I can't remember where I found this but always had a soft spot for "ska" music and Prince Buster was one of the pioneers back in the 60's. Very much influenced by New Orleans R&B and jazz. Rico Rodriguez, who features on the "Soul of Africa" instrumental once said his heroes were people like Gene Ammons, Smiley Lewis and Dave Bartholemew.
"Jamaica was in the throes of a new social revolution when Prince Buster Campbell was born on May 24, 1938. Bustemante had declared an island wide strike and excitement was at it's height.
His father was a railroad worker and, at the tender age of 4, young prince Buster (named after the great Jamaican leader) began his primary education at the Central Branch School in Kingston. Some years later when he was attending St. Anne's School he became interested in professional boxing and spent most of his early years in the booths.
Match or workout over he would stray over Kingston looking for music- and finding it. Night after night, together with a small "spasm" band consisting of friends with sticks and pans for drums, he would sing through the warm tropical nights on the corner of Luke Lane and Drummond Street."
Part of sleeve notes by James Asman.
Rico Rodriguez - Soul of Africa
Prince Buster - Run Man Run
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Nwod edis Pu
12 hours ago
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4 comments:
Soul of Africa was really nice soft dancing music...thanx Michael!
It is a lovely lilting melody isn;'t it? Rico does a good version of it on his solo LP that was released some 20 years later.
And of course het inspired old Madness, The Specials, The Beat and that whole two tone scene.
Yes, I should have mentioned that CJ. I loved that whole 2Tone scene at the time and good to see one of the black guys from the Specials guesting on the Jools Holland show the other night with the Mexican Ska/Mariachi punk band?
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