FOUNDATION ROCKERS

I'll be spinning some vintage Jamaican vinyl, as DJ Franco Nero, along with my co-hort Diamond Age this coming Tues, July 27th at the Doublewide at the eastern end of Deep Ellum right here in Dallas, TX.

I've been putting together a pretty decent selection of tracks. My specialty is early '80s Dancehall but we're gonna be covering the history of reggae from SKA to early digital and all points in-between. I'm planning on throwing in a special tribute to the late Sugar Minott somewhere in the mix. So come out next week from 9 to whenever. It's free. Have a Red Stripe or Heineken and get down to some golden sounds. If we get a decent enough response, we're planning on doing it again somewhere in town.

RIP: Sugar Minott

It's ironic that my last post was about Lincoln "Sugar" Minott. The veteran Jamaican singer-songwriter-producer and DJ passed away this past Saturday July 10 at the age of 54. No real details have emerged concerning the cause of his death although speculation centers around his recent bout with heart problems that prevented him from performing at recent shows. Sugar's death has brought out many heartfelt tributes from his friends and fans. He was a tireless promoter of Jamaican music and JA youths -- indeed his sound was called Youthman Promotion. His greatest legacy, however, will be the many many LPs he released including his first, 1977's Live Loving on Studio One. He was one of the first if not the first reggae singer to perform lyrics over established Studio One rhythms, a move which changed the direction of reggae forever. Echoes of his distinctive vocal style can be heard in many artists who followed in his footsteps including Barrington Levy and Triston Palmer.


Here's a taste of the genius of Sugar: