Birmingham, England reggae singer/toaster Pato Banton (born Patrick Murray) made his debut on the English Beat’s third album, 1982’s Special Beat Service, helping out Ranking Roger on the track “Pato and Roger a Go Talk.” …

Phyllis Dillon recorded in rough, tough Kingston, Jamaica, at Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle studio, but lived in Linton, St. Catherine — considered the country — in the middle of Jamaica. The area, a far cry …

Born in 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica, Pat Kelly was one of the island’s leading purveyors of the rocksteady genre. The Curtis Mayfield sound-alike took Slim Smith’s place alongside Bruce Ruffin & Winston Riley in the …

Reggae/gospel artist Papa San began as a dancehall artist, releasing albums like 1990’s Style & Fashion. Hip-hop and gospel elements found their way into his work on Pray Fi Dem and his guest appearance on …

Delroy Thompson may be named after a pair of pliers, but there’s nothing mechanical about his soothing, melodic dancehall singing style. Going against the genre’s grain, Pinchers does not chant slackness, but seeks to elevate, …

One-half of reggae’s most celebrated DJ/singer collaboration of the ’90s, Pliers’ partnership with Chaka Demus was for a time one of the biggest crossover sensations in the history of dancehall reggae. His sweet, lilting vocals …

Singer, musician, composer, and rebel Peter Tosh cut a swathe through the Jamaican musical scene, both as a founding member of the Wailers and as a solo artist. He toured with the Rolling Stones and …

Peter Broggs’ positive outlook and unwavering commitment to a roots and culture style have made him a fan favorite (despite his occasionally pitch-challenged vocals), particularly in the U.S. Born Henry James in 1954 in Hanover …

Prezident Brown (born: Fitz Albert Cotterell) has been called “one of the most interesting cultural dee-jays since U Roy”. Emphasizing positive messages, Brown has continued to pioneer his own direction, developing his own approach to …

On an island overflowing with exceptional talent on both sides of the mixing board, to suggest that just one man was the most influential is perhaps absurd, but if you took a poll, Prince Buster …