Borrowing his stage name from the popular TV Western hero of the same name, the Lone Ranger was one of Jamaica's most influential early dancehall DJs. He helped pioneer a newly rhythmic, on-the-beat rhyming style that led DJ toasting into the modern age, and punctuated his lyrics with bizarre exclamations and sound effects ("bim" and "ribbit" were his favorites) that made him perhaps the most imaginative stylist of his time.
Corey Harris (born February 21, 1969, Denver, Colorado) is a guitarist based in New Orleans on the Alligator label. He spent some time in western Africa studying, and rhythms from this area are very prevalent in his music, most conspicuously in "Mississippi to Mali." He performs a wide variety of music, from poppy selections (Santoro, eg) to raw, traditional guitar and piano blues (Honeysuckle, eg). He is one of the few contemporary blues artists that is able to avoid being either a staunch traditionalist or totally separated from its roots.
Considering the astonishing quality of a lot of this man's work over the years, it is somewhat disastrous that Owen Gray isn't more highly regarded than he is, being in the shadows of his younger peers such as John Holt and Bob Andy just to mention a few. Whatever the reason is cause for speculations, perhaps his choice of material and direction hasn't always felt sincere, but on the other hand Owen has always delivered the goods in whatever style he recorded, possessing one of Jamaica's greatest voices if you didn't know.
Polish reggae band formed in Kluczbork, Poland in 1982.
Don Ross (born November 19, 1960 in Montreal, Quebec to Scottish and Mi'kmaq parents) is a Canadian fingerstyle guitarist noted for the emotion and intensity of his playing as well as his use of extended technique. Ross' music borrows from rock, jazz, folk and classical music creating a style that he describes as "heavy wood". Ross is the first and only person to twice win the U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship (1988 and 1996).
Sierra Leone
Huford Brown aka U Brown is a reggae dj born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1956. He discovered Jamaican music by visiting local bars near the Treasure Isle studio with his father. He began mixing at the age of 15 for Philip Monroe at Sound Of Music. He became well known from his early hits such as ''Wet Up Your Pants Foot'' and ''Jah Jah Whip Them''. In 1975, he recorded his first album ''Satta Dread," which was released in Jamaica and England.
Wayne Wade Wayne Wade (b. c.1960, Kingston, Jamaica) is a roots reggae singer best known for his work with producer Yabby You in the 1970s. Biography
Wade's career began in the mid-1970s, working with Yabby You, 1976's "Black Is Our Colour" immediately achieving success in Jamaica. His debut album, Black Is Our Colour was released in 1976, and was followed by further hits with cover versions of The Paragons' "Happy Go Lucky Girl" and "On The Beach".
Carus Thompson could easily take a well earned break. Either solo or with his band Carus & the True Believers he has toured the world relentlessly for the last ten years, garnering substantial followings in the U.K, Germany, France and Australia. He has sold over 30,000 CDs independently, supported luminaries such as Dave Matthews, Damien Rice, Jack Johnson, John Butler and The Waifs and been a regular a many of the major festivals.
Tarrus Riley born Omar Riley in Bronx, New York, is a promising reggae singer and songwriter. His early years were spent in music studios and traveling the world with his dad. He picked up something special along the way. He is a songwriter of uncommon intelligence, breadth with a deft touch. His emotional and spiritual IQ matches his heartfelt sincerity. As a singer, his vocal style is reassuring. It conveys his every mood, concern and context eloquently. His songwriting is bold, yet definitive, passionate and authentic, without being strident or overly militant.