand stamped sleeves.

The Black Brothers 'You've been saying things' is a lovely rocksteady harmony workout produced around

1968 by Derrick Morgan. Never before repressed and comes with The Brothers 'Everyday' on the flipside.

Derrick Morgan was most likely the lead singer on the Brothers track.

Comes in a hand stamped sleeve. 'Yeah yeah yeah'

The Stormmers were led by Renny Pearl, former bandleader and bass player with AKTION (The Aktions/Aktion 13), an Afro Funk band from Warri that burned brightly and briefly in the mid 70s. With the help of Jake Sollo, an ex-Funkee and recently reconstituted disco dandy, they created Lovers Song, an album of frantically musical bass lines, skittery high hats and an irresistible urge to get onto the dancefloor. 'Love and Money' has the swagger of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. 'Super DJ' has the sure-footedness of a well-selected playlist. 'Sexy Woman', with its refrain of 'I need you, I want you, you turn me on, you're beautiful' is sound of a clubber desperately trying to find someone, anyone, so they don't have to go home alone. The album was recorded in Nigeria and the UK and released in 1981, a time in Nigeria when oil prices were falling, beats-per-minute were rising and clubbers wanted to party like there was no tomorrow. The urgent, salacious sounds of The Stormmers suited the mood perfectly. - Peter Moore,

Gentleman & Ky-Mani Marley veröffentlichen zusammen ein Album und gehen diesen Sommer
gemeinsam auf Europa-Tour!
Die beiden Künstler arbeiteten zum ersten Mal beim MTV Unplugged-Konzert von Gentleman
zusammen und haben danach beschlossen, ein gemeinsames Albumprojekt zu starten. Auch Marcia
Griffiths, die früher bei Ky-Mani's Vater und Reggaelegende Bob Marley im Background gesungen hat,
ist als Feature vertreten. Zu dritt haben sie Bob's Klassiker "Simmer Down" neu interpretiert. Ebenfalls
auf der Singleliste befindet sich - Mama', bezeichnenderweise eine Hommage an alle Mütter,
produziert von Supadups, der sich aktuell für einige Drake- und Rihanna-Produktionen verantwortlich
zeichnet.

Gentleman & Ky-Mani Marley veröffentlichen zusammen ein Album und gehen diesen Sommer gemeinsam auf Europa-Tour!
Die beiden Künstler arbeiteten zum ersten Mal beim MTV Unplugged-Konzert von Gentleman zusammen und haben danach beschlossen, ein gemeinsames Albumprojekt zu starten. Auch Marcia Griffiths, die früher bei Ky-Mani's Vater und Reggaelegende Bob Marley im Background gesungen hat, ist als Feature vertreten. Zu dritt haben sie Bob's Klassiker "Simmer Down" neu interpretiert. Ebenfalls auf der Singleliste befindet sich - Mama , bezeichnenderweise eine Hommage an alle Mütter, produziert von Supadups, der sich aktuell für einige Drake- und Rihanna-Produktionen verantwortlich zeichnet.

Gentleman & Ky-Mani Marley veröffentlichen zusammen ein Album und gehen diesen Sommer gemeinsam auf Europa-Tour!
Die beiden Künstler arbeiteten zum ersten Mal beim MTV Unplugged-Konzert von Gentleman zusammen und haben danach beschlossen, ein gemeinsames Albumprojekt zu starten. Auch Marcia Griffiths, die früher bei Ky-Mani's Vater und Reggaelegende Bob Marley im Background gesungen hat, ist als Feature vertreten. Zu dritt haben sie Bob's Klassiker "Simmer Down" neu interpretiert. Ebenfalls auf der Singleliste befindet sich - Mama , bezeichnenderweise eine Hommage an alle Mütter, produziert von Supadups, der sich aktuell für einige Drake- und Rihanna-Produktionen verantwortlich zeichnet.

Michael Franti ist schon lange dafür bekannt, ein Vorreiter des lyrischen Aktivismus zu sein.
Mit seinem genreübergreifenden Sound, unglaublich dynamischen und lebensfrohen Liveshows und sehr bewussten Texten, begeistert er Reggae, Hip-Hop, Funk und Folk Fans weltweit.
Den Titel seines neuen und somit 13. Albums, SOULROCKER, definiert Franti wie folgt: One who lives from the heart, with compassion for all, and possesses a tenacious enthusiasm for music, life and the planet.
Treffender könnte es nicht sein!

This is the Dub version of the previous album of Blundetto « World of ». TIP!
In the largest Jamaican tradition, Blundetto decided to revisit the songs from his latest album "World of" in dub.

With his partner and producer, Blackjoy, they locked themselves in the studio with delay chambers and a multitude of effects for tweaking sounds and extract the substance of dub.

The result offers a variety of sound and atmosphere for the greatest pleasure of the ears.
Dubwise !!!

Produced by Linval Thompson, mixed by Scientist and first released in 1981 this wonderful Dub Landing starts out with an exceptionally powerful dub reformation of Al Campbell's 'Unfaithful Children' showcasing Scientist's exceptional skills of deconstruction and reconstruction. Scientist at his best on Dub Mir!

FIRST REISSUE EVER

REMASTERED BY HOPETOWN OVERTON BROWN

CONTAINS A BONUS CD

45RPM AUDIOPHILE EDITION

Truly outstanding Scientist killer dub LP, originally released in 1981. Produced by Linval Thompson and mixed by the one and only Scientist at King Tubby's.

FIRST REISSUE EVER

REMASTERED BY HOPETOWN OVERTON BROWN

CONTAINS A BONUS CD

45RPM AUDIOPHILE EDITION

Jimmy Riley meets Scientist in dub! Classic Scientist dub action over tough Sly and Robbie Channel One rhythms. All tracks recorded at Channel One by Prince Jammy, Scientist, Jimmy Riley. Top ranking dub!!

FIRST REISSUE EVER

REMASTERED BY HOPETOWN OVERTON BROWN

CONTAINS A BONUS CD

45RPM AUDIOPHILE EDITION

https://youtu.be/ElN6OmBbWEc
* Another from dig the vaults of early 1990's UK Dub / Roots with these two sure shots.
*Both originally released on the same hard-to-find Sound Business 12" back in 1994.
*`African Mask' is a hypnotic slice of meditative dub which features repetitive vocal phrases from Paul Fox which along with Nick Manasseh' Raphael get production credits. A tune favoured by Jah Shaka from those times,
* `Writing on the Wall' is a vocal and dub affair in the more traditional mode roots reggae mode.
*500 only pressed

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic and legendary reggae labels to come out of the UK,Fashion Records has a rich and deep history that reaches far beyond the world of reggae. The brainchild of John MacGillivray and Chris Lane, two music devotees who started the Dub Vendor market stall in Clapham Junction selling imported reggae and dub vinyl during the late 70s (which later went on to spawn the hugely popular Dub Vendor shops), a dub cutting studio and label was set up in 1980 and started generating hits instantly, regularly topping the UK reggae charts and attracting attention further afield. Soon a recording studio was built, which served as a drop-in for most of the Jamaican stars passing through London at the time.

Horace Andy, Johnnie Clarke, Alton Ellis, Frankie Paul, Junior Delgado and many more household names all spent time in the A-Class studios during the early days, although it was the stars of the new UK reggae explosion that really put the label on the map. Alongside artists such as Dee Sharp, Keith Douglas, Papa Face & Bionic Rhona, the label was a springboard for talents such as Asher Senator, Macka B,Andrew Paul and Smiley Culture, the latter scoring a top 20 hit and a couple of appearances on Top Of The Pops with his 1984 single "Police Officer".

Going from strength to strength, it was the chart explosion of dancehall in the early 90s that saw more international names come flocking to the label and more hits racking up - far too many to list here, but a brief glance through the discography shows Cutty Ranks, Papa San, General Levy, Top Cat, Tenor Fly, Daddy Freddy and Wayne Wonder all recording sides for the label. Subsequently another more uniquely English style of dance music began using acapella samples from the label, jungle. Based around the soundsystem style of Jamaican music, with an emphasis on the cutting drums and heavy basslines, young jungle producers used many of the tracks recorded and played by the previous generation as the music's backbone, the vocals given new life by the rudimentary samplers being used in bedroom studios all over the land.

Fast forward 25 years and those reverberations are still being felt today - drum & bass, dubstep, hip hop, trap and almost any other sub-genre of what many now refer to as "bass music" has the DNA of reggae and dancehall running through it, so its only right to expect a little payback. A&R'd by music fanatic and owner of the NICE UP! record label, Jon Sheppard - "Inna NICE UP! Fashion" aims to bring new life to some of these legendary tracks by having modern day producers rework them in their own style and re-introduce them to a new audience. From the frantic breakbeats of rave-revivalistSpecial Request and the bottom end sonics of Radio 1's Toddla T & Melé, to the modern minimalist dancehall-tech of Machinedrum and the digital dub drone of The Bug, there is plenty to get excited about here. Poland's Radikal Guru serves up some classic dubstep, Germany's Jahtari crew take it back into 80s nostalgia with their 8-bit dancehall style, whilst modern reggae producers Wrongtom, Jstar and Mr Benn all show why they are on the forefront of the UK reggae revival. The tempo gets upped for some heavier jungle inspired remixes from Aries & Gold Dubs, Serial Killaz and festival favourites Dub Pistols, giving a little bit of something for everybody.

Another crucial reissue from Partial Records that will be welcomed by collectors of the roots reggae genre.
*`A Jah Do It' originally came out as an obscure release on the Must Dance label in the early 1980's.
*Produced by Jah Bunny - drummer and one-time member of The Cimarons - and featuring Sonny Binns on organ.
* This is a recut and adaption of a classic Jackie Mittoo Studio One track `Who Done It'.
* The B-side is a previously unreleased dub version.
* 500 only. Sure to fly

"A dub version could be a stone killer", predicted David Hutchison in his 4 star Mojo review of 'You No Fit Touch Am'. And here it is: Afrobeat icon Dele Sosimi's recent album gloriously re-imagined in dub by two production masters, Prince Fatty and Nostalgia 77.

"It was such a rush to have Prince Fatty and Nostalgia 77 work their magic on Dele's album. With Fatty bringing the spirit of 80s On-U Sound, Mikey Dread and Mad Professor, and Ben Nostalgia having mixed Dele's original LP, this was always going to be something very special." Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s)

'You No Fit Touch Am', Dele Sosimi's first full-length album in almost a decade, was released by Wah Wah 45s in May 2015. It represented where Dele is today - something of an untouchable force in the music scene that he has always been such a vital part of. The album provided a musical representation of Dele's strong socio-political opinions, as well as delivering classic song-writing that could have come straight out of 1970s Lagos.

Born in Hackney, East London, but soon to return to his parents' native Nigeria at the age of four, Dele Sosimi was schooled and raised in Fela Anikulapo Kuti's shadow at the height of early 70s Afrobeat. Having been chosen by Fela to join his band at somewhat of a tender age, he was still a young man when sharing

Fela's Glastonbury stage in 1984, and became both Musical Director for both Fela's Egypt 80 and FemiKuti's Positive Force. After Fela's passing in 1997, Dele went on to concentrate on his own solo career and, with diligent patience, carved out his own Afrobeat crown. In London, where he now resides, his Afrobeat Vibration all-nighters are charged with his passion, labours and his unrelenting spirit.

1978 album re-issued on 180 gram vinyl in its original cover.

At the same time that Neville 'Bunny Wailer' Livingston recorded his debut solo long playing masterpiece, 'Blackheart Man', he was also creating a series of singles for his own Solomonic label. These records were every bit as good, at times even better, but they have never been released outside of Jamaica. Until now...,

It is next to impossible to ever overstate the importance of The Wailers to the history of Jamaican music and, as the last surviving member of the group, Bunny Wailer rightly regards himself as the sole keeper of their history ever mindful of the group's exalted position in the story of reggae music and the importance of their legacy. In 2010 Dub Store were proud to be able to work with Bunny on re-releasing a selection of his earliest recordings for the Solomonic label, lovingly restored and presented in reproduction sleeves and labels, on limited edition seven and twelve inch singles. Now, taking another step forward, we are more than proud to present Bunny's timeless music on two beautifully packaged CD's and double LP's. Bunny's first solo album, 'Blackheart Man' originally released in 1976 on his own Solomonic label in Jamaica and on Island in the UK, is one of the undisputed all time classics of Jamaican music and established Bunny Wailer as a highly respected, world renowned artist in his own right. During this period Bunny also produced a series of singles released in Jamaica and the UK in strictly limited quantities without the benefit of international distribution, that are every bit as good and, in some cases, even better than this awesome debut long player. Original copies have subsequently become highly prized, and highly priced, collector's items. "Classic rarities" is an overused and abused term too often employed to describe average records that failed to sell on their initial release but both 'Tread Along' and 'Rise & Shine' are packed from beginning to end with a searing selection of some of the greatest and hardest to find reggae records ever produced. 'Tread Along' opens, naturally enough, with 'Tread Along' from 1969, one of the last singles for The Wailers' own Wail N Soul M label, and runs through the first release on the Solomonic label, 'Searching For Love' also known as 'Search For I', 'Bide Up' released as 1974 drew to a close, a radical reworking of 'Pass It On' and a marked contrast to the version on The Wailers' 'Burnin'', album, 'Life Line' and the prophetic 'Arabs Oil Weapon' kept the pressure on as Bunny began outlining the flawless 'Blackheart Man' album. Each release was a certified classic in its own right. Peter Tosh's melodica version to Bunny's 'Amagideon' ('Armageddon'), the first track on 'Rise & Shine', is followed by 'Love Fire', an update of another Wail N Soul M track, 'Fire Fire'/'Babylon Burning', through to one of the deepest roots records ever created, 'Rise & Shine', on to 'Riding' from the 'Bunny Wailer Sings The Wailers' sessions (but not featured on the album) and a huge hit in the UK in 1981, and closing with 'Rule Dance Hall' from 1985. No idle boast..., The liner notes feature the story of The Wailers, as told to Dub Store by Bunny himself in Kingston in an enlightening 2012 interview, and rarely seen contemporary photographs complete these essential releases. The music of Bunny Wailer was not only a medium for change and protest but also to elucidate and educate and 'Tread Along' and 'Rise & Shine' finally complete the canon of un-compiled Wailers music. "I'm quite satisfied, you know, reggae music is the kind of music that although sometimes you would look at it and say..., boy, it's hard..., then again you look at what it has done for the people of the world you know that that couldn't be locked up in a little place like Jamaica!" Bunny Wailer

At the same time that Neville 'Bunny Wailer' Livingston recorded his debut solo long playing masterpiece, 'Blackheart Man', he was also creating a series of singles for his own Solomonic label. These records were every bit as good, at times even better, but they have never been released outside of Jamaica. Until now...,

It is next to impossible to ever overstate the importance of The Wailers to the history of Jamaican music and, as the last surviving member of the group, Bunny Wailer rightly regards himself as the sole keeper of their history ever mindful of the group's exalted position in the story of reggae music and the importance of their legacy. In 2010 Dub Store were proud to be able to work with Bunny on re-releasing a selection of his earliest recordings for the Solomonic label, lovingly restored and presented in reproduction sleeves and labels, on limited edition seven and twelve inch singles. Now, taking another step forward, we are more than proud to present Bunny's timeless music on two beautifully packaged CD's and double LP's.

Bunny's first solo album, 'Blackheart Man' originally released in 1976 on his own Solomonic label in Jamaica and on Island in the UK, is one of the undisputed all time classics of Jamaican music and established Bunny Wailer as a highly respected, world renowned artist in his own right. During this period Bunny also produced a series of singles released in Jamaica and the UK in strictly limited quantities without the benefit of international distribution, that are every bit as good and, in some cases, even better than this awesome debut long player. Original copies have subsequently become highly prized, and highly priced, collector's items. "Classic rarities" is an overused and abused term too often employed to describe average records that failed to sell on their initial release but both 'Tread Along' and 'Rise & Shine' are packed from beginning to end with a searing selection of some of the greatest and hardest to find reggae records ever produced.

'Tread Along' opens, naturally enough, with 'Tread Along' from 1969, one of the last singles for The Wailers' own Wail N Soul M label, and runs through the first release on the Solomonic label, 'Searching For Love' also known as 'Search For I', 'Bide Up' released as 1974 drew to a close, a radical reworking of 'Pass It On' and a marked contrast to the version on The Wailers' 'Burnin'', album, 'Life Line' and the prophetic 'Arabs Oil Weapon' kept the pressure on as Bunny began outlining the flawless 'Blackheart Man' album. Each release was a certified classic in its own right.

Peter Tosh's melodica version to Bunny's 'Amagideon' ('Armageddon'), the first track on 'Rise & Shine', is followed by 'Love Fire', an update of another Wail N Soul M track, 'Fire Fire'/'Babylon Burning', through to one of the deepest roots records ever created, 'Rise & Shine', on to 'Riding' from the 'Bunny Wailer Sings The Wailers' sessions (but not featured on the album) and a huge hit in the UK in 1981, and closing with 'Rule Dance Hall' from 1985. No idle boast...,

The liner notes feature the story of The Wailers, as told to Dub Store by Bunny himself in Kingston in an enlightening 2012 interview, and rarely seen contemporary photographs complete these essential releases. The music of Bunny Wailer was not only a medium for change and protest but also to elucidate and educate and 'Tread Along' and 'Rise & Shine' finally complete the canon of un-compiled Wailers music.

"I'm quite satisfied, you know, reggae music is the kind of music that although sometimes you would look at it and say..., boy, it's hard..., then again you look at what it has done for the people of the world you know that that couldn't be locked up in a little place like Jamaica!" Bunny Wailer

Known for his 140 BPM productions heavily influenced by reggae, King Yoof continues to release music with soul; encompassing all different styles that make up sound system culture. Born and bred in Lewisham, the English producer encountered the local sound system Saxon Sounds, which played dub music that struck him by heart. He then devoted all his time in learning how to make music through imagination, which quickly led to respected releases on labels like Sub Slayers, Dub Police (remix for Caspa) and Big Dadda Records (remix for Congo Natty). Yoof's 'Homage To The King' LP is a strictly dub album that has been in the works for years. As it was never meant for release, experimenting and recording bands led to an archive of dub samples that needed a necessary dub treatment. It quickly became part of the producer's lifetime passion project, allowing him to delve into the music that hits his soul indefinitely. Each of the centrepieces have been sampled, reworked and pushed to their limits to let loose King Yoof's personal and psychedelic visions. This collectively forms a sophisticated dub album that salutes all past masters of dub - and even includes a tribute to the old 'Sleng Teng' hit by the legendary Wayne Smith. Every single production is characterised by vibrant basslines, a clean sound and authentic dub attitude. This makes listening to them a very comfortable experience for anyone familiar and unfamiliar with our Moonshine music catalogue. Every tempo is treated in 'Homage To The King' LP, going down a common path of dread and brightness: Class-A dub music from London, UK. With King Yoof and acclaimed appearances by I-Lodica, Earl 16, MC Spee and Raggs, the Moonshine family tree is growing from the roots up. With another LP full of dub-flavoured music, 2016 is turning out to be another highlight year for us. Make sure to gear up for the summer, as more Moonshine material is about to surface!

Classic reggae label from the 1970's.

180 gram re-issue of classic 1978 album recorded at King Tubby's studio and mixed by Ossie Hibbert
Full mailout to specialist magazines
Advertising in Record Collector.

Soul Masooka. The first international african hit, classic groove of summer '73 gets instant jamaican treatments by ex-Melodians Brent Dowe backed by The Gaytones. Years before Manu Dibango came to Kingston for a Sly & Robby session, a tribute had been paid to the 'negropolitan'. From coast to coast! From Africa to Jamaica! This is Earth Sound!

One of Jimmy Rileys best tunes with Lee Perry. An impassioned vocal that lays Jimmys observations on the state of 'Rasta' at the time.
Jimmy acknowledged Perrys production skills when I asked him how was it at the Black Ark with Scratch, he smiled and said
'Fun, Scratch was great to work with' Perry joins in on the vocals on the flipside. Top notch.

Classic reggae label from the 1970's.

Revelation's debut album from 1978 reissued on 180 gram vinyl
Full mailout to specialist magazines
Advertising in Record Collector.

Classic reggae label from the 1970's.

Revelation's debut album from 1978 reissued on 180 gram vinyl
Full mailout to specialist magazines
Advertising in Record Collector.

Reissue of 1979 album remastered on 180 gram vinyl with full colour insert or CD.
Crack Channel One studio band the Revolutionaries line-up featured Robbie Shakespeare (bass), Sly Dunbar (drums), Duggy (lead guitar), Ranchie (rhythm guitar), Don D. Junior and Tommy McCook (horns), Ansel Collins (organ), Skully (percussion) and Glabby Anderson (piano).

Recorded at Channel One Studios, Kingston, Jamaica and produced by Junior English, 'Burning Dub' is another killer roots dub session from the late 70s

The Flames started life as a backing unit for Alton Ellis but recorded under a variety of names The Crashers, The Hurricanes, The Invaders.
Winston Jarrett was usually in the mix as the one constant member. Difficult to say who takes the lead vocalist is on this Nyabingi infused number.
Most likely its Danny Clarke.

An understated Lee Perry production featuring a young Junior Delgado as the lead vocalist of Time Unlimited.
Delgado worked with Perry on a lot of material and this was one of the more laid back songs. Nice.

Two no-flim-flam, cross-border, dub-wise stompers — paired with masterful versions — from the veteran, Kingston-based unit led by the trombonist of Count Ossie's Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari and The Light Of Saba.

It was July 26th 1979, following a meeting with the group The Meditations in the Madison Square Garden area, Kingston Jamaica, Dervin Dawes and Donald Marshall paid close attention and exchanged ideas in turn learning much more from an already established group with their hit song 'Woman Is Like A Shadow'. Ansel Cridland (The Meditations) brought some more talent to the D'Nations by suggesting meeting and talking with Anthony Hill who can sing very well. The Meditations would show the D'Nations good lead vocals and having harmony in sync together in order to develop a better sound for the determined trio.

Channel 1 Records Studio on Maxfield Avenue, West Kingston Jamaica; in that era was the top of the line and one of the most prestigious recording studios. There, the D'Nations met and impressed the producer Bunny Hylton from London, who was residing in Jamaica at the time. He provided them with studio time enough to produce the first two songs from the trio 'See Me in the Park' and 'I Am Not Good At Proposing', released in England in late 1979.

In 1989, after good vibes with the most famous backing-band at this time Fire House Crew, the D'Nations composed with them 'Vibes Version' at Music Works studio and then move to Creative Sound Studio on Mountain View Avenue to record the vocal. The result is a monster digital lover tune that will mash up all festivals this summer.

The highest heights of 60's Nyabinghi music from the drums of Ras Michael a.k.a. King Negus Fifteen tracks of glorious, devotional Rastafarian hymns of praise originally released on rare Zion Disc singles in extremely limited pressings and never before available outside of Jamaica

"Let Africa be our guiding star, OUR STAR OF DESTINY." Marcus Mosiah Garvey In 1967 Ras Michael began to play occasional recording sessions for Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd with Jackie Mittoo and Soul Vendors at Studio One. Instead of getting paid for his work Ras Michael requested studio time for recordings for his own Zion Disc productions as the Sons of Negus Churchical Host. Seven inch releases at Zion Disc in 1967 and 1968, included 'A Psalm Of Praises To The Most High', 'Come Down', 'King's Highway' to name a few, and all were unequivocal in form and content. The records did not trouble charts and none were released outside of Kingston..., "Like reggae is a vision. Reggae is the word that hits at the heartstrings the mind can't control. I and I get the message of Rastafari out through reggae. It is the black music line of message to the world. It is the black Rastaman line of message to the world. It is the metaphorical Black Star Line...," Ras Michael

The highest heights of 60's Nyabinghi music from the drums of Ras Michael a.k.a. King Negus Fifteen tracks of glorious, devotional Rastafarian hymns of praise originally released on rare Zion Disc singles in extremely limited pressings and never before available outside of Jamaica

"Let Africa be our guiding star, OUR STAR OF DESTINY." Marcus Mosiah Garvey In 1967 Ras Michael began to play occasional recording sessions for Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd with Jackie Mittoo and Soul Vendors at Studio One. Instead of getting paid for his work Ras Michael requested studio time for recordings for his own Zion Disc productions as the Sons of Negus Churchical Host. Seven inch releases at Zion Disc in 1967 and 1968, included 'A Psalm Of Praises To The Most High', 'Come Down', 'King's Highway' to name a few, and all were unequivocal in form and content. The records did not trouble charts and none were released outside of Kingston..., "Like reggae is a vision. Reggae is the word that hits at the heartstrings the mind can't control. I and I get the message of Rastafari out through reggae. It is the black music line of message to the world. It is the black Rastaman line of message to the world. It is the metaphorical Black Star Line...," Ras Michael

Soul Jazz Records' new Nigeria Freedom Sounds! features a stunning selection of material spotlighting the vibrant musical scene in Nigeria at the start of the 1960s. With a wealth of musical and cultural history and newly independent from Britain, Nigerian music during this era was complex, diverse and forward-thinking, with musicians as excited in exploring their country's own musical lineage with styles such as Juju and Apala as they were in adapting and absorbing outside influences such as Ghanaian Highlife, Caribbean Calypsos and Mambo and more.
This album features many of the defining artists of this time who helped shape the Nigerian musical scene. Artists include I.K. Dairo and his Blue Spots, Haruna Ishola and his Group, E.C. Arinze, Sammy Akpabot and His All Stars, Godwin Omobuwa and his Soundmakers, Ganiyu Kale and His Guinea Mambo Orchestra and many more.
Few nations on earth are as diverse as Nigeria, and the wide assortment of Nigerian music styles collected on this album reflect the country's rich variety of cultures. Western-influenced dance music, played on European instruments such as guitar, brass, and woodwind sits alongside traditional musical styles, made with indigenous instruments such as the talking drum, marimba, or obo. And there is also religious musical styles first brought to Nigeria by European Christians and Islamic traders from North Africa. And of course, there are points where these musical styles overlap, merging into one another to create unique new sounds.
This album is released in two formats, as CD and as heavyweight gatefold double vinyl edition. The CD includes a large outsize 48-page book containing extensive sleevenotes, original photography, artist biographies, as well as selection of Nigerian adverts celebrating its independence and original artwork from some of the rare original Nigerian 45s on which this music was first (and only ever) released. The heavyweight gatefold 2xLP comes with full sleevenotes and download code.

20 track Album from Various Artists released by Dub Store Records

Raised on opposite sides of the Atlantic, these two artists have combined their talents to compose Lost Myself. This musical voyage blends New-York's hard-bop aesthetics and reggae-inspired elements, with modern jazz, for a fresh spin on classics and original compositions.

Vocalist Shola Adisa-Farrar, a native of Oakland, was born into a family of artists and intellectuals. Shola began singing at the age of eight, influenced by her Jamaican upbringing and the soul and jazz classics that played in her home. At a young age, Shola garnered attention for her distinct raspy voice, which enabled her to perform a variety of musical styles. After living in New-York for 8 years, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Music, she is now a true resident in Paris. Shola spends her time travelling to perform and develop her musical style. This album is her explorations into Jazz.

Florian Pellissier, Parisian pianist and composer, is known for the authenticity and hard-bop style he brings to his music. A graduate of The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, Florian has spearheaded his own quintet along with the release of two successful albums: Le diable et son train (2012), and Biches Bleues (2014). Florian has also contributed his musical talent to jazz and funk projects such as Setenta, Camarao Orkestra, Chevere Que Son, Cotonete and GUTS.

During Shola's year-long residence as a performer for Le Reservoir's Sunday Jazz brunch, Hot Casa Records' honchos introduced Shola to Florian, sensing they would musically complement each other. In July 2013, their collaboration began, bonding over their love of jazz autobiographies, swapping music, and improvising together.

The result is eight spiritually-tinged jazz tracks recorded live on analog equipment to maintain the traditional quality, from sultry introspections to rhythmic compositions, grounded in intense emotion. Included are jazz classics such as Feeling Good' and I Have a Dream', a tribute to the music of Herbie Hancock, who has influenced Florian since his formative years in New York, to which Shola penned lyrics.

Here comes another nice single release by Komuso
Roots, featuring Japanese Enka with ska/reggae
arrange on A-side, and Nyiabinghi on B-side.

Here comes another brilliant rework of Studio 1
classic. It's the melodica dub version of Ernest
Ranglin's reggae jazz tune