Horace Andy—- Startime, the long-running ‘vintage’ music show, returns on January 9 at the Mas Camp in Kingston. HORACE Andy earned his reputation as one of reggae’s most influential singers through a flurry of quality recordings in the 1970s.  With computerised beats taking over Jamaican music a decade later, his popularity waned. By the 1990s, some considered him a has-been. But Andy had legions of fans throughout Europe who still revered his unique sound and vast repertoire. Among them was a trip-hop group from Bristol, England called Massive Attack who was weaned on his music from the 1970s. He first worked on their 1998 album, Mezzanine, on which they sampled his song Angel. He struck up a fruitful partnership with them. They have sampled other Andy songs including Spying Glass and Girl I Love You. Andy has … Read entire article »

By Angus Taylor— Jamaica’s Reggae Month falls in February to include the birthdays of Bob Marley, Dennis Brown and Jacob Miller. But there is another veteran artist who celebrates his birth that month – the distinctive voiced singer songwriter Horace Andy. Born Horace Hinds, he took the name Andy in reverence of Bob Andy – for his song-writing prowess. Like his namesake he spent his formative years at Studio 1 – before freelancing for producers including Phil Pratt (who actually discovered him prior to his Studio 1 success), Derrick Harriott, Keith Hudson, Leonard Santic Chin, Bunny Lee, Tappa Zukie, Everton Da Silva and Lloyd Bullwhackie Barnes. Since then Horace Andy may have rubbed shoulders with popular music high society through his 90s Massive Attack collaborations; but his Kingston Pop Corn studio is downtown in the ghetto on Bond Street. Outside he has his own starred paving stone (shared with the Jamaicans) alongside Alton Ellis, John Holt, Duke Reid, U-Roy, Phyllis Dillon, The Paragons, The Three Tops, The Melodians, Stranger Cole and Errol … Read entire article »