PURO STREETROOTZ

ITS THE HEALING OF THE NATION

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The founders of Skatalites were Tommy McCook (died 1998), Rolando Alphonso (died 1998), Llyod Brevett, Llyod Knibb, Lester Sterling, Don Drummond (died 1969), Jah Jerry Hayes (died 2007), Jackie Mitto (died 1990), Johnny Moore (died 2008),Jackie Opel (died 1970). These nine musicians started to play together from 1955, when Kingston’s recording studios started to develop. Tommy McCook was the first member of the band to record, though not for commercial release: he played with Don Hitchman’s Group in 1953. Archie Lindo asked Hitchman to play few tunes for his pioneer radio station, “ZQI”, on their new equipment. Soon after that, sound system pioneer Stanley Motta began to operate his studio, where he recorded calypso and  mento that were released on 78’s. Rolando Alphonso was one of the first to record with him, probably in 1954.

Though McCook was the first in the band to record, he did not participate in recording sessions with other eight musicians. He left Jamaica in 1954 for a jazz gig at the Zanzibar Club in Nassau, Bahamas. He returned to Jamaica in June of 1962, and began playing regular jazz sessions around Kingston.

Coxsone Dodd searched jazz players around Kingston and was impressed by McCook’s playing. Tommy McCook heard some ska, but initially resisted Coxsone Dodd’s offers to record and to lead a studio group, because he was a committed jazzman. In 1962 Dodd released I Cover The Waterfront (Port-O-Jam) with Roland Alphonso and Don Drummond, who did solo and brass sections. In 1963 he released Jazz Jamaica From the Workshop (Port-O-Jam/Studio One), where McCook played first time since returning to Jamaica. Don Drummond has two tunes on Jazz Jamaica and McCook’s has one, “The Answer”.

The Skatalites record their first LP at Studio One in Kingston, Ska Authentic, and tour the island as the creators of Ska. Their recordings for various producers rule the airwaves, stations JBC and RJR, that is. Foremost among their producers were; Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd, Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid, Cecil ‘Prince Buster’ Campbell, Vincent ‘King’ Edwards, Justin ‘Phillip’ Yap, Leslie Kong, Lindon Pottinger,Sonya Pottinger and Vincent ‘Randy’ Chin. The Skatalites led sessions with all the top artists and helped to break young talents such as Delroy Wilson, Desmond Dekker, The Wailers, Lee Perry, etc.

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AHHHH….Nothing like a fat joint and a musical journey into the Era of Ska….taking it back with a track from the Paragons.  How do I love Thee….

Among the finest of Ska’s original acts, the Paragons delivered four-part harmonies that comfortably rode waves of music, gliding through verses as if fitted with sails. Their songs didn’t rely on Ska’s standard props of horns and bass as much as they glorified Soul,

The Paragons were originally Garth “Tyrone” Evans, Bob Andy, Junior Menz, and Leroy Stamp. In 1964 Stamp was replaced by John Holt, and Howard Barret replaced Menz.

The early Paragons sound was heavily influenced byAmerican Soul Music and used the tight Vocal harmonies of Jamaican groups of the early 1960s. In 1964,  the group caught the attention of legendary producer Coxsone Dodd who immediately brought the group to Jamiaca’s famous Studio One and under the watchful eyes and ears of Duke Reid (who became the group’s mentor) cut a successful amount of popular singles such as “Love At Last” and “Good Luck and Goodbye” for Duke Reid’s label Treasure Isle.

After this early success Bob Andy quit the group, and the Paragons abandoned their soulful sound to become the most popular rocksteady act in Jamaica, but disagreements over money led to the band’s break-up in 1970. Of the band members, only John Holt went on to have a successful Solo career.

The Paragons’ recordings most famously “The Tide is High”, written by John Holt, and featuring the violin of “White Rum” Raymond, are among the highlights of Jamaican Favorites when it came to music. “The Tide Is High” was taken to the Top of the UK and US charts by Blondie in 1980. My personal favorite here at Streetrootz is “Riding on a High and Windy Day” a song I truly cannot live with out check it out below. 

Riding on a high and windy day
Deep in the month of May
Riding on a high and windy day
Riding my troubles away

Nobody knows the pain I feel
Nobody knows my misery
I wear a smile upon my face
Anyway

And now I’m riding on a high and windy day
Deep in the month of May
Riding on a high and windy day
Riding my troubles away

I’ve got a feeling I can’t deny
I’m all alone and I want to cry
But I’m still a man and I can’t deny
My pride

Nobody knows the pain I feel
Nobody knows my misery
I wear a smile upon my face
Anyway

And now I’m riding on a high and windy day
Deep in the month of May
Riding on a high and windy day…

Fukin Love IT!!!!!

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Cops are due to reinterview Rihanna and Chris Brown soon, a music industry source said Wednesday, and cops should have the case in the hands of the LA district attorney as soon as next week. Investigators want to seal tight the case they’re building against Chris Brown for what sources say was a brutal beatdown of Rihanna, leaving her in Cedar Sinai Medical Center with a messed up cornea, scratch marks and some say even bite marks, who’s to know ??? The details are being keep from public but it was definetley not a pretty site how Chris Brown violated Rihanna.

The police are getting cooperation from Rihanna, and what she has told them so far is chilling.

A close source to the investigation told E! News  that Rihanna told police that Chris Brown choked her while threatening to kill her and, subsequently, she lost consciousness. They began squabbling after leaving Clive Davis’ Pre- Grammy Part late Saturday. Shortly after midnight, Shit blew up. Brown pulled his silver Lamborghini (rental)to the side of a street in L.A.’s Hancock Park neighborhood. That’s when,  Rihanna grabbed the car keys and tossed them out the window, Pissing Chris Brown off into a rage.  He tried to find the keys,  came back to the car, put his hands around her neck and, according to the insider, said, “I’m going to kill you!” According to the source, the 20-year-old  singer Rihanna told police that she lost consciousness, and when she awoke, Brown was gone.

The close source said, her right eye was blackened and badly swollen and she had hand prints on her arms. The responding officers were so concerned about her, they drove Rihanna to the hospital in their squad car instead of waiting for an ambulance. Officers took two sets of photographs of the beat-up singer, one at the scene and the second after she was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. These photos are presumably among the evidence presented to the district attorney.

After being treated for her injuries, police escorted her down a rear elevator and into a waiting Mercedes, the source says.

 Violence against women is not right and we can only hope that she’s okay and will never let someone like him come as close into her life as he did. Never judge a book by it’s cover. Chris Brown is lucky if his career dont fall off cuz there is talk that his music if being taken off radio, and his sesame street apprearance will not be shown amongst other things…

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So we here at Streetrootz.com want to extend our apologies for the lack of updating and keeping our people in the game of whats going on in these streetz.

We will kepping evryone updated once again..Sometimes we just need to deal with the drama before we can get back on track. Much love an respcet to all the streetrootz fans!!

ONE LOVE

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Tippa Irie (real name Anthony Henry) is an English reggae singer and DJ from Brixton, South London. He first came to prominence in the early eighties as an MC on the south London reggae soundsystem Saxon Sound International.

He achieved his first national exposure on night time BBC Radio 1 in the mid 1980s, with the singles “It’s Good To Have The Feeling You’re The Best” and “Complain Neighbour” (on Greensleeves Records), before achieving a UK Top 40 hit in 1986 with “Hello Darling“.

He has collaborated with such luminaries as Alexander O’Neal, Long Beach Dub All Stars, and Chali 2na. However, he enjoyed his biggest success so far in 2003, when he appeared on the Black Eyed Peas’ track “Hey Mama“.

For more info on ”Tippa Irie” hit him up at:  http://www.myspace.com/originaltip

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Alton Ellis, passed away on Friday Oct 10th,2008 at the Hammersmith Hospital. He was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer just 10 months ago, but has been blessed with 70 years of life on this earth . The Rocksteady star is survived by his wife and more than 20 children.

 Alton Ellis was at the peak of his career in 1967 when he cut I’m Still in Love for producer Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd at Studio One. It was one of many hits he recorded during that decade, which earned him the undisputed title of  “Godfather of Rocksteady”.

 According to BBC News, Jamaican authorities are considering a state funeral for the Kingston native, despite the fact that he moved to the UK in 1972.

“His life was the music and the stage,” Ellis’ agent and manager, Trish De Rosa, said in a statement. “He was getting a tremendous amount of work done right up to the end—it was very difficult to get him to slow down.”

For More Information on the “GodFather of Rocksteady” and the life he lived and Music he blessed us with,  go to Our “Alton Ellis” Page here on Streetrootz.com. CLICK HERE TO GO

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..>Amazon.com Widgets..&

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Les Claypool of PRIMUS
Tom Morello of RAGE AGAINST the MACHINE
Suicidal Tendencies
Bobby Digital aka the RZA
Gangstarr
Suicidal Tendencies
Barrington Levy
EPMD
Z Trip
DJ Premier
Nightwatchman
Eek a Mouse
Bassnectar
Fishbone
Ill Bill
Murs
B Side Players
Look Daggers
Flying Lotus
Free the Robots
Busdriver
Quinto Sol
Luck I Am
Garth Trinidad
West Indian Girl
Sean Price
Maetar
Plus many others!

VIP Tickets include:

Separate VIP entrance
Designated VIP section
Two drink tickets/ Entrance to VIP Beer Garden is 21 and up
Official concert t-shirt
Access to a limited amount of We The People beach towels
Official concert poster
Meet and Greet (artists T. B. D.)
Special viewing area
Private restrooms
Free snacks
And much more!

For more information go to http://www.wethepeoplefestival.com

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It appears that Dr.dre’s son was found dead on saturday morning around 10:3o am.The body of Andre Young Jr was found in his Woodland Hills home on Saturday morning (August 23), according to Los Angeles Times.  He had went out with friends the night prior and came home somewhere around 5:30am in the morning according to his mother. She said she could hear him in his room when he came home. Around 10 am she came into his room to find him. After not being able to get anyresponse from him Young’s mother reportedly called 911 immediately.  There is no signs of forced entry, and they are waiting on results from a toxicology report.

May their Family be blessed in these times of need! We here at streetrootz.com will do our best to keep you posted on the outcome.

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