Triston Palmer
Encyclopedia
Triston Palmer aka Triston or Tristan Palma (born 1962, Waltham Park, Kingston, Jamaica
) is a reggae
singer/deejay
active since the mid-1970s.
guitar
ist Tony Chin. His first recording was "Love Is A Message" for producer Bunny Lee
when he was eight years old, which was followed by "A-Class Girl" for the Black Solidarity label, which was co-run by Palmer and Ossie Thomas. He came to the attention of producer
/deejay Jah Thomas
, who began a substantial association with Palmer with the track "Entertainment", when Palmer was aged around 14. He made a major breakthrough with his performance in 1979 at the General Penitentiary Memorial Concert for Claudie Massop, which also featured Bob Marley
. Palmer became a popular artist in the "singjay
" style in the early 1980s. "Entertainment" was a Jamaican hit and he enjoyed further successes with "Water Bubbling", "Spliff Tail", "Raving", and "Run Around Woman". Palmer also worked with Linval Thompson
, who produced his Joker Lover and Settle Down Girl albums, and later George Phang
, Tony Robinson, Sugar Minott
, Bunny Gemini, and Castro Brown. At one point in the early 1980s, Palmer had nine songs in Jamaica's Top 40.
In the mid-1980s, Palmer became involved in the famine-relief charity project Music is Life, along with Freddie McGregor
, Mutabaruka
, Gregory Isaacs
, Third World
, Edi Fitzroy
, and Steel Pulse
, contributing to the charity single "Land of Africa".
His popularity continued through the 1980s, and in the 1990s he recorded the Three Against War song and album with Dennis Brown
and Beenie Man
.
Palmer has worked as a producer himself, working with artists such as Phillip Frazer
, Josey Wales
, and Robert Ffrench
, and has provided backing vocals for singers such as Sugar Minott, Tony Tuff
, and Freddie McGregor. He also built his own Star Creation studio.
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...
) is a 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...
singer/deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
active since the mid-1970s.
Biography
Palmer was born in 1962 and grew up in the Waltham Park area of Kingston, and decided from an early age that he wanted to be a singer. He began by singing to the accompaniment of Soul SyndicateSoul Syndicate
Soul Syndicate, originally called the Rhythm Raiders, were one of the top reggae session bands in Jamaica from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s.-History:...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist Tony Chin. His first recording was "Love Is A Message" for producer Bunny Lee
Bunny Lee
Edward O'Sullivan Lee, better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee is a prominent, prolific and successful record producer best known for his work in the 1960s and 1970s.-Biography:...
when he was eight years old, which was followed by "A-Class Girl" for the Black Solidarity label, which was co-run by Palmer and Ossie Thomas. He came to the attention of 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...
/deejay Jah Thomas
Jah Thomas
Nkrumah "Jah" Thomas is a reggae deejay and record producer who first came to prominence in the 1970s, later setting up his own Midnight Rock and Nura labels.-Biography:...
, who began a substantial association with Palmer with the track "Entertainment", when Palmer was aged around 14. He made a major breakthrough with his performance in 1979 at the General Penitentiary Memorial Concert for Claudie Massop, which also featured Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
. Palmer became a popular artist in the "singjay
Singjay
Singjaying is a Jamaican style of reggae vocals combining toasting and singing in an elastic format that encourages rhythmically compelling and texturally impressive vocal embellishments. The performer is called singjay, a combination of singer and deejay.The fusion of singing and deejaying...
" style in the early 1980s. "Entertainment" was a Jamaican hit and he enjoyed further successes with "Water Bubbling", "Spliff Tail", "Raving", and "Run Around Woman". Palmer also worked with Linval Thompson
Linval Thompson
Linval Thompson is a Jamaican reggae and dub musician and record producer.-Biography:Thompson was raised in Kingston, Jamaica, but spent time with his mother in Queens, New York, and his recording career began around the age of 20 with the self-released "No Other Woman," recorded in Brooklyn, New...
, who produced his Joker Lover and Settle Down Girl albums, and later George Phang
George Phang
George Phang is a reggae producer born in the 1950s in south Saint Andrew, Kingston, Jamaica where still resides today.Phang started his reggae label Powerhouse in the early 1980s. His first hits were Little John's "True Confessions" and "Roots Girl", both released in 1983...
, Tony Robinson, Sugar Minott
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott was a Jamaican reggae singer, producer and sound-system operator.-Biography:...
, Bunny Gemini, and Castro Brown. At one point in the early 1980s, Palmer had nine songs in Jamaica's Top 40.
In the mid-1980s, Palmer became involved in the famine-relief charity project Music is Life, along with Freddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor has been variously a singer, musician and producer. According to Allmusic he is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with a steady career that started in the 1960s, when he was just seven years old.-Biography:In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to...
, Mutabaruka
Mutabaruka
Mutabaruka is a dub poet. His name comes from the Rwandan language and translates as "one who is always victorious". He lives in Potosi District, St. James with his significant other, Yvonne, and their two childern. Mutabaruka continues to perform and write poems on every issue known to man...
, Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in the New York Times, described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae". His nicknames include Cool Ruler and Lonely Lover....
, Third World
Third World (band)
Third World is a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973. Their sound is influenced by soul, funk and disco.-History:Third World started when keyboard player Michael "Ibo" Cooper and guitarist Stephen "Cat" Coore, who had originally played in The Alley Cats then Inner Circle, subsequently left to form...
, Edi Fitzroy
Edi Fitzroy
Fitzroy Edwards , better known by his stage name Edi Fitzroy is a Jamaican reggae singer, active since 1975 but best known for his work in the dancehall era.-Biography:...
, and Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse
Steel Pulse is a roots reggae musical band. They originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, in Birmingham, England, composed of David Hinds , Basil Gabbidon , and Ronald McQueen .-History:...
, contributing to the charity single "Land of Africa".
His popularity continued through the 1980s, and in the 1990s he recorded the Three Against War song and album with Dennis Brown
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lovers rock, a sub-genre of reggae...
and Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
.
Palmer has worked as a producer himself, working with artists such as Phillip Frazer
Phillip Frazer
Phillip Frazer, is a writer, editor and publisher. He was a founder of the teen pop newspaper, Go-Set in 1966 which was published weekly until 1974, introducing Australia's first national pop record charts and featuring many notable contributors...
, Josey Wales
Josey Wales
Josey Wales, born Joseph Winston Sterling in St. Mary, Jamaica is an influential Jamaican dancehall deejay. He was considered, along with Brigadier Jerry, Yellowman and sound system partner Charlie Chaplin, one of the best deejays of the 1980s....
, and Robert Ffrench
Robert Ffrench
-Biography:Robert Ffrench grew up in central Kingston and attended Kingston College. He recorded his first singles in 1979, at the age of 17. He achieved success in 1984 with his performances at the Festival Song Contest and the Reggae Sunsplash festival. He had a combination hit with deejay...
, and has provided backing vocals for singers such as Sugar Minott, Tony Tuff
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 Freddie McGregor. He also built his own Star Creation studio.
Albums
- Presenting Triston Palma (1981) Black Roots
- Fancyness (1982) Gorgon
- Joker Lover (1982) Jah Guidance
- Showcase In A Roots Radics Drum & Bass (1982) Midnight Rock/Vista Sounds/Gorgon
- Joker Smoker (1982) GreensleevesGreensleeves RecordsGreensleeves Records & Publishing is a record label specialising in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick and started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, in November 1975 and is based in Britain....
/Clocktower - Touch Me, Take Me (1982) Midnight Rock/Vista Sounds
- Nice Time (1982) Jam Rock (with ToyanToyanToyan aka Ranking Toyan was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings.-Biography:...
) - Entertainment (1982) Midnight Rock
- Settle Down Girl (1983) TrojanTrojan RecordsTrojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name Trojan comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck that was used as Duke Reid's sound system in Jamaica...
- The Big Showdown (1984) Black Solidarity (Trison Palma and Phillip FrazerPhillip FrazerPhillip Frazer, is a writer, editor and publisher. He was a founder of the teen pop newspaper, Go-Set in 1966 which was published weekly until 1974, introducing Australia's first national pop record charts and featuring many notable contributors...
) - Triston Palma Meets Early B The Doctor (198?) Fantastique (Garrick Robertson Triston Palma and Early BEarly BEarlando Arrington Neil, better known by his stage name Early B, was an early dancehall and reggae deejay whose lyrics had a cultural bent, noted mainly in his hits Visit of King Selassie, History of Jamaica and Wheely Wheely, the latter an ode to bicycle-riding in Jamaica.-Biography:Earlando was...
) - I and I and Inity (198?) Drum & Bass (with Philip Frazer)
- Wounded (1989) Bungem
- The Best of (198?) Rohit
- Three Against War (1995) VPVP RecordsVP Records is an independent reggae record label, located in Queens, New York. It is best known for producing Caribbean singers.-The foundation:...
(with Dennis Brown and Beenie Man) - Triston Palmer Meets Jah Thomas Inna Disco Style (1996) Munich/Majestic
- Born Naked (1997) I&I Foundation
- On The Attack Blue Mountain
- Wounded Bungem
- Spliff Tail Black Solidarity
- Triston Palma Meets Michael Palmer Midnight Rock (with Michael PalmerMichael Palmer (musician)Michael Palmer , als known as Palma Dog, is a Jamaican reggae musician who released several albums in the 1980s.-Biography:Born in the Maxfield Park area of Kingston in 1960, Palmer began his career performing with sound systems such as Stereophonic Sound with General Echo in the late 1970s, taking...
) - Two Roads (2000) Easy Star
Singles
- "Melissa" (1982) JR 7"
- "My Father Love" Vasco 7"
- "Spliff Tail" Black Solidarity 7"
- "Another Girl" with Phillip Frazier Solidarity International 7"
- "Ghetto Vibes" I&I Foundation 7"
- "The Struggle" with Norris Man I&I Foundation 7"
- "Can't Let Them Do That" (1997) Artistic 7"
- "Jah Is In Charge" (1997) Ruff Stock 7"
- "Cuss Cuss" (1997) Massive B 7"
- "Original Fussing & Fighting" (1998) Ranking Joe 7"
- "Sweet Reggae Music" "Corner Stone 12"