Roots Archives Forum

This probably sounds a bit off-key, but its a fact that reggae, especially JA produced stuff tends to feature voices that you probably would not hear in some other genres. David Rodigan once commented that what fascinated him about reggae at one point was the voices featured on some tracks. Not particularly the vocal style, but more the vocal tone.
We all know certain artists have that trademark style, e.g. Mykal Roze, Don Carlos or Yami Bolo with the Waterhouse wailing style, but I am dealing more with the tonal quality of the voice.
The Western pop market seems to go for singers who fit a certain mould and therefore everyone sounds the same, but the JA reggae scene has always featured many distinct and varied vocal tones.

My selection would go like this:

Horace Andy, Edi Fitzroy, Mikey Dread, Eek A Mouse, and a special mention for Gregory Isaacs extra nasal tone! More so after circa 1985, possibly something to do with his increased intake of cocaine????

SO many voices that would perhaps be viewed as "unorthodox" by Western pop standards... luckily we don't listen to any of that noise, right?

Putting my suggestion in for Leo Graham!

Also, not "nasal" but Keith Hudson wins in my book for "Voice That Would Not Be Tolerated For One Second In Western Pop Music"

Icho Candy?

the maytones, weird sounding harmonies but i love them. actualy for that matter the congos can go in there too

i don't know why everyone gives keith hardson a hard time. i think his voice sounds badass.

unorthodoxconqueror wrote: i don't know why everyone gives keith hardson a hard time. i think his voice sounds badass.

oh, i'm not slighting K. Hudson in any way - I happen to dig his vocal stylings! quite a bit of the appeal of Jamaican music for me is the WIDE variation of vocal styles available...

also, I would like to add The Royals and The Travellers to the list of quirky (but AWESOME) vocal styles.

just struck me that apple gabriel might be another contender for the list

Delano Tucker, Ritchie McDonald,Clive Hunt and the lesser known singers like Raymond Hall, G. Murphy, Alexander Bucknor......

Jerry Lewis. The guy sounds like he's had a stroke or someone dropped something in his drink or something like that...

Roy Sirley

Arkle I agree with u, Icho Candy has definitely a quirky type of voice, therefore i guess we have to include Horace Andy in there too.

Prince Lincoln - one of the most exemplary voice in reggae, but is it quirky or not? I love the man anyway.
I think Leroy Smart is the greatest, definitely "The Don" and yeah his vocal stylings are sometimes a bit outside the norm.

As for Keith Hudson - cant diss. No one else in the world sounds remotely like him and i never tire of hearing him. Its something different and that is always appreciated as far as im concerned..And how can we not mention the great Nitty Gritty!!!!