The African Brothers
Encyclopedia
The African Brothers were a Jamaica
n reggae
vocal trio formed by three Kingston
teenagers - Lincoln "Sugar" Minott
, Winston "Tony Tuff" Morris
, and Derrick "Bubbles" Howard.
, The Heptones
, and The Gaylads
, the name the African Brothers a reference to their African heritage. Morris was initially the main songwriter, being the most experienced member of the group, with Minott and Howard contributing harmony vocals. They first recorded in 1970 for producer
Rupie Edwards
, for whom they recorded "Mysterious Nature", and they also recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd ("No Cup No Broke"), Winston Blake, Duke Thelwell ("Party Night"), and Mike Johnson and Ronnie Burke at Micron Music. They followed these with self-productions, including "Torturing", "Want Some Freedom", and "Practice What You Preach", several released on their own Ital label. In the mid-1970s, the group split up, with Minott going on to work at Studio One before launching a successful solo career, Tony Tuff also becoming a successful solo artist. Howard moved into production.
The US label Easy Star released the album Want Some Freedom in 2001, comprising recordings from between 1970 and 1978. Minott and Tuff reformed the group for a 2004 album, Mysterious Nature, also featuring Triston Palmer
and Ken Bob.
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...
n 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...
vocal trio formed by three Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
teenagers - Lincoln "Sugar" Minott
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...
, Winston "Tony Tuff" Morris
Tony Tuff
Tony Tuff is a reggae singer who was a member of The African Brothers in the late 1960s and 1970s before embarking on a solo career.-Biography:...
, and Derrick "Bubbles" Howard.
History
The three singers met in 1969 when "Bubbles" overheard "Sugar" Minott singing along to "Tony Tuff" playing the guitar. They formed a group, with early influences including The AbyssiniansThe Abyssinians
The Abyssinians are a Jamaican roots reggae group, famous for their close harmonies and promotion of the Rastafari movement in their lyrics.-History:...
, The Heptones
The Heptones
The Heptones are a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal trio most active in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were one of the more significant trios of that era, and played a major role in the gradual transition between ska and rocksteady with their three-part harmonies.-History:Leroy Sibbles, Earl...
, and The Gaylads
The Gaylads
The Gaylads were one of the top Rocksteady vocal groups active in Jamaica between 1963 and 1973. The group, formed in Kingston, originally consisted of singers Harris "B.B." Seaton, Winston Delano Stewart and Maurice Roberts; Seaton and Stewart had previously been successful as the duo Winston &...
, the name the African Brothers a reference to their African heritage. Morris was initially the main songwriter, being the most experienced member of the group, with Minott and Howard contributing harmony vocals. They first recorded in 1970 for producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Rupie Edwards
Rupie Edwards
Rupie Edwards is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer.-Biography:...
, for whom they recorded "Mysterious Nature", and they also recorded for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd ("No Cup No Broke"), Winston Blake, Duke Thelwell ("Party Night"), and Mike Johnson and Ronnie Burke at Micron Music. They followed these with self-productions, including "Torturing", "Want Some Freedom", and "Practice What You Preach", several released on their own Ital label. In the mid-1970s, the group split up, with Minott going on to work at Studio One before launching a successful solo career, Tony Tuff also becoming a successful solo artist. Howard moved into production.
The US label Easy Star released the album Want Some Freedom in 2001, comprising recordings from between 1970 and 1978. Minott and Tuff reformed the group for a 2004 album, Mysterious Nature, also featuring Triston Palmer
Triston Palmer
Triston Palmer aka Triston or Tristan Palma is a reggae singer/deejay active since the mid-1970s.-Biography:...
and Ken Bob.
Discography
- Collector's Item (1987), Uptempo - credited to Sugar Minott & The African Brothers, split between Minott solo and group material
- Want Some Freedom (2001), Easy Star
- Mysterious Nature (2004), Discograph
- The African Brothers Meet King Tubby In Dub (2005), Nature Sounds
External links
- Bigupradio
- The African Brothers at Roots Archives
- The African Brothers at discogs.com