Five degrees of separation: Alton Ellis to RDX

By Dan_Bean |
Monday 19 October 2009 |
1 comment |

The much loved and respected Alton Ellis (pictured below) died a year ago this month. However, his musical legacy lives on through his son Christopher, who has collaborated with Jah Cure on the Netzah riddim.

MP3: Jah Cure & Christopher Ellis - Why Can't We

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The dancehall reggae world recently lost another legend - producer Wycliffe 'Steely' Johnson - to whom Wyclef Jean paid tribute on his Patwa Swagga mixtape. It's a mixed bag of classic dancehall rhythms and Wyclef's pan-Caribbean style fitted awkardly over the tracks; the pick of the bunch is a version of the fast paced, x-rated Bend Over by RDX (pictured below).

MP3: Wyclef Jean - Sak Pase (Flatbush)

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What really makes the tune is Wyclef's use of Kassav's Zouk La Ce Sel Medicament Nou Ni.

Kassav are a Parisian band who sing in a localized version of French Creole, unique to the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique and this track is possibly my favourite non-English language song. Listening to this you can see where the likes of Busy Signal draw their inspiration for cross Caribbean sounds such as Nah Go Dung Deh.

MP3: Kassav - Zouk La Ce Sel Medicament Nou Ni

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The sound incorporates elements of Dominican cadence-lypso, Haitian kompa (from Wyclef's homeland) and Trinidadian calypso.

Trinidad & Tobago is most renowned for it's soca and calypso. However, the smaller of the two islands, Tobago, is as keen on conscious reggae and dancehall as Jamaica is.

The strength of the influence is demonstrated in Tobagonian local boy Positive (pictured below) and his huge number one Never Let Go, which made a big impact last year in the smaller islands but rarely touched shores abroad.

A guy to watch out for, he joins the likes of other popular non-Jamaican reggae artists such as Khari Kill (Trinidad), Marlon Asher (Trinidad) and Pressure Buss Pipe (St Thomas USVI)

Check the vocal similiarities between him and Gyptian:

MP3: Positive - Never Let Go

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Never Let Go was also the title for Slim Smith's 1960s single, the foundation for the classic Answer riddim, a Heatwave favourite. That song came out on a 12" single backed by Alton Ellis's I'm Still Waiting…