[This is part of The John M. Higgins Memorial Xmasganza.]
Two wicked reggae jeggae selections for yuuts. Ya nuh see it?
But first, I wanted to say this:
As I was listening to some of Higgins’ CDs today, wading through selections, a friend of mine stopped by. He made a disparaging remark about reggae. Granted, there are certain segments of reggae that sound awfully similar. This is also true of portions of other genres, such as hip-hop. It is common practice in reggae for a riddim to be used over and over, not something you typically see in other forms of music. Still, there is a lot of great reggae that breaks out from the pack.
The great Rhino compilation Natty & Nice shows the development of ska and reggae over thirty years. From 1967, The Kingstonians deliver “Merry Christmas.” The trio — consisting of Cebert “Jackie” Bernard, his brother “Footy” and mutual friend Lloyd Kerr — started in 1966 as the Apostles but soon changed their name.
Then, from the 1991 collection Reggae Dancehall Christmas, Sluggy Ranks sings “Doesn’t Really Matter What Santa Brings.” Ranks, who started in the mid Eighties, was part of a dancehall movement in the Nineties emphasizing reggae’s cultural roots and positive messages in contrast to certain dancehall artists’ focus on sex and violence (and, on occasion, homophobia).
The Kingstonians – Merry Christmas — BUY
Sluggy Ranks – Doesn’t Really Matter What Santa Brings — BUY
Tags: The Kingstonians, Sluggy Ranks, reggae, Christmas music, MP3s
One Response
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hearsay » just like christmas Says:
[...] There’s more treats to fill out those mixes at Suburban Sprawl, Think Tank, Covert Curiosity, Podbop, WOXY, The Pop View, i guess i’m floating, pogo a go-go, Who Killed the Mixtape? and especially Rewritable Content. That Raveonettes song and Low’s “Just Like Christmas” are two of my favorites. [...]