Boomshots

Category: Foundation

Classics

  • Clive Hunt Pays Tribute to Bobby Ellis

    Clive Hunt Pays Tribute to Bobby Ellis

    Legendary Producer Remembers Jamaica’s Late Great Hornsman

    One of Jamaica’s most accomplished musicians, trumpet master Bobby Ellis, died on Tuesday at the University Hospital of the West Indies. The Jamaica Observer reports that he was admitted in late September suffering from pneumonia. During his 84 years on earth, Bobby Ellis and his trusty horn made a mighty legacy. A graduate of the famed Alpha Boys School, he often played alongside fellow alumni Tommy McCook, “Deadly” Headley Bennett, and the immortal tromphonist Don Drummond, and was awarded the Order of Distinction in 2014 for his outstanding contributions to Jamaican culture. His session works are too numerous to mention, from Boby Andy’s “I’ve Got To Go Back Home”  to Burning Spear’s classic Marcus Garvey album. Mr. Ellis arranged the horns for Jack Ruby’s stellar Black Disciples band and toured extensively with Spear over the years. He also collaborated with the noted jazz artist Herbie Mann. As news of Ellis’s passing has spread, numerous tributes have appeared on social media, but few more moving than that of legendary producer Clive “Uglyman” Hunt. Story Continues After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning With The Ranks: “Every day, another star is born from the ghetto. A star isn’t born from the hills and society either. It’s from the ghetts that the youth dem ah push up.”

    Reasoning With The Ranks:
    “Every day, another star is born from the ghetto. A star isn’t born from the hills and society either. It’s from the ghetts that the youth dem ah push up.”

    In Honor of Shabba’s Order of Distinction, We Present An In-Depth Interview with the Dancehall Emperor

    “Triumphant,” said Rexton Rawlston Fernando Gordon, better known to music lovers as Shabba Ranks. “Dat a my feeling right now because, as my mother used to tell me from I was little, hard work does pay off.” The dancehall emperor, who now resides in the United States, returned to Kingston, Jamaica this week to receive one of his homeland’s highest honors, the Order of Distinction. According to the Jamaica Observer, the crowd cheered wildly as the impeccably attired Ranks appeared on the great lawn at King’s House, the opulent residence of the island’s Governor General. Sir Patrick Allen personally bestowed the honor on this ghetto youth who took dancehall music around the world, earning the genre’s first gold record and two consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. “So we can see dat de validation for hard work is jus’ greatness — good really begets good,” said Shabba. “For my island to look at me as one of those proteges and bestow the Order of Distinction pon me, when I first hear, it’s just delight, joy. It cause me to think about how, for so many years, me a work with the strength of my forefathers who did their work and still could not achieve dis in their lifetime… So mi jus’ proud.” The 50-year-old artist joins a distinguished group of  Jamaicans in the fields of music, art, sports, politics, medicine, and journalism. Fellow honorees include Usain Bolt, Sir Coxsone Dodd, and Lee “Scratch” Perry.  Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • Ten Classic Rita Marley Tunes You Need To Stop Sleeping On

    Ten Classic Rita Marley Tunes You Need To Stop Sleeping On

    Half The Story Has Never Been Told

    The whole world knows the Bob Marley legend, but how many overstand the fact that his wife Rita is an accomplished singer in her own right? Alpharita Constantia “Rita” Anderson was born 70 years ago in Santiago, Cuba and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. She first met Robert Nesta Marley in the mid 1960s, when both were teenage recording artists at Sir Coxsone Dodd’s legendary Studio One, the “Motown Records” of Jamaica. Rita was lead vocalist for The Soulettes while Bob’s group was called The Wailing Wailers. The two would eventually get married and later tour the world, with Rita backing Bob as a member of his harmony section the I Three. Earlier this week Rita Marley was hospitalized after reportedly suffering a stroke. Our prayers go out to her family and fans around the world. In the meantime, let the music play. Audio After The Jump…
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  • HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “Colder”

    HEAR THIS: Busy Signal “Colder”

    The Turf Prez Touches Up A Classic King Jammy’s Riddim

    Some things just can’t be improved upon, but that doesn’t mean they should be left alone. King Jammy’s 1987 “Score” Riddim is a perfect example, a track that defines digital lovers rock. There was something about Steely’s warm and easy computer bassline and those crstyal-clear twinkling high notes combined with Clevie’s tastefully understated drum programming. The riddim became an instant classic when it first appeared on Frankie Paul’s “I Know The Score” from FP’s crucial Original Sara album, with additional  versions by Sanchez and Thriller U available on 12-inch discomix. A quarter century later Busy Signal has brought the riddim forward with a brand new song entitled “Colder.” Utilizing Edi Fitzroy’s distinctive stammer-phrase on the hook, the Turf Prez sings for the girls,  evokes bygone dancehall days, and pays homage to the elders who paved the way. The only thing worth changing is the title, cause this tune is definitely #Hotted. “Fe real, fe real, fe real pull up that one from top.” Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Super Cat Confirmed for Reggae Sumfest 2016

    Super Cat Confirmed for Reggae Sumfest 2016

    The Don Dada Will Headline Reggae Night

    Super Cat will make his Reggae Sumfest debut on July 23, 2016, headlining the festival’s Reggae Night in Montego Bay, Jamaica. “Our headline act on Saturday night—which is Reggae Night—will be none other than the Don Dada himself,” said Josef Bogdanovich, CEO of Downsound Records, which took over the well-known annual festival this year. “We just signed him today. I have a feeling this show is going to be really magical” Cat’s live performances have been few and far between, going back to Sting 2013, last year’s Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, and earlier this month in New York at Irie Jam’s Oracabesssa Festival. A living legend of reggae music and dancehall culture whose career built bridges into the international music industry, Cat has collaborated with artists like Heavy D, Puff Daddy, Biggie Smalls, Kriss Kross, Sugar Ray and Pharrell, to name a few, but he has remained a cornerstone of reggae music. It seems like poetic justice for Cat to make Sumfest debut on the festival’s first Reggae Night in recent memory. “Don’t let them trick the youth and keep talking about dancehall—that is a miseducation we have to straighten out that,” said Cat during an exclusive Boomshots interview in 2013. “Only thing we were playing in dancehall was reggae music. What dancehall is are venues.” Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Sly Dunbar: “I’ve Seen All The Changes”

    Reasoning with Sly Dunbar: “I’ve Seen All The Changes”

    The Master Drummer Turns 64 Today

    Perhaps the most celebrated drum and bass duo in history—regardless of genre—Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare were both accomplished studio musicians before they met in the mid 1970s. “You know that record that goes ‘I am the magnificent!’?” says Dunbar, speaking of Dave & Ansel Collins’ 1971 smash “Double Barrel,” the second Jamaican single ever to top the UK pop charts. “I played drums on that when I was 15 years old.”  Robbie, meanwhile, was rocking with the Aggrovators, producer Bunny Lee’s ace session band.  But once the “Rhythm Twins” linked up at Channel One studio on Maxfield Avenue in Kingston, Jamaican music would never sound the same again. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • SPECIAL REQUEST: Willi Williams “Armagideon Time”

    SPECIAL REQUEST: Willi Williams “Armagideon Time”

    Don’t Mix Up The Studio One Star With The First Black LAPD Chief, Who Passed Away Today

    What’s in a name? Willie L. Williams became Los Angeles’ first African American police chief in the aftermath of the 1992 riots,  died today of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72, reports the L.A. Times. Williams stepped into the top job at the LAPD at a sensitive time, as the department reeled from criticism over its handling of the riots and Los Angeles struggled to mend racial divides. He replaced Daryl Gates, who had long been criticized for running a department that mistreated minority groups, particularly blacks, in Los Angeles. Williams helped usher in a series of reforms in the wake of the Rodney J. King beating. Under him, the department grew by 2,000 officers and the LAPD adopted more “community policing” strategies that were designed to be less confrontational than Gates’ methods. He won credit for restoring confidence to the department. “I was the guinea pig” he once told a Times reporter. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • Reasoning with Capleton: “Music Is A Mission”

    Reasoning with Capleton: “Music Is A Mission”

    Throwback Q&A with The Prophet • New York City 2000 A.D.

    I had been listening to Capleton for years before I got the chance to interview him at Def Jam Records offices on Varick Street in Manhattan. He sat smoking beedies and a spliff with his manager Stuart Brown a.k.a. African Star in the record label conference room. Capleton’s first album for Def Jam, Prophecy, consisted of pretty much straight hardcore tracks from Jamaica, although the new one, I Testament, was a bit more “smooved out” shall we say, showing more influence from label A&Rs. But King Shango’s mental state was the same irresistible force it has ever been. He was named after a well-known local barrister, the lawyer Capleton, and the DJ’s reasoning is always forceful, like a prosecutor giving the closing argument on the biggest case of his life. Interview After The Jump… (more…)

  • The Don Dada Returns To NYC: Super Cat Confirmed for Memorial Day Performance

    The Don Dada Returns To NYC: Super Cat Confirmed for Memorial Day Performance

    Irie Jam Productions Confirms Super Cat For Oracabessa Festival 2016

    Although it took root in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica, Reggae has always been a majestic music. From the days of Bob Marley and Dennis Brown there have been certain artists who always bring that royal vibes to forefront. And while many great artists have played their part within the music fraternity, many shall be called and few chosen. These are the artists whose every public appearance, every performance, indeed every utterance is a major event for lovers of reggae music. In the dancehall era  living legends live Shabba Ranks have carried the music forward to the highest heights. Another such name is that of the Wild Apache, the Don Dada, Super Cat. Today Irie Jam Productions confirmed that Super Cat will take the stage at the Oracabessa Music Festival in Jamaica Queens this Memorial Day—Monday, May 30th. Mr. Cat joins an all-star lineup that includes Mavado, Ken Boothe, The Mighty Sparrow, Nesbeth, and rising star Vershon making this all-day festival a must-see event. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • HEAR THIS: Bongo Herman “Drum of Long Story”

    HEAR THIS: Bongo Herman “Drum of Long Story”

    Mek Rolling Stone Dem Know—Half The Story Has Never Been Told

    Just the other day Rolling Stone published a list of the supposed Greatest Drummers of All Time. Carlton Barrett of the Hippy Boys—a two-man duo comprising him and his brother Aston “Family Man” Barrett, who once backed Scratch Perry at the Black Ark and would go on to tour the world with Bob Marley as The Wailers—and Sly Dunbar of Sly & Robbie fame both made the RS list—ranking at Nos 29 and 65 respectively. Even as reggae fans give thanks for a likkle bit of recognition from a mainstream pub like Rolling Stone, we know that half the story has never been told. No Style Scott. No Horsemouth. No Santa Davis. No Lloyd Knibb. And no Bongo Herman, who sold me a copy of his own CD during a recent pass throug 56 Hope Road. Perhaps the best US$10 I ever spent. Herewith a highlight, throughout which the legendary Mr. Herman beats the skins in a percussive reinterpretation of Keith & Tex’s “Oh It’s a Long Story” produced by Derrick Harriott on his musical chariot. The intro is everything. Audio After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Jimmy Riley “Rougher Yet” Live in Tivoli Gardens 2008

    WATCH THIS: Jimmy Riley “Rougher Yet”
    Live in Tivoli Gardens 2008

    Rest In Power Jimmy Riley (1954–2016) Music Alone Shall Live

    Martin James Norman Riley, a distinguished singer and songwriter known to music lovers the world over as Jimmy Riley passed away around the dawning of March 23rd. Mr. Riley grew up in the musically blessed and economically stressed Waterhouse section of Western Kingston, and attended school with Slim Smith, with whom he would later record the timeless “My Conversation.” He was a member of seminal Jamaican harmoney groups The Sensations and The Uniques, and applied his rich soulful voice to classic solo recordings with Sly & Robbie including “Love & Devotion” and a cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” which topped the UK reggae chart. His musical legacy is further enriched by the fact that he is the father of the great Tarrus Riley, with whom he often shared the stage. “Tarrus always gravitated toward music,” Jimmy Riley told the New York Times in 2009. “He learned to play the piano and grew up right there in the midst of things. Most of the veteran singers were friends of mine, so he knew them all.” Tarrus and his father appeared onstage together as recently as last Spring’s Oracabessa Festival in Queens, with the elder Mr. Riley in a wheelchair, but still full of life. Check this video of Jimmy in top form. Notice when the band tries to change the riddim, Mr. Riley reminds them, “Me ah the singer!” Don’t you ever forget. Music alone shall live. Video After The Jump… (more…)

  • WATCH THIS: Chronixx x Eesah “Perfect Tree” Official Music Video

    WATCH THIS: Chronixx x Eesah “Perfect Tree” Official Music Video

    Chronixx x Eesah Engage in a Melodic Steam Session

    Chronixx opens with horns blazing, as he rides effortlessly over the beat from Black Star’s “Respiration” exhaling words of righteousness: “High grade never hurt nobody. Let herb be free on earth nuh daddy.” You’ve guessed it: it’s another ganja anthem, but this one requires a higher meditation to fully comprehend the meaning behind the “Perfect Tree.” Let’s begin with origins of Rastafari and the Legalize It movement. Bob Marley and the Wailers advocated for the legalization of herbs for the masses. Peter Tosh was a vocal proponent of green living throughout the ’70s. Before the Wailers, a man by the name of Leonard Howell built the Pinnacle as a sustainable community in colonial Jamaica with an economic base of agriculture and yup, marijuana. Video After The Jump…

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