Roots & Culture 220 Items

Released in 2012 as the opening song of the CD album " Far Eye " featuring Daba Makourejah, Calabash Rock have remained unknown for most rockers reggae aficionados. And that was a shame. The Rockers Disciples and Dig This Way Records decided then to strengthen their collaboration by releasing this wonderful instrumental piece of music, deeply influenced by Aswad’s « Warrior Charge '' and Rico Rodriguez’s vibrant music. A 7 ‘’ record, including a vertiginous dub version on the flip. Enjoy the Calabash style!

The Skatalites’ massive dancefloor ska Anthem + some serious dub on the flip

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.

Producer – Jah Thomas Toyan aka Ranking Toyan (born Byron Letts, died 1991) was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings. Toyan began his career in 1974, deejaying on Kingston's sound systems, such as Socialist Roots and Romantic HiFi. He recorded his debut single, "Disco Pants" in the late 1970s for producer Don Mais. He went on to work extensively with Joseph Hoo Kim and Jah Thomas, resulting in a string of hits including "Girls Nowadays", "Kill No Man", "John Tom", and "Talk of the Town", as well as combination hits with The Mighty Diamonds ("Pretty Woman"), Badoo ("Rocking the 5000"), and Freddie McGregor ("Roots Man Skanking"). In 1981 he joined Henry "Junjo" Lawes' Volcano Sound system, and toured Canada. With Lawes, he recorded the album How the West Was Won, and went on to produce his own work and that of others such as Billy Boyo and Anthony Johnson. He toured the United Kingdom with the Jah Prophecy band and performed in Jamaica alongside Dennis Brown.

Toyan was murdered in Jamaica in 1991.

Producer Jeremy Harding has delivered an update on dancehall reggae classics with vocals by some of Jamaica's most exciting artists these days including Naomi Cowan, Kabaka Pyramid, Blvk H3ro, Runkus, Bugle and Royal Blu, alongside veterans like Beenie Man, Sean Paul, Wayne Marshall and Agent Sasco. Now available as LP-vinyl - ten songs that will move the massive in full lenght, all with a deep respect to the originators including Michigan & Smiley, Tenor Saw, Half Pint, Garenett Sik, Ken Boothe, Yellowman and Tiger, on original riddims like "Real Rock", " Shank I Sheck", "Death In The Arena", "Answer", "Mad Mad" and more!

Deejay-turned-produced Jah Thomas’ Midnight Rock helped shift roots reggae to dancehall in the late 1970s and Thomas continued producing in the new millennium, sometimes revamping Roots Radics tracks from Channel One, and alternately cutting fresh work at King Jammy’s, Black Scorpio, and Mixing Lab. Secret Tapes has stellar guests like roots messenger Luciano, dancehall don Super Cat, supreme crooner Courtney Melody, Jah Thomas himself, and a collab between Pinchers and Josie Wales; Tony Curtis, Ghost and Mitch are courtesy of a Buju Banton co-production. Special request to all dancehall fans!

Jamwax Records proudly presents We Sing Gregory. On this album, jamaican producer Bravo used the best roots and culture band, the undomitable Roots Radics, featuring Flabba Holt on bass, Style Scott on drums and Keith Sterling on keyboards, and hired legends Robbie Lynn on keyboards, Cat Coore and Chinna Smith on guitar, Stick on percussion, Dean Fraser on horns, thus ensuring a heavy and flawless riddim foundation and superb arrangements. The Roots Radics were Gregory Isaacs band in the early 80's, playing on the Night Nurse and Out Deh! albums, touring around the world with the cool ruler. Gregory Isaacs' songwriting is magnificient and the subjects are always treated with humbleness and consideration for others.

An excellent 4-track roots and dub reggae 12-inch on the French Fruits Records label, of which the first release was I Kong's 'A Little Walk' album.

music merch community
Vis​-​A​-​Vis - Odo Gu Ahorow
by We Are Busy Bodies

Share / Embed Wishlist
supported by
Samuel Fox thumbnail jimvic thumbnail Tyler LaGrange thumbnail Flurin Casura thumbnail Mike J thumbnail Lwinik thumbnail @chippytdm thumbnail onaka_yowazo thumbnail kylunabear thumbnail filthula thumbnail teebeudl thumbnail t_rey357 thumbnail reagananne thumbnail Vincent Lacoume thumbnail Dinos Dimolas thumbnail Jason Boucher thumbnail Bovine Joni thumbnail emmaobanla thumbnail Ken Abrams thumbnail louismo thumbnail sneakypeter thumbnail ant bruns thumbnail ajkwame thumbnail K-WALL thumbnail baptistepaques thumbnail Alexander Bartsch thumbnail kelhanm thumbnail capajanca thumbnail
Odo Gu Ahorow (Medley) 00:00 / 15:16
Limited Edition 12" Vinyl
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
package image package image
As both a popular live act and in-demand studio musicians, Vis-A-Vis released 13 albums between 1975 and 1982, of which Obi Agye Me Dofo remains the most sought after. Led by vocalist Isaac “Superstar” Yeboah and featuring Sammy Cropper on guitar, Slim Manu on bass and Gybson “Shaolin Kung-Fu” Papra on drums, Vis-A-Vis helped propel K. Frimpong to fame as one of Ghana’s most popular stars of the 1970s. On some of Frimpong’s albums, they also overlapped as part of his other recording band, the Cubano Fiestas.

As We Are Busy Bodies begins its roll out the Vis-A-Vis catalogue, it will also simultaneously release another essential album by the group, 1976s Odo Gu Ahorow. Original copies of both LPs are scarce and in great demand, with Obi Agye Me Dofo briefly issued as an LP in the US in 1980, and again in 2011 by Continental Records. Along with the Frimpong albums, they remain some of the most sought after West African records from the golden age. These reissues have been handled with the utmost respect — every detail has been given strict attention and care, with albums being remastered by Senior Mastering Engineer, Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel.

About the album:

"The Vis-A-Vis have had many good things to their credit, none more so than the collection of nostalgic items that make up this album “Odo Gu Ahoroo”. It has been able to achieve its well-deserved place in the Ghanaian musical best-seller parade. Now by the titles and programming this entirely new album benefits from Ofobros latest recording experience, bringing many plus-factors of listening pleasure.

With brilliant musicianship, the Vis-A-Vis as a group leads in the field of danceably rhythmic arrangements which do not obscure the enchanting melodies, such as “Abofra Ketewa”. Highlighting the softly soothing, yet richly textured blend of the organ and Slim’s bass work are solos by Sammy ‘red” Cropper on lead guitar, and other instruments as well.

The groups’ thirteen years’ experience in the field of dance music has made their melody reign supreme, and I hope these all are songs that will become a cherished part of our musical past in the future, and an enduring part of our musical period then. This recording the Vis-A-Vis with a new lustre that promises to glow through many mood-matching moments in the future.