John Masouri

"All of the songs on the Sweet And Dandy  LP were originals except for ‘We Shall Overcome’, and every hit mentioned above was included except for ‘Do The Reggay’. Also present was the gospel-powered R&B number ‘I Shall Be Free’, the lively dance tracks ‘Bla, Bla, Bla’ and ‘Alidina’, a slow ballad called ‘I Need Your Love’ and the rousing ‘Oh Yeah’, on which they call for a reconciliation. It’s been more than half a century since these tracks were first recorded, and this viny

"The Gay Lads were described as “the greatest singing group in the West Indies” after recording this 1970 album for Beverley’s. That was some accolade considering the competition, and especially since Bob Marley and the Wailers were also part of Leslie Kong’s stable at the time. The Gaylads, led by Harris “BB” Seaton, had established themselves as regular hitmakers at Studio One, and were at their peak when walking through the doors of the Beverley’s Record Den in Kingston wh

"‘007 (Shanty Town)’ had kickstarted his run of hits in the UK two years earlier, but it was ‘Israelites’ that propelled him to international fame. Both singles originally appeared on the Beverley’s label owned by Leslie Kong, who was the most successful Jamaican record producer of the early reggae era. The Kingston born Dekker made his debut for Beverley’s in 1963 and remained loyal to Kong thereafter. Both men were then rewarded handsomely when ‘Israelites’   became the fir

"Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’ was the first international hit by a Jamaican artist, but in truth it was a cover of an American song recorded in London and released on a UK label. British pop fans didn’t get a taste of the real Jamaican sound until three years later when first Prince Buster, then Desmond Dekker, broke into the UK Top 20 with ‘Al Capone’ and ‘007 (Shanty Town)’ respectively. Whilst Millie and Buster soon fell by the wayside where British chart success was c

I'd like to thank the organisers of the Miami Book Fair for inviting me to this month's event, and for making my visit so memorable. I enjoyed every moment, the arrangements were first class and there were so many stalls and events to share and inspire. My actual presentation on the final day was well attended, and fellow writer Randall Grass was the perfect host!

Many thanks to Lisa B and The Voice of the Caribbean radio for inviting me to share stories from my book Pressure Drop: Reggae in the Seventies. You were the perfect host!

Garage to Stadiums is a podcast for true music fans — the ones who want more than just headlines and hype. This show is for listeners who care about the full story behind the artists: their childhoods, musical influences, early gigs, personal battles, journey to stadium-level fame and the drama in between. This particular edition is devoted to Bob Marley, and draws heavily upon material included in my book Simmer Down: Marley-Tosh-Livingston, published by Jook Joint Press.

Many thanks to Real Rockaz Radio host Marlon Burrell for his insightful and well researched interview in Miami during my recent visit there. It was absolute pleasure reminiscing about my early days and sharing thoughts on reggae of the seventies in particular.

I had a great interview with Miami based radio presenter G Cole whilst in the city for the Miami Book Fair. A week later, Jimmy Cliff passed away, leaving millions of us reggae fans mourning the loss of this iconic artist. I had the honour of meeting and interviewing him numerous times over the years, and one of the most memorable musical events I've ever witnessed was his spontaneous rendition of Many Rivers To Cross , shared with South African harmony group Ladysmith Black

This month's Echoes' reggae content was written in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Melissa; a Category 5 storm that devastated huge swathes of Jamaica, and left many people homeless and without support. Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of all those who died or were badly affected by the worse Caribbean hurricane in living memory, and respect to everyone who contributed to the relief efforts including artists like Shaggy, Sean Paul and Maxi Priest.