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Stanley Beckford

Stanley was born February 17, 1942 in the parish of Portland. He was orphaned as a child and wound up living in Kingston. Taking a path that other Jamaican recording artists followed, he began singing in church, and then gained prominence by winning on the Vere Johns radio talent competition. Stanley recorded reggae as Stanley & The Turbines and in The Starlites. Although clearly reggae, his music had a tinge of mento, displaying a country sound, especially due to Stanley's mento style vocals. When the mento influence was stronger, his recordings could best be described as "mento-reggae".

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The Skatalites

The Skatalites are a Jamaican music group that played a major role in popularising ska, the first truly Jamaican music created by fusing boogie-woogie blues, rhythm and blues, jazz, mento, calypso, and African rhythms. They recorded many of their best known songs, including Guns Of Navarone, in the period between 1964 and 1965, as well as played on records by Prince Buster and many other Jamaican artists.

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Symarip

Symarip, formerly the Pyramids and Seven Letters, were a ska and reggae band from the United Kingdom, originating towards the end of the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Such hits included "Skinhead Moonstomp", "Skinhead Girl", and "Skinhead Jamboree." Consisting of members of West-Indian descent, Symarip is widely marked as the first skinhead band, being the first band to target skinheads as an audience.

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Vivian Jones

At the age of ten, Vivian Jones left Trelawney, Jamaica, in 1967 to settle in England.
In 1977 he joined the band the Spartans and began to write his own material. A couple of bands later, Vivian went solo and achieved a number 1 in the reggae charts in 1980 with "Good Morning"
In 1981, "Black Echoes" magazine voted him the most talented singer/songwriter in the UK.
1988 saw another number 1 in the reggae charts, "Sugar Love", which stayed there for four weeks.

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The Natives

There are three artists with this name
1. An americana band from the United States
2. A reggae band from Jamaica
3. A former indie rock band from the United Kingdom (1) The Natives are a five-piece Americana band based in Bloomington, IN. Their debut album "My Song Is Gonna Set Me Free" can be downloaded for free from their website: http://thenativesband.com
(2)The Natives are a Reggae band off of the Trojan label based in Kingston, Jamaica. "You You" being one of their most notable songs which was featured on the TROJAN ROCKSTEADY BOX SET.

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The Pioneers

The Pioneers, are an important Jamaican reggae band formed in the late 60's, known internationally for songs such as "Long Shot Kick De Bucket" and "Starvation". They had a strong following among British skinheads. Their cover of Jimmy Cliff's 'Let your yeah be yeah' reached #5 in the UK charts in 1971. They split up in the mid-80's to do solo work, but still get together. Further reference: www.pioneersreggaegroup.com

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Skamonics

The Skamonics are a London based jazz meets ska collective, playing a unique mix of authentic 60s ska, jazz, two-tone and completely unexpected covers. The band have been together since 2007 and have performed at London clubs, pubs and festivals - as well as many function gigs. A driving ska rhythm section provides a firm foundation for blazing horns and a female vocalist, blasting out a wide repertoire of ska favourites and tunes given a ska treatment for the very first time.

Read more about Skamonics on Last.fm.

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