U-Roy, the man who invented the modern DJ rap style by toasting on King Tubby’s sound system during the late ’60s rocks up to Band on the Wall with The Robotics Band and Sister Aisha, with live mixing by the heavyweight dub man, Mad Professor!
Known as the Originator, U-Roy wasn’t the first DJ, nor even the first to cut a record, but he was the first to shake the nation and he originated a style so distinctly unique that he single-handedly changed his homeland’s music scene forever.
U-Roy’s rise to fame was slow, and took almost a decade. He began back in 1961, DJing at the Doctor Dickie’s Dynamite sound system. Eventually, he moved onto the Sir Mike the Musical Thunderstorm outfit, and then in 1968 to the Sir George the Atomic sound system. The DJ was then lured away by Coxsone Dodd; however, soon tiring of playing second fiddle to longtime veteran King Stitt, he returned to Sir George. Around this same time, he met up with another royal figure, King Tubby, then working as a disc cutter at Duke Reid’s studio.
Sister Aisha debuted at the tender age of eight on her father’s Soundsystem. Demonstrating her individualism, she followed in the direction of roots music as opposed to singing soulful cover versions of R&B hits, the latter being the most frequent route for reggae divas. This success led to other recording sessions with female vocalists, performing conscientious lyrics and culminating with the Roots Daughters series, in which Aisha featured alongside the revitalised Fabian.
But that’s not all – this show will be mixed LIVE by the Ariwa dub maestro and remix legend, Mad Professor
