The Itals
Encyclopedia
The Itals are a Jamaican reggae
vocal group formed in 1976 by Alvin "Keith" Porter, Ronnie Davis
, and Lloyd Ricketts (the latter two formerly of The Tennors
), all of whom had previously also recorded as solo artists. All three had worked together in the late 1960s in The Westmorelites. The group recorded several albums through the late 1970s and 1980s, with Ronnie Davis going on to a successful solo career. Their debut single, "In A Disya Time", is regarded as the group's finest work, and topped the Jamaican chart. 1987's Rasta Philosophy was nominated for a Grammy Award
as Best Reggae Album. The line-up has changed over the years, with former solo artist David Isaacs
joining in 1987 when Ricketts was sentenced to a prison term, preventing him from travelling to the United States
. Davis left the group in 1994, and was replaced by Porter's daughter Kada. The Itals continue to tour in 2009 in support of the newly released compilation of early works produced by Lloyd Campbell, with Davis, Isaacs and Kada joining Keith Porter. A brand new album is expected to be released this year entitled "Let Them Talk".
COMPILATION
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 group formed in 1976 by Alvin "Keith" Porter, Ronnie Davis
Ronnie Davis
Ronnie Davis is a reggae singer who was a member of The Tennors and The Itals, and now performs with the group Ronnie Davis & Idren.-Biography:...
, and Lloyd Ricketts (the latter two formerly of The Tennors
The Tennors
The Tennors were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal group in the 1960s and '70s. Among the band's hits was "Ride Yu Donkey" in 1968. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film Broken Flowers.-History:...
), all of whom had previously also recorded as solo artists. All three had worked together in the late 1960s in The Westmorelites. The group recorded several albums through the late 1970s and 1980s, with Ronnie Davis going on to a successful solo career. Their debut single, "In A Disya Time", is regarded as the group's finest work, and topped the Jamaican chart. 1987's Rasta Philosophy was nominated for a Grammy Award
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...
as Best Reggae Album. The line-up has changed over the years, with former solo artist David Isaacs
David Isaacs
David Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae singer who worked with Lee "Scratch" Perry in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and went on to release several albums between the mid-1970s and early 1980s....
joining in 1987 when Ricketts was sentenced to a prison term, preventing him from travelling to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Davis left the group in 1994, and was replaced by Porter's daughter Kada. The Itals continue to tour in 2009 in support of the newly released compilation of early works produced by Lloyd Campbell, with Davis, Isaacs and Kada joining Keith Porter. A brand new album is expected to be released this year entitled "Let Them Talk".
Albums
- The Early Recordings: 1971-1979 (1984) NighthawkNighthawk RecordsNighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
- Brutal Out Deh (1981) NighthawkNighthawk RecordsNighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
- Give Me Power! (1983) NighthawkNighthawk RecordsNighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
- Rasta Philosophy (1986) NighthawkNighthawk RecordsNighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
- Cool and Dread (1989) NighthawkNighthawk RecordsNighthawk Records was founded by Robert Schoenfeld who began operations in 1976 with the release of four vintage post-war blues reissue LPs that Living Blues Magazine called "the major event of the year for lovers of post-war blues." Today this series consists of nine volumes of post-war blues...
- Easy to Catch (1991) Rhythm Safari
- Modern Age (1998) RASRAS RecordsRAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...
- Mi Livity (2003) Ital Music
- Let Dem Talk (2009) Ital Music
COMPILATION
- In A Dis Ya Time (2008) VP RecordsVP RecordsVP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...