Messenjah
Encyclopedia
Messenjah was a Canadian
-based reggae
group that flourished to become one of the most successful and popular reggae groups in the history of Canadian music.
and released their first album Rock You High independently in 1982. They were the first Canadian reggae band to be picked up by a major label; Warner Music Canada
(also known as WEA). After 1985 the band began working out of Toronto
, the second largest center of reggae in Canada after Vancouver. In 1988 the band was featured in the U.S. feature film Cocktail as well as on the film’s soundtrack. They were also featured on the soundtrack of the Canadian produced movie Milk and Honey (1989). Messenjah has toured all over North America as well as in Jamaica for over sixteen years and in 1989 won the Juno Award
for Best Reggae Recording.
Messenjah has not released an album since the late 1990s, and it is assumed the group disbanded around that time.
Popular singles
Soundtrack appearances
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
group that flourished to become one of the most successful and popular reggae groups in the history of Canadian music.
History
Messenjah began their climb to fame in 1980 in Kitchener, OntarioKitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
and released their first album Rock You High independently in 1982. They were the first Canadian reggae band to be picked up by a major label; Warner Music Canada
Warner Music Canada
Warner Music Canada is the Canadian division of Warner Music Group. The label previously operated as WEA Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of WEA International, which later changed its name to Warner Music International in 1990. It was founded in 1967 as Warner Reprise Canada Ltd...
(also known as WEA). After 1985 the band began working out of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the second largest center of reggae in Canada after Vancouver. In 1988 the band was featured in the U.S. feature film Cocktail as well as on the film’s soundtrack. They were also featured on the soundtrack of the Canadian produced movie Milk and Honey (1989). Messenjah has toured all over North America as well as in Jamaica for over sixteen years and in 1989 won the Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for Best Reggae Recording.
Messenjah has not released an album since the late 1990s, and it is assumed the group disbanded around that time.
Members
The band was originally started by Errol Blackwood (vocals, bass guitar), who left after 1984 to start a solo career, and Rupert "Ojiji" Harvey (vocals, guitar, saxophone). After Errol Blackwood’s departure Harvey became the head of the group. Other original band members include Eric Walsh (guitar), Raymond Ruddock (drums), Hal Duggan (keyboard) and Tony King (percussion). Four new members joined in 1987; Roy Garrick (drums), Crash Morgan (drums), Charles Sinclair (bass guitar) and Haile Yeates (percussion). Finally, in 1990 Donovan Black (drums) replaced drummer Crash Morgan.Career highlights
Notable appearances and performances of Messenjah include the Reggae Sun Splash (Montego Bay, Jamaica), World Youth festival (Kingston, Jamaica), World Music Gallery Tour, The Bob Marley Memorial (Long Beach, Ca), Lahaina Civic (Maui, Hawaii), Vermont Reggae Music Festival, The Canadian National Exhibition, Ontario Place Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, The Omni Theatre (Oakland Ca), Havana Cuba, The Starlight Bowl Amphitheatre. Messenjah also appeared on stage with Nelson Mandela at the Toronto SkyDome in 1998.Airplay
Messenjah's song, "Jam Session" was used for many years as the intro for KCMU's long running reggae show Positive Vibrations.Discography
Albums- 1982: Rock You High (1983 re-release through WEA)
- 1984: Jam Session (WEA 25-04551)
- 1987: Cool Operator (Version VLP-001)
- 1990: Rock & Sway (Kick Up KUCD-001)
- 1990: Cool But Deadly (Trend)
- 1997: Catch De Vibe
Popular singles
- "Arrested"
- "Rock You High"
- "Jam Session"
- "Cool Operator"
- "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love?"
Soundtrack appearances
- 1988: Cocktail
- 1989: Milk and Honey
- 1990: What's the Matter with Us? - Starring RaffiRaffi (musician)Raffi Cavoukian, CM, OBC , better known by his stage name Raffi, is a Canadian-Armenian singer-songwriter, author, essayist and lecturer...