There is no denying Derrick Morgan’s place among reggae’s greats. A Ska pioneer, he recorded hit songs before Jamaica gained independence from Great Britain in August, 1962.
An all-star cast will salute him on April 10 during ‘The Sounds of Orange Street Virtual”, a free streaming event that also celebrates the singer’s 81st birthday. Morgan’s birthday was March 27.
On Saturday, several of his contemporaries including Eric “Monty” Morris, Jimmy Cliff and Stranger Cole will perform. So too Max Romeo, one of his closest friends; Beres Hammond, Johnny Clarke, Glen Washington, The Clarendonians, Ky-mani Marley, Dean Frasier and Trevor Castell.
Morgan, who has been blind for most of his life, is expected to make a cameo. It will be his first virtual performance.
Known for Ska standards like Be Still, Housewives Choice, Blazing Fire and Forward March, Morgan is also pitching his EP, Mountain Climber, which was released last July.
Its six songs are a mix of rock steady and reggae.
“I don’t make any Ska songs in a long time because they (fans) don’t want to hear my new Ska songs, they want to hear my old ones,” he said.
Though he is revered especially in Europe for Ska, Morgan recorded a number of rock steady songs for producer Bunny Lee, his brother-in-law, who died in October. Those include Seven Letters, a cover of the Ben E. King classic, and Hold You Jack.
Before the Coronavirus forced a global lockdown, Morgan maintained a busy schedule, performing in Europe, the US West Coast and Brazil. He is looking forward to breaking new ground by going virtual with The Sounds of Orange Street.
Located in downtown Kingston, Orange Street was the epicenter of Jamaica’s music business during the 1960’s. It was where Morgan recorded many of his hit songs for producer Leslie Kong.
The Sounds of Orange Street is also the title of a compilation album containing 17 of his songs, released in December.
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