<body><script type="text/javascript"> function setAttributeOnload(object, attribute, val) { if(window.addEventListener) { window.addEventListener('load', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }, false); } else { window.attachEvent('onload', function(){ object[attribute] = val; }); } } </script> <div id="navbar-iframe-container"></div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/platform.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> gapi.load("gapi.iframes:gapi.iframes.style.bubble", function() { if (gapi.iframes && gapi.iframes.getContext) { gapi.iframes.getContext().openChild({ url: 'https://www.blogger.com/navbar.g?targetBlogID\x3d10427331\x26blogName\x3dplaytherecords\x26publishMode\x3dPUBLISH_MODE_HOSTED\x26navbarType\x3dBLUE\x26layoutType\x3dCLASSIC\x26searchRoot\x3dhttp://www.playtherecords.com/search\x26blogLocale\x3den_US\x26v\x3d2\x26homepageUrl\x3dhttp://www.playtherecords.com/\x26vt\x3d7102646069756336197', where: document.getElementById("navbar-iframe-container"), id: "navbar-iframe" }); } }); </script>

Friday, May 26, 2006

RIP: Desmond Dekker 1941-2006



Desmond Dekker, the first Jamaican pop act to score a major hit in the UK, has died.

Distinctly Jamaican Sounds has more info, and some mp3s of Desmond's to listen too.

Rudie got soul.

Jacob Z. says:

It's a sad day for Jamaican music. Desmond Dekker was responsible for some of the most musical compositions in all of ska/rocksteady/reggae, compositions which transcend their genre by sheer force of Dekker's melodic genius. He also had the best (and possibly highest) tenor in all of Jamaica, making it hard for me to sing along but endowing his songs with irresistible soul. When I was a teenager and my interest in ska extended no further back than The Specials, The English Beat, The Selecter, and Madness, it was Desmond Dekker's music that first made me think I should dig a little deeper, see how they did things back in Jamaica. I'm pretty sure his will be among the Jamaican music that ends up having timeless appeal - that in 100 years, '007 (Shanty Town)' will still be capable of making the even most reticent wallflower get up and skank. So drink a toast tonight to the King of Ska, he will be missed.

posted by Vitriolix @ 10:14 AM 

1 Comments:

Blogger i said...

thanks for the link. and thanks for paying respect to such an important and (semi)overlooked artist. and most of all thanks for "they went to titan". very very good tunes... getting a lot of play in my abode along with disrupt's "jah bit invasion". been meaning to (and will soon) throw up a post about Jahtari so some of my friends'll check out your work. great stuff.

peace.

11:39 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home