Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

BURNING SPEAR

(b Winston Rodney) Jamaican visionary and singer whose lorn vocal style was appropriate to the kind of protest he contemplated. Made early reputation when dubplates of songs recorded at Studio One were given prominent airing on the island's soud systems, later released on albums Burning Spear and Rocking Time; wider acclaim as he joined forces with backup singers Delroy Hines and Rupert Willington on stirring "Slavery Days' for Jack Ruby, as well as LP Marcus Garvey, so popular that its dub incarnation Garvey's Ghost was also issued; the preachings of Garvey were a recurrent theme in his work. He embarked on heavy touring schedules, also cutting album after album all in the same basic style; final set for Ruby was Man In The Hills '76, then self-produced sets: Dry And Heavy, Harder Than The Best, Live, Living Dub, Hail H.I.M., Farover, Resistance, People Of The World.