More than 60 years of experience, the legendary band The Twinkle Brothers will perform for the first time in Chile along with another historical group from Jamaica such as The Skatalites this Sunday 8 from December at Caupolican Stadium.
Both groups were fundamental pieces in the development of Jamaican music from the years 60, laying the foundations of sound -first- from ska and its subsequent evolution to rocksteady and then to roots reggae that was established in the years 70.
The band led by the brothers Norman y Ralston Grant was founded in 1962, the same year of Jamaica's independence from the United Kingdom, and in their prolific career they add more than 60 albums and a large number of singles.
Its beginnings
The Grant brothers come from the Falmouth ghettos, in the parish (district) South Trelawny, on the north coast of Jamaica, where they were baptized as children under the Anglican church. They started singing at an early age, between the 6 Y 8 years, in the Sunday school choir.
At this time they began to make their own instruments -since they could not buy them-, like guitars and drums with garbage cans, sardines or milk, plus fishing line.
After independence they began to participate in singing festivals that at the time were organized by the Jamaican Government and were called “Pop and Mento”. In these contests the competition began at the parish level, then progress was made at the regional level and if success was achieved there, went to the national finals.
After some participations and good results in the early stages, On their third opportunity they passed the regional finals in Montego Bay and advanced to nationals in Kingston, where they got first place in the category “group”, while Norman took first place in the category “soloist”.
already 1966 They recorded their first single, “Somebody Please Help Me”, for producer Leslie Kong, although they later performed sessions for other renowned producers such as Duke Reid, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Sid Bucknor, Phil Pratt y Bunny Lee.
Their main albums
The band worked at the end of the years 1960 and early 1970 in the island's hotel circuit, playing a mix of calipso, soul, pop and soft reggae, and at the beginning of the 1970, They began to produce their own recordings.
Rasta Pon Top was their debut album released in 1975, which contains strongly Rastafari oriented songs like “Give Rasta Praise” Y “Beat Them Jah Jah”, among other.
Then came other great albums like Love (1977); Praise Jah (1979); Countrymen (1980); Me No You (1981); Underground (1982), among many others, while the last of them dates from 2019 and is titled Do It Again.
The alignment “titular” in Chile
The group will arrive in Chile with Norman Grant (74 years) to the head, as we said before, founder and vocalist of the band.
Next to him will be Black Steel, one of the most famous guitarists in the UK reggae scene, member of the bands of the Ariwa labels (Mad Professor) and Jah Shaka and has toured the world with artists such as Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Max Romeo, Lee Scratch Perry, Bob Andy, among others.
Dub Judah He is the bassist of Twinkle Brothers, owner of the Dub Jockey label, with several LPs considered classics of the genre and many singles such as the powerful “Babylon Is a Trap”.
While Jerry Lionz He is a musician and producer, member of The Fasimbas, Jah Shaka's band in the 80s′, He also owns the Lions Den label with many singles and dubplates such as the Anthem Cyan Tan Ya sound system..
While, in the battery will be Barry Prince, considered one of the best drummers on the reggae circuit.
Tickets for the show are still on sale and can be purchased at this link.
