Puma Jones
Encyclopedia
Sandra "Puma" Jones was an American singer, best known for her involvement with the Grammy Award
-winning group, Black Uhuru
.
Born in Columbia, South Carolina
, Jones graduated from Columbia University
with a Masters Degree, before becoming a social worker in New York City
. She studied dance with the Chuck Davis troupe where she took particular interest in African dance. After becoming disillusioned with city life she declared a need to "discover her roots" and headed for Jamaica
- ostensibly on vacation, but intending to seek employment.
She sang with Miriam Makeba
and Ras Michael
, and the Sons of Negus. In 1978, through Ras Michael, she was introduced by a mutual friend to Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, who was looking to augment Black Uhuru following line up changes that had brought Michael Rose into the band. She joined Black Uhuru for the recording sessions of the 1979 album, Showcase. She went on to sing on seven studio albums, which represents the groups most critically acclaimed period, culminating in the Grammy Award for 1983's Anthem.
Jones was keen to exert her opinions on religious and social topics that feature in Black Uhurus work. This was in a period where reggae musicians were often accused of being trite and dismissive of females in Jamaican society. The main inspiration of Black Uhuru, Michael Rose, quit the band in 1984, to manage a coffee farm, leaving Jones, Simpson and new member Delroy "Junior" Reid
to try and keep the momentum going with the Brutal album in 1986.
Jones was committed to continuing with the band, but sometime leading up to the recording sessions of 1987's Positive album she was diagnosed with breast cancer
.
As the illness worsened she was forced to step down and the album was completed with Olafunke as an uncredited backing vocalist. Jones returned to New York City for treatment, but died on 28 January 1990, aged 36. She was later buried near her family home in South Carolina.
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning group, Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru are a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru . The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Duckie Simpson always maintaining group control and ownership...
.
Born in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, Jones graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
with a Masters Degree, before becoming a social worker in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She studied dance with the Chuck Davis troupe where she took particular interest in African dance. After becoming disillusioned with city life she declared a need to "discover her roots" and headed for Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
- ostensibly on vacation, but intending to seek employment.
She sang with Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba , nicknamed Mama Africa, was a Grammy Award winning South African singer and civil rights activist....
and Ras Michael
Ras Michael
Ras Michael is a Jamaican reggae singer and Nyabinghi specialist. He also performs under the name of Dadawah.-Biography:...
, and the Sons of Negus. In 1978, through Ras Michael, she was introduced by a mutual friend to Derrick "Duckie" Simpson, who was looking to augment Black Uhuru following line up changes that had brought Michael Rose into the band. She joined Black Uhuru for the recording sessions of the 1979 album, Showcase. She went on to sing on seven studio albums, which represents the groups most critically acclaimed period, culminating in the Grammy Award for 1983's Anthem.
Jones was keen to exert her opinions on religious and social topics that feature in Black Uhurus work. This was in a period where reggae musicians were often accused of being trite and dismissive of females in Jamaican society. The main inspiration of Black Uhuru, Michael Rose, quit the band in 1984, to manage a coffee farm, leaving Jones, Simpson and new member Delroy "Junior" Reid
Junior Reid
Delroy "Junior" Reid is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for the songs "One Blood" and "Funny Man", as well as being the man that replaced Michael Rose as lead vocalist for Black Uhuru.-Biography:...
to try and keep the momentum going with the Brutal album in 1986.
Jones was committed to continuing with the band, but sometime leading up to the recording sessions of 1987's Positive album she was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
.
As the illness worsened she was forced to step down and the album was completed with Olafunke as an uncredited backing vocalist. Jones returned to New York City for treatment, but died on 28 January 1990, aged 36. She was later buried near her family home in South Carolina.