Stereo Mars Sound System ft Nicodemus, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks, Burro Ban...

Stereo Mars Sound System ft Nicodemus, Super Cat, Cutty Ranks, Burro Banton, Tenor Saw pt1

Tenor Saw (born Clive Bright, 1966, Kingston, Jamaica) is best-known for his 1985 hit "Ring the Alarm," a song based on the then-ubiquitous "Stalag 17" rhythm which proved to be one of the biggest -- and catchiest -- hits to come out of reggae's transition into the electronic age. Tenor Saw followed it up with Fever, an LP that -- while it didn't contain his signature song -- proved to be a minor classic of early dancehall, full of simple, catchy melodies, synthesized rhythm-section parts, and Tenor Saw's floating vocals. (The CD reissue of Fever also appended dub versions of most of the original tracks.) With such a promising start to his career, it seemed Tenor Saw would be around for quite a long time; sadly, his life was cut short in August 1988, when he was hit by a car in Houston, TX, and killed. The album Wake the Town was released posthumously in 1992.


The nickname Buro has been with him from his schooldays and Banton was the title given to a lyrics champion. His early influences included Dillinger, Trinity, U. Brown and Ranking Trevor. He would frequent dances where his heroes performed and emulate their gestures and phrasings, which eventually evolved into his own presentation. In 1976, persuaded by his friends, he made his debut as a DJ at the renowned Skateland discotheque in Kingston when he entered a talent contest. Banton began his career in earnest on the Roots Unlimited sound system alongside Josey Wales. His success led to him becoming the resident DJ for the Gemini sound system, which resulted in his association with Henry ‘Junjo’ Lawes’ Volcano sound. Performing alongside Peter Metro, Little John, Billy Boyo and Ranking Toyan, the sound clashed with People’s Choice, where Banton battled with his old sparring partner, Josey Wales. Volcano won the contest and shortly after the event Wales joined the Volcano posse. In the early 80s, Banton’s distinctive voice, which sounded similar to Prince Jazzbo, had only been heard on yard tapes.

Nicodemus came to notoriety as a DJ in the late 70s/early 80s performing on the Socialist Roots sound system alongside selector Danny Dread. In 1978 King Jammy (then Prince Jammy) gave his name to the Tapetown sound, which flourished when Nicodemus joined the crew. He delivered his chantings in a style similar to Prince Far I and Prince Jazzbo. He recorded a number of hits, including memorable work with the Roots Radics and notable sessions at Channel One Studio. In 1980 Nicodemus released a combination tune with Ranking Trevor, ‘Jamaican Rockers Hop’, announcing his arrival. He enjoyed a string of hits in 1981, including the adjoining hits ‘Gunman Connection’ and ‘Bone Connection’. The DJ Clash, with Ranking Toyan, which was issued with a voting card, featured the exceptional ‘Hail Nico Dread’, ‘Bubble Nicodemus Bubble’ and ‘Tubby’s Daddy’. Nicodemus was the featured DJ on Bingi Bunny’s ‘Him A Natty Dread’, which introduced his idiosyncratic style to a wider audience. His reputation was further enhanced by the equally popular combination hits with Linval Thompson (‘Holding On To My Girlfriend’) and Leroy Sibbles (‘Rock Steady Party’)

Super Cat was born William Maragh in a ghetto section of Kingston known as Cockburn Pen or Seivright Gardens (the same area that produced DJ stars like U-Roy and Prince Jazzbo). Interested in music from a very young age, Maragh was touring Jamaica with various sound system organizations by the time he was a teenager. His first DJ name, Cat-a-Rock, was eventually switched to Super Cat due to the former's resemblance to the word "cataract"; he also earned a secondary nickname, the Wild Apache. Super Cat made his recording debut in 1981 with the single "Mr. Walker," recorded for the Techniques label and produced by Winston Riley. A succession of singles for various labels followed, as did his debut album Si Boops Deh, which appeared on Techniques in 1985. Settling for a short time on the Skengdon label, Super Cat recorded another album, Boops, but soon grew dissatisfied enough with the business aspect of recording to start his own label, Wild Apache Productions.

Cutty Ranks (born Philip Thomas) is a former butcher that became one of the first to pose an actual challenge to the dominance in the ragga world to Shabba Ranks. A representative of the sound system genre in the early '80s, he joined with Donovan Germain's Penthouse label in 1990, with a stone voice sound, much like Shabba's, running over the "gun talk and slackness" common to this era of ragga. Ranks also makes use of relatively lesser used beats to set himself apart from the other DJs on the scene. The two major albums to look for are The Stopper (Fashion) and Lethal Weapon (Penthouse), both of which showcase his skills decently.


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