Strength Inna The Music - Apple Gabriel Livication

Positive music for tough times...
Finding strength in the music  

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Rewind Show 27/03/2020

Continuous mix 2hrs 18

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Another mixed selection. Some brand new releases rub shoulders with more familiar tracks. Less riddim focused than usual. We start with some Third World style funky reggae, including Prisoner In The Street. Tuff new combination by Anthony B & Lutan Fyah and a heartfelt new song by vereran singer Jay Douglas who teams up with the legendary General Trees!

I had prepared a selection of Apple Gabriel lead & solo tracks to play on this session. Its a tale of tribulation.. But when I heard about Bob Andy & Delroy Washingon I quickly reached for some of their songs too. Andy's Wake Up Everybody resonates strongly in this time. Their music will be cherished for years to come...
Rise In Power!

Roots of Tamoki Wambesi with Roy Cousins

 TAMOKI WAMBESI IN ROOTS

with Roy Cousins & The Royals

Comprehensive selection of Cousins productions mid-70s to mid-80s. Strictly conscious vibes. Backing by the Roots Radics & the Revolutionaries (aka Force Of Music) and largely recorded at Channel One. As you'd expect Roy Cousins focused predominantly on vocal productions with their dubs though deejays Prince Far I, Jah Stitch, Baba Dread, I Roy and resident in-house chanter Charlie Chaplin spice things up. Watch out for some really serious dub versions...

Continuous mix - 2 hours 50 mins - 88 tracks.

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Rewind Show on rastfm Friday 7 Feb 2020

The man likes to recycle backing tracks though he almost exclusively used originals, including classic Royals riddims. So no shortage of version excursions here; I had to be selective or we'd have gone on and on... While the mix is not in strict chronological order, we begin mainly with some heavy 70s roots before moving on to his popular roots-dancehall selections from the early 80s later on. 

Four man group The Royals truly are one of reggae's most underrated and overlooked greats. They are a bit of an acquired taste and, like Prince Lincoln, can take a few plays to really penetrate but perseverance brings reward... With Cousin's deep & penetrating lyrics, his falsetto tones and the group's expressive delivery they rivaled the Abyssinians and Carlton & His Shoes and at their rootsiest were even comparable to the great Burning Spear.

Forming in 1964, they released only a handful of singles ska to reggae. They went on to record four LPs between 1977 & 1981 and three of these are real gems - Pick Up The Pieces (songs from 1972-77), Israel Be Wise and Ten Years After. They also voiced one masterpiece at Studio One - the original Pick Up The Pieces.