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RELEASE DATE: AVAILABLE NOW
CD edition limited to 2,500 individually numbered copies.
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott began his reggae career as a selector for the Sound of Silence Keystone sound system prior to forming his Gathering of Youth unit. By the age of 13, though, he decided to step out from behind the soundboard and took center stage as a singer with the African Brothers. It was a this point that Minott expanded his résumé to include "record company executive," as he and his fellow African Brothers launched the Ital label.
Leaving the African Brothers, Minott undertook a solo career in the mid 1970s. It was during this period that he gained notoriety as a lyricist, in addition to his previously-renowned abilities as producer, guitarist, vocalist and drummer. All of a sudden, with the Jamaican hit "Vanity," Minott found himself in demand in dancehalls all over the country.
Released by Island's Mango subsidiary in 1979, Black Roots ranks high among the Jamaican singer's finest efforts. Recorded with a rough-hewn simplicity, the album adds an island inflection to a '60s-style sweet northern soul. Black Roots is markedly political in its attitude - particularly true of the single "Hard Time Pressure," but also notable in "Oppressors Oppression," "Mr. Babylon Man," and the title track.
Very few artists have made as dramatic an impact on Jamaica's dancehall scene as Sugar Minott, and Black Roots is a perfect opportunity to dip into an extensive and influential body of work.
Did You Know? "Ital," the name of Minott's first label, derives from the sixth (of seven) Rasta principles. It instructs followers to live a "natural" existence, promoting ecologically responsible behaviour in all facets of life.
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