This unique mix was requested by a listener in the United Kingdom.
It’s probably the first time any selector has compiled these particular artists on one project, but that is what the Reggae Lover Podcast is all about. Glen Washington, George Nooks, Norris Man, & Jah Mason all began gaining popularity in the mid-to-late 90s, though Glen Washington and George Nooks started their musical careers in the 1970s.
Glen Washington, born in May Pen, Clarendon, Jamaica was a drummer and who toured the world with many different bands and backed many different artists and performers from the 70s through the 80s into the 90s. He migrated to the United States and recorded sporadically as a solo singer but extensively as a drummer. In 1997 when he started to focus on pursuing his solo singing career he did some recording sessions for Studio One and then he sort of blew up with a big hit in 1998 with the song “Kindness for Weakness.” which was marketed by VP records. From there he solidified his career and started to tour the world again as a solo singer.
Like Glen Washington, George Nooks was born in the 1950s inJamaica. He sang in the youth choir at church, performed at school concerts and talent shows. He professionally recording under the name Prince Mohammed in the 1970s as a deejay. He recorded with Joe Gibbs over the Dennis Brown “How could I leave” instrumental, released an album with General Echo, and had a hit in Jamaica with “40 Leg Dread.” Nooks concentrated on singing starting in the 80s but it was not until 1997 that he released a successful singing album. After 2001 he began singing mostly gospel music.
Norris Man now grew up in the Trench Town area of Jamaica where Bob Marley and the Wailers hail from. He started performing on local sound systems at age 10 deejaying over Studio One riddims. He was small they would put him to stand on top of a Guinness crate and let him get a few songs in. He was actually quite good at it. He started recording at age 22. His first full-length album entitled “Persistence” was released in 1997 on VP records. He linked up with Anthony B and the Star Trail records camp around this time and eventually started touring extensively, taking on stages in California, then Africa, and Europe.
Jah Mason also known as Fire Mason was born in the early 70s in the parish of Manchester and grew up in a Christian family. He began working with Junior Reid’s JR record label in 1995. He joined the Bobo Shanti order of the Rastafari movement. After linking up with the David House Records group got his career took off with the single “my princess gone” among others. He made guest appearances on Singles with his friend Jah Cure and from the mid-nineties through the 2000s Jah Mason released at least one album every year.
If you’re a fan of any of the music that you hear on this episode please go check these artists. They have product in stores that you can purchase and material to stream online. Big Ups 2 the Kingman out of Leicester UK who wanted these artists to be featured here. Thank you so much for joining me on Reggae Lover Podcast episode 83. I hope you enjoy the mix. Its dedicated to you. Bless Up.
