MUSIC producer and distributor Tad Dawkins acknowledges the neo-roots movement with the Roots Reggae Revivalist Vol 1 album which will be released by his Tad’s International Record on April 21.
The set contains songs by a number of new-wave roots artists such as Chronixx (Give me a Try), Jesse Royal (Singing the Blues), Iba Mahr (Babylon Debating) and Kabaka Pyramid, who teams with Tarrus Riley on Fly The Gate.
There are also tracks by older roots singers including Richie Spice with Bad Weather and Jah Cure (Territory).
Dawkins said the compilation’s release is timely.
“The thought came to mind with the shifting of the genre to a more conscious new sound to reggae. This started to take place around the time when Chronixx, Protojé and Kabaka Pyramid’s prominence became evident on the music scene. This would be about three years ago,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
A former musician on the New York City club scene, Dawkins moved into music production and distribution in the late 1970s. He worked with top lovers rock and roots acts such as Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs and Johnny Osbourne.
He produced the classic version of Brown’s Here I Come, and has released several multi-track compilations from Isaacs’ catalogue.
— By Howard Campbell
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