Videos

Other souvenirs from Jamaica, from over the years. Nothing well crafted over here, only small bits of life, vibes and music. And of course, a lot of them feature the great Prince Alla...
Other videos can be seen on www.youtube.com/anbessa77

All videos ©Marc Ismail

"Ya ho", featuring Wesley Tinglin and Prince Alla

The Viceroys' "Ya ho" has always been one of my favourite songs, and one of the first I learned to play with my guitar. So when Wesley Tinglin, the author of this masterpiece, showed up in Rockfort that afternoon, I could not miss the opportunity, and asked him if he would sing it with me. Then Prince Alla and Winston McAnuff's son Kush joined in... A pure moment of happiness for me...

The Gaylads singing golden oldies

The legendary rocksteady group the Gaylads (BB Seaton, Maurice Roberts and Randel Thaxter), reunited in Kingston, in february 2011. I had the great pleasure of spending many hours with these great artists, in the studio and at home, listening to them singing songs that were between 40 and 50 years old. But that proved to be enduring classics. It was an old dream of mine to be in Jamaica with my friend BB Seaton, and the time I had with him and the group went beyond my highest expectations.

Randel Thaxter sings "Colour of Jah rainbow"

When BB Seaton left the Gaylads, Randel Thaxter and his brother Michael joined Maurice Roberts, and recorded more songs under the Gaylads name. "Colour of Jah rainbow" is one of them. I love this song, so I asked him to sing a bit of it a capella.

Presenting the Tizita riddim

A short presentation clip for the new riddim on Soul of Anbessa records : the Tizita ("nostalgy" in amharic). Featuring the original Roots Radics, Prince Alla and the Tamlins.

Prince Alla, hero of Jamaican roots music

A little tribute to my friend. The soundtrack is an unreleased early 80's cut of Prince's classic tune "Stone"

Prince Alla : Heaven is my roof unplugged

One of those many great moments, singing with Prince. The guitar's out of tune, and I make a couple mistakes, but what a singer. And what a song... Greenwich Town, october 2007

Kingston city 2009

A ride through Kingston, on a rainy sunday afternoon. I asked my big brother Seymour, the best taxi man in town, to drive me around, to show the people who've never been there, how the famous areas of Kingston looked like.  I chose to do it on a sunday, because any other day of the week, the trafic would have been way too heavy. But I didn't expect to get such an apocaliptic ghost town vision. It looked like a huge hurricane, or a sudden civil war, had swept these communities the day before. On week days, there are people in the streets, but the emptiness here emphasizes the feeling of destroyed areas.   A rather depressing vision, but that's how Kingston ghettos looked like, on that rainy sunday afternoon.
Kingston, november 2010

Stranger and Scabba downtown

The legendary Stranger Cole and On Top label producer Pat "Scabba" Sutherland, having some good time at Sandra's Bar, listening to some old tunes. Downtown Kingston, november 2007

Count Ossie Tribute : Mystic Revelation of Rastafari

October 25, 2009. One of the greatest musical nights of my life, without any doubt. The first Count Ossie Tribute was organized by Nambo Robinson, and features the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, led by Count Ossie Jr, Dean Fraser, and many great musicians. I was there with Prince Alla, who kept singing along all night. Temple Hall Estate, St Andrew.
I wrote a whole report of the wonderful night, in the Blog section (in french)

Count Ossie Tribute : Rockfort Rock

For Count Ossie, the Rockfort man, one song had to be played : Rockfort Rock ! Featuring Dean Fraser

Count Ossie Tribute : Skylarking

Listen to the saxophone, it sounds like on the original Studio One version, recorded almost 40 years ago ! Nambo Robinson and Dean Fraser on vocals. Temple Hall Estate, october 2009

Count Ossie Tribute : Concrete jungle

Nambo Robinson and Dean Frazer on vocals.



The McAnuff family

Winston, Ishmel, Kush and Mathew McAnuff, with Prince Alla, at the Uprising Band headquarters in Rockfort, november 2009

Mama G : See no evil

Mama G, rasta priestess, cultural ambassador, poet... A great lady. Uprising band headquarters, Rockfort, november 2009

Ricky Chaplin at Tuff Gong

DJ Ricky Chaplin recording a combination with Prince Alla, at Tuff Gong studio, Kingston, november 2007

Roby's audition

An afternoon audition, at Chinna's yard. A singer passes through, I only know his  first name : Roby.  He sung a couple wonderful songs, unfortunately my small camera's batteries were almost dead. Here are the only notes I could capture. Kingston, may 2006

Prince Alla and Patrick Andy

Two great singers singing harmonies for Prince's son Alamando aka Alladalla, at Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion studio. October 2007. Sorry, the picture is very dark...

Chinna and Ken Bob

Guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith and singer Ken Bob, enjoying the afternoon sun at Chinna's yard. Kingston, june 2006