Black Uhuru Black Uhuru

Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru (Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful period in the 1980s, with their album Anthem winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985.

Arguably the best of Black Uhuru's electrofied albums, even if its predecessor Red was the bigger sell, Chill Out is a seminal blend of styles and cultures. Produced by Sly & Robbie at Channel One Studio in Jamaica, and again backed by the Revolutionaries, ironically the album's greatest beneficiaries were the Riddim Twins, who were rocketed to international fame upon this record's release. They deserved it though, and Chill Out remains as much a tribute to their talent as the vocal trio's. Shakespeare lays down the sinuous bass which provides the foundation for the record's rootsy sound. The four guitarists, three leads, plus Ranchie McLean's reggae riffing, flit across the grooves and genres, touching down on funk, blues, R&B, and rock along the way. The pianists and Wally Badarou's synth add atmosphere, with Dunbar's heavy beats, combining drums with electro syndrums, add a throbbing pulse to the proceedings. The sound is extremely dense, but the producers still found plenty of space for Black Uhuru's sublime vocals.

Black Uhuru - Live At Rockpalast - Essen 1981 (2017) {CD+DVD9 MIG 90652)
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 501 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 175 Mb
DVD9 -> 6.34 Gb | All Regions | NTSC 4:3 | LPCM, 2 ch | ~ 118 min | ISO Image
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 53 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1981, 2017 WDR / MIG-Music | MIG 90652
Reggae / Roots Reggae

SLY & ROBBIE recruited the American rock guitarist Daryl Thompson († 2014) whom they knew from their time with PETER TOSH. They engaged the keyboardist Franklyn 'Bubbler' Waul who was however not allowed to play the reggae typical shuffle organ but to steadily thrash the offbeat onto the piano. Those two musicians who were being replaced at several shows with Keith Sterling and Mikey Chung formed the core of BLACK UHURU which together with a second guitarist and a percussionist also dominated the stage in Essen.

After a 15-year layoff, legendary reggae band Black Uhuru returns with a 15-track effort that shows they’ve still got it. Originally founded back in 1972, the Kingston, Jamaica-based outfit is second only to Bob Marley in terms of all-time sales in the genre, and toured with the Police and the Rolling Stones back in the day. But enough about the past—As the World Turns has sights set on the future. Longtime frontman Duckie Simpson, along with trusted names like keyboardist Horace “King Hopeton” Campbell, guitarist Leebert “Gibby” Morrison and vocalist Nicole “Nikki” Burt, deliver conscious vibes such as lead single “Chalice,” a number that feels both throwback and fresh all at once.

Released on the Island Records subsidiary Mango in July 1980, Sinsemilla, named after a type of marijuana, was Black Uhuru's first album to be issued internationally, their third overall. Although the group was nominally a trio at this point – consisting of Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, Michael Rose, and Sandra "Puma" Jones – in effect, Sinsemilla was a solo album by Rose, who wrote all the songs and sang lead vocals.

The band's roots masterpieces are all here – "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," "Sinsemilla," "Shine Eye Girl," "I Love King Selassie," "Youth of Eglington," and so on and so forth, in all 16 tracks that include virtually all their best work. Then again, most of these songs have been heavily compiled over the years, but what sets Universal Masters apart is its fabulous mix of album tracks, extended versions, dubs, and live numbers, deftly capturing the entire Uhuru experience. Drawn from 1979-1982, this is the period when the trio linked with Sly & Robbie and unleashed a stream of roots rockers masterpieces that established reggae as a world musical force and Black Uhuru as international stars.

Across four discs and 87 songs, The Reggae Box tells the tale of Jamaica's modern social and political history through a well-rounded survey of the island nation's popular music.