RIP Desmond Dekker

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri May 26, 2006 2:55 pm

Desmond Dekker, the man who brought Jamaican music to Europe and the US, died yesterday at 64. No more slavin' for bread.

rh · Post by rh » Fri May 26, 2006 5:08 pm

I was just watching an episode of the Backyardigans (children's animated show -- my son is 3 so i watch mostly children's TV nowadays) which was entirely set to reggae/ska music. It occurred to me that, for such a tiny island as Jamaica, it is remarkable that the music has become such a strong influence in popular music worldwide in such a short time.

Cuban music, for example, has been a huge force for many years, but took about a century to develop before that. The Jamaicans took their mento music and one-drop beats and fused them with 50's-60's American doo-wop and soul and now, 40-some years later, the sound is so embedded into the DNA of pop music that it can be heard virtually at any time most places in the world.

Marley is the one everybody points to of course, but people like Dekker who blazed the trail, and King Tubby (RIP) who presaged virtually the entire art of remixing that is now so commonplace, deserve just as much credit.

Rest in Peace, mon.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sat May 27, 2006 12:04 am

RIP.

Before I got into ITM I was a huge Ska fan, mostly second wave (British 70s/80s stuff ie Specials, Body Snatchers, etc). The name is not unfarmiliar to me.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:32 am

Very sad. Desmond Dekker made some of the finest Jamaican records at the time when the greatest Jamaican records were being made. It's incredible how many superb artists emerged there in the period from the early 60s through the late 70s.

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Sat May 27, 2006 7:42 am

Too sad. I missed him a couple of years ago when he played at a small festival here in Sweden. I truly regret it. RIP Desmond

Unseen, you can't listen to Ska while you're into ITM?

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Sat May 27, 2006 11:51 am

My ears are alight - one of the great (though intentional) mondegreens.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sat May 27, 2006 1:16 pm

Henke wrote: Unseen, you can't listen to Ska while you're into ITM?

In theory I can, but for whatever reason I don't as much. Every once in a while I will, but I am more into ITM.

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Sun May 28, 2006 7:11 am

Okay. I find it strange that a lot of people can only really be into one type of music at a time. I listen to all kinds of music, I even play all kinds of music, everything from ITM, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Metal, Ska and so on and so on. I find that the more I play different kinds of music, the better I get at everything, and I'm able to feel more of the music and how it connects. You should try it.

chas · Post by **chas** » Sun May 28, 2006 9:41 am

Henke, it can come down to a number of factors. My wife and I probably have a thousand or a couple thousand albums, representing many different styles of music. Probably a third are chamber/orchestral, a third folk/traditional, and a third rock/reggae/jazz/other. Often for weeks or months at a time I'll be into only one section.

Many of the periods are due to discovering or acquiring a new type of music. When we got married my wife had an amazing collection of orchestral/chamber music, so I listened almost exclusively to that for a few years. Then we started acquiring a lot of 60's rock -- Beatles, Beach Boys, etc., and listened to a lot of that. Then I got bit by the Irish bug and listened to a lot of that. Then started ripping my old LP's to CD and listened to a lot of that (classic/art rock, jazz, folk mostly). Now that I'm into the Irish flute, I've gotten a lot of CD's of that and am listening to try to get a feel for that.

Why not listen to all of it all the time? Limited time and wanting to get to know the music really well (through immersion) are the primary reasons for me.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sun May 28, 2006 2:28 pm

It also takes a while to explore one type of music completly. I currently listen to ITM mostly, but what aspect? Recently I have been into the modern stuff, i.e McGoldrick, Shooglenifty (ok they are really Scottish not Irish), Flook, Sean Smyth, etc. Of course, it doesn't hurt to get out some more pure drop stuff every now and then.

straycat82 · Post by **straycat82** » Sun May 28, 2006 7:12 pm

Henke wrote:Okay. I find it strange that a lot of people can only really be into one type of music at a time. I listen to all kinds of music, I even play all kinds of music, everything from ITM, Classical, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Metal, Ska and so on and so on. I find that the more I play different kinds of music, the better I get at everything, and I'm able to feel more of the music and how it connects. You should try it.

I'm there with you on that one. I definitely go through phases where one particular genre or band is speaking to me, I.E. I may have a Stiff Little Fingers album in my record player for a week because I can't stop listening to it, then next week it's Skip James or The Mummies or Bobby Darin or The Specials...etc. Regardless of what dominates my stereo this week, I still keep in mind and actively listen to a number of different genres.
Although, I also understand Unseen's P.O.V. -
I listen to music the most while in the car driving (I drive a lot so that's where I have the most opportunity on a daily basis) and I almost always have ITM playing in my car stereo.

---------------------------------------------------

Desmond Dekker had, even more than Marley, such a distinct voice and style that was unmistakably, Desmond Dekker. When you hear one of his recordings, there is no doubt in your mind that it is him. He contributed to the music in such a way that it surprises me how few people know of his work... As is common in the music and art world, sometimes people are long since deceased before they get the appreciation and recognition they deserve.
Anyways, RIP Desmond Dekker.