Roots & Culture 281 Items

The legendary reggae artist Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert, together with his band The Maytals, toured Europe in 1980. During those days they had one of reggae and ska's finest live shows and Toots stepped out as the showman. This great performance at The Hammersmith Palais in London, with songs like 'Funky Kingston', '54-46, That's My Number', 'Pressure Drop' really capture their live energy. The album is available in the 'SELECTED REGGAE CLASSICS' series. Toots passed away in Jamaica in 2020, but his legacy lives on with this incredible Live album.

Known by reggae fans worldwide as an original sound system toaster, Micah Williams professionally known as Mr Williamz is a Reggae/Dancehall artist born in London before being moved to Jamaica by his father aged six. By age ten, he was already MC’ing and winning local competitions – such was the culture in Jamaica. At 15, he returned ‘home’ to London ready to take on the world. With single releases on both Necessary Mayhem and Greensleeves Records, Williamz authentic sound is heavily inspired by the Dancehall style of the 80s/90s and truly channels the sound of Jamaica through a familiar London lens. In demand as an artist, he appears features on tracks from Major Lazer, Shy FX, Mungos Hi-Fi, and Green Lion Crew to name but a few. He has also recorded and performed globally with the lines of Chronixx, Damian Marley, Hollow Point, Gappy Ranks and more. Despite all the features, Williamz has kept fans waiting for his debut album… but they need wait more as ‘2021’ brings about the release of ‘Soundkiller Mindset’ and ahead of that a super ltd double A-side.

A third and final volume of Jamaican doo wop & R&B records taken from the late 50s and early 60s.

These records represent a period in which sound-systems were beginning to dominate the island, with Duke Reid and Sir Coxsone Dodd stepping up their rivalry by beginning to make and release their own records rather than rely on US imports for use in their dances. Many of these records are definitely more-or-less imitations of the American records, as the uniquely Jamaican ska sound was yet to take hold - however many of the future stars of ska, rocksteady and reggae were beginning to cut their teeth in the industry on these records, incl. Alton Ellis, Derrick Morgan, Derrick Harriott and more, and provide a unique view into the fledgling independent record industry culture in Jamaica that would prove to be unbelievably prolific and unparalleled for an island of it's size.

Beres Hammmond presents his new single! - "Call To Duty" is finest deep conscious music, a beautiful song with a powerful message, available as limted edition 7-inch single in a picture sleeve, right in time for christmas and the holiday season. The song, written by Mr. Hammond and co-produced with Clive Hunt, is familiar in its social themes, yet more dramatic as it is stripped of his usual rhythmic reggae pulse. The swells of emotive chords from keyboardist Robbie Lyn are punctuated to great effect by the all-star horn section of Dean Fraser, Oshane Love and Okiel McIntyre. Harmony House players Michael Fletcher, Errol Graham and vocalists Dorett Wisdom and Sherida Sharpe round out the session. The recording is both a strong statement about life amid a pandemic and a call to a shared vision of what our world can be.

Richie Phoe returns with a catchy reworking of Jacob Miller's classic "baby I Love YOU SO". This time he's joined by Kassia Zermon & Leroy Horns (resonators) on vocals & sax. The B-side "baby I DUB YOU SO" features a blissed out dubbed version.

In the last months we had the pleasure to open a connection with Eeyun Purkins, he helped us to mix some Abeng riddims and sent us some riddims to work with. February/March/April /May , the "lockdown months" have been very active and "Moonlight Runner" is one of the results of the collaboration we created during that period , Ian ‘Upsettah’ Burgess , Eeyun Purkins & Abeng worked independently on it so it's for us a pleasure to publish this music on our Dig This Way Records! We hope you enjoy this moody roots music... In the next months we will press more chunes born from this Roots-Heads meeting!

Shaky Norman is a French musician who discovered the melodica through the music of Augustus Pablo.His influences range from classical to Jamaican music as well as punk, Celtic music, French traditional music and jazz. He has collaborated with Mad Professor in 1990 playing melodica on the album Psychedelic Dub.
His new eponymous album features eight original creations. It is set up as a 32 minutes musical journey taking you through different atmospheres kept together as a whole. The collaboration with prestigious Jamaican musicians like the late Ronald Nambo Robinson on trombone, who played with Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Sly & Robbie and so many others, and Glen Da Costa, the saxophonist of Bob Marley & the Wailers and Zap Pow, add an authentic depth to this album.

Ajukaja & Mart Avi shake claws on “Scorpio”, a sweet and sour digi-dub skirmish. Having worked together for a number of years, this is the duo’s first proper release. It’s jittery shape may come as a surprise, but it gets straight to the point. Just listen to Avi sing and let your heart ache – it’s okay! We suggest you slide it in your bag next to “Spirit World” by Tapes & Superstar. Out to all the digi-dub and lovers rock heads. The original is in good company on the 12” with not one but two lengthy remixes by Wah Wah Wino affiliate Morgan Buckley.

Year 1964. Almost out of nowhere, the little-known and regarded director Sergio Leone transposes into a western key a film by Akira Kurosawa, and by putting together all the right pieces, adding a bit of intuition, lays down new rules for the 'spaghetti western' genre, giving way to an endless series of imitations.

"A Fistful of Dollars" would not have the same impact without the inimitable music written by Ennio Morricone, who had curiously been an old elementary school Leone’s classmate. The main soundtrack themes were chosen from two arrangements that Morricone had already drafted two years earlier; once removed the lyrics and added the unmistakable whistle of Alessandro Alessandroni, the spaghetti-sound was finally complete!

The film was an incredible success, and projected Leone, Morricone, and in particular the actor Clint Eastwood into the Olympus of the Great. The soundtrack was released for the first time the following year (1965), along with the one of Sergio Leone's subsequent work "For a Few Dollars More".

This new edition sees the original seven tracks of the score in a completely new layout. The format is a 10" 45rpm LP, with a 26x26cm miniposter attached. Clear vinyl edition.

Find the most beautiful pieces of the Reggae legend "Bob Marley" reinterpreted by the Jazz scene. A selection of the most beautiful covers from "I Shot The Sheriff" to "Sun Is Shining" or "Jammin'" and "Jammin'". "Buffalo Soldier" with Pink Turtle, The Holmes Brothers, Sly & Robbie, Kim Waters...

For us is a big pleasure to work together with Claudio AKA Abeng , other than a long time friend is a great musician with a deep Ska , Rocksteady & Roots Knowledge , we have been asking him a riddim which we could use for an instrumental and that's the 1st of the few we are working on right now (Yes we love instrumentals!)! It's always a pleasure to open new cooperations , have new musicians and studios playing together to create Roots Music! Rootikal Horns is the horn section of an historical Reggae Band from our area (Countryside of Milano) , Rootical Foundation , Gabri (Trombone) & Filippo (Sax) came to studio with us and we recorded few lines that will appear in a number of future releases. Obviously from this meeting , some more seeds has been planted and hopefully flowers will appear probably in the early 2021... Eeyun Purkins at Waggle Dance Studio, made a great job mixing the A side and Dubbing the B side! Many of you may already know this name ;) , founder of the Co-Operators and of the Waggle Dance Studio/Records have delivered a number of killer Roots productions in the last months and years , that's the 1st of a number of projects we have been working on during Lockdown Period , expect some Fyah Roots music from this Roots Heads meeting!

This Road' is the debut LP by one-to-watch Denise Sherwood, which features writing, production and instrumental contributions from Adrian Sherwood (On U Sound), Lee "Scratch" Perry, Mala (Digital Mystikz, Deep Medi Music), Mark Stewart (The Pop Group, Mark Stewart & The Maffia), Skip McDonald (Tackhead, African Head Charge, Little Axe) and Doug Wimbish (Living Colour, Tackhead). In addition to this extended family who came together to help her talent flourish, the album also features drums by the late Style Scott, who the singer lovingly recalls as my "my beautiful uncle." Portraying dark themes and damaged characters through an empathetic filter of bittersweet optimism, 'This Road' is a work of contrasts, which musically matches the mixed emotions felt in life. Bass pressure, contemporary club beats, nourishing roots music, sumptuous instrumentation and accessible, pop-schooled melodicism are woven together by her soothing but heavy-hearted voice, which is perfectly matured and full of depth. Saturated in vibes and an ingrained cognitive understanding of recording, 'This Road' is in part the product of childhood/teenage osmosis spent imbibing the sounds at her father Adrian Sherwood's On-U Studios. The impressionable youth gained an unparalleled education in music and also human nature, living in a house/studio where Lee Perry, Neneh Cherry, Jah Wobble, Big Youth, Little Annie, Style Scott, Tackhead, Bim Sherman and countless more made tracks. Like an epic coming-of-age movie focussing on Denise's part in the ongoing On-U chronicles - charting her changing roles as daughter, musician, mother, lover and more - it's little wonder 'This Road' is both contemporary and timeless, spanning time like a family tree.

music by King Earthquake & Word Sound and Power

music by Russ Disciples, Jonah Dan & Mighty Massa

Time for the 5th Dig This Way Records singles release. One of those releases we are very proud of! Since the beginning of our Dtw adventure we have been working together with Greg Jata Illustrator who designed our logo and made some graphic works for us till to discover around a year ago, he also plays in a roots group: The Royal Horses! As a natural progression of our friendship and working cooperation we decided to try finalize together a couple of riddims they had ready! In the meantime, since around 2005/2006 we've been big fans of Keathus I Jah Dynasty (Milton Samuels) music, Red Hot have always been an hit in our selection. Since a few years we have gladly seen him joining the reggae community on Facebook , bringing on his own productions , sharing his love for Africa , Ethiopia and Rastafari...so we thought could have been a great idea to have him singing on a riddim we got from Greg....a dream coming true to be able work together with a veteran artist involved in some of the best tracks that ever came out of Jamaica. So it was, Keithus I is a nice & easy person, a Talented singer with a deep sensibility to this music and the lyrics and interpretation for the riddim we got from him...it's just perfect! We had the track finalized by Ian Prince Jamo Campbell who worked to Backing vocals and Roberto Sánchez at Lone Ark studios who took the whole raw idea and carved it to perfection on what you will hear impressed on the Dtws005 plastic! We still have a 2nd riddim by Royal Horses ,it's as good as this...and we are working to something special , so hold on! Much more to come out of Dtw stables!

It's been a long journey from the day in Nigeria when we found, inside an Alpha Kuffa - Messiah I sleeve, a blank test press of the Yangaman Bob Lp with a little Top Rank sticker on it to the day we met the producer, the great and brilliant George Dureke, who gave us the test presses of the remaining unreleased albums from his Top Rank label, till to the complicated audio Restoration handled by Colin Young and Bassi Maestro. After two years of hard and intensive work it's finally arrived the time for this compilation to be ready and see the light! Eight Unreleased Digital Roots tracks made in Nigeria in the late 80s, never released or pressed, if not on a couple of test presses made on recycled plastic. Surely it includes some of the most interesting Reggae Music made in the Roots Land call Nigeria! Now Ready to be spreaded worldwide!

Interstellar digital dancehall with stunning synth, superb vocal by Robert Ffrench in extended mix & ad style by obscure DJ Shortie Ranks. Recorded at Creative Sound Studio (Kingston, JA) in 1985. "On “I Am Wondering” – a lovers of sorts – Ffrench is Dennis Brown in the high notes, and Gregory Isaacs in the song`s playboy sentiments. A guitar gently wah-wahs, while the synths do a giddy glissando. Midway through this discomix the bass becomes boss – throwing everything else – chopped piano chords and all – into echo. Then it`s rewind for the DJ cut – a brag and boast toast from Shortie Ranks – recounting his triumphs at legendary Kingston reggae venue, Skateland”. (Ban Ban Ton Ton - April, 21 of 2020) Robert French grew up in central Kingston and attended Kingston College. He recorded his first singles in 1979, at the age of 17. He achieved success in 1984 with his performances at the Festival Song Contest and the Reggae Sunsplash festival. He had a combination hit with deejay Clement Irie with "Bun & Cheese", and his first two albums were released in 1985. He had another hit in 1989 with "Modern Girl", a collaboration with Courtney Melody. In the mid-1990s he relocated to New York City, where he teamed up with rapper Heavy D, with whom he had a hit with "More Love", with an album following on Ras Records, featuring collaboration with several artists including Lady G and General Degree. He has since returned to Jamaica, where he runs the Ffrench record label and distribution company. He released the album Yesterday and today in 2001, collecting many of his earlier singles. After a period of inactivity as a recording artist, he returned in 2009 with the single "I Do". As a producer he has worked with artists such as Dennis Brown, Buju Banton (he produced Buju's first single "Ruler" on Stamina riddim), Beres Hammond, George Nooks, Luciano, Jah Cure, Yami Bolo and Sizzla to name a few. Robert French was the cosin of the late great Pat Kelly. As a french label, big fan from Ffrench productions, i'm very proud and happy to start a collaboration with Robert Ffrench, the most french jamaican. Stay tuned for many many more.

Roots reggae stepper released on B.B. Seaton's album Reggae Land. Strong actual lyrics, heavy dub "The People's Dub". Previously unreleased on 7inch. "B.B. Seaton is a musical veteran, having begun his career in the 60s as one of the Gaylads – finding himself harmonizing with the likes of Ken Boothe and Delroy Wilson – while this track is lifted from his 2005 long-player, Reggae Land. Bottom-end booming, it`s an impassioned Jah Shaka-esque steppers. A warning of revolution, which calls out the rich, the greedy, the heartless and callous – as a plaintive guitar figure unwinds in the distance. It`s flipped by a version, suitable for disciples and bush chemists, that shifts between banging and ethereal. A flute floating in amongst the righteous thunder." (by Ban Ban Ton Ton)