The Royals were formed in Detroit in 1950 by singers Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Lawson Smith, and Sonny Woods. Led by Sutton’s smooth tenor, the group (with occasional vocal help from guitarist and arranger Alonzo …

Tinga Stewart (born Neville Stewart in 1959 in Kingston, Jamaica) is holding strong as a purveyor of dancehall reggae. He started recording in the late ’60s; his first recording was “She’s Gone” in 1969 but …

Born to Jamaican parents in South London, Tippa Irie gained experience as a hard-hitting dancehall toaster on his father’s Mobile Reggae Disco Sound system while still in high school. After graduating, he worked on Saxon …

The Maytals were key figures in reggae music. Comprised of leader Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, Nathaniel “Jerry” Mathias and Raleigh Gordon, all natives of Kingston, the Maytals are said to have been the first group to …

It seems as though the Twinkle Brothers have been around since the beginning of time, or at least the beginning of reggae. Led by Norman Grant, the Twinkles began in the early ’60s as a …

Wesley Tinglin moved to Kingston when he was 12 years old, quickly soaking up the rich harmonies of vocal groups like the Wailers and the Maytals. He formed the Viceroys with Daniel Bernard and Bunny …

One of Jamaica’s signature harmony groups, the Itals were chiefly responsible for keeping the sound and spirit of roots reggae alive well into the dancehall era. They didn’t get as much attention as other great …

One of the definitive rocksteady vocal groups, the Heptones were also one of the few to successfully make the transition to the reggae era. The group was fronted by Leroy Sibbles, who was not only …

Tony Rebel sings a peaceful, roots-oriented form of dancehall music designed to inspire his audience to take a more positive approach to life and social change. Born Patrick Barrett, Rebel is a Rastafarian, but rather …

Third World is one of the longest-lived reggae bands of all time, and one of Jamaica’s most consistently popular crossover acts among international audiences. While the band was long capable of authentic roots reggae, they …