Ijahman Cover Art on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Ijahman Levi (born Trevor Sutherland: 26 June 1946) is a Jamaican-British conscious
Artist Biography by Craig Harris
, ''
Ijahman Levi: I & Jah
/ref> In 1966 and 1969, he released two singles under the name of The Youth. The first one was in 1966 for
Ijahman Levi (born Trevor Sutherland: 26 June 1946) is a Jamaican-British conscious roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...
chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of no ...
er, artist and musician. In his early years, Levi was tutored by musician and vocal teacher, Joe Higgs
Joseph Benjamin Higgs (3 June 1940 – 18 December 1999) was a reggae musician from Jamaica. In the late 1950s and 1960s he was part of the duo Higgs and Wilson together with Roy Wilson. He was a popular artist in Jamaica for four decades and i ...
.Harris, CraigArtist Biography by Craig Harris
, ''
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'', Retrieved 28 July 2014 His first album, ''Haile I Hymn'', was released on Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
in 1978. He became Ijahman Levi after a religious
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
spiritual conversion to Rastafari
Rastafari is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by Religious studies, scholars of religion. There is no central authori ...
when he was in prison between 1972 and 1974. It and his following records preach Rastafari movement as well as Twelve Tribes of Israel
The Twelve Tribes of Israel ( , ) are described in the Hebrew Bible as being the descendants of Jacob, a Patriarchs (Bible), Hebrew patriarch who was a son of Isaac and thereby a grandson of Abraham. Jacob, later known as Israel (name), Israel, ...
doctrine
Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification (law), codification of beliefs or a body of teacher, teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a ...
.
Biography
Levi moved with his parents to the United Kingdom in 1963./ref> In 1966 and 1969, he released two singles under the name of The Youth. The first one was in 1966 for
Polydor
Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
56121 "As Long As There Is Love" c/w "Your One and Only Man", both covers of Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Lee RuffinRibowsky, Mark (2010), ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations'', Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, p. 89. . (May 7, 1936 – November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and ...
and Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
songs. Levi has mentioned he is a great Otis Redding fan. They were cut in a typical mod R&B soul
The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
style. His second single was for Deram 226, released 17 January 1969, and featured "Meadow of My Love" c/w "Love Me or Leave Me". The B-side was self-written, being credited to 'Sutherland'. He recorded "Fire Fire" c/w "Jesus Keepeth My Soul" as The Youth on Pama in 1971. His next three singles were "I'm a Levi" and "Jah Heavy Load" on Concrete Jungle followed by "Chariot of Love" on Organisation, all produced by Dennis Harris, in 1976, before signing to Island Records. In 1985 Levi released "I Do", a duet he recorded with his second wife, Madge. The song performed well on the British reggae charts, reaching top position. Levi's most famous composition is "Jah Heavy Load", recorded and released in 1976.
Discography
* 1978 – ''Haile I Hymn (Chapter 1)'' * 1978 – ''Haile I Hymn (Chapter 2)'' * 1979 – ''Are We a Warrior'' * 1982 – ''Tell It to the Children'' * 1984 – ''Lilly of My Valley'' * 1985 – ''Africa'' * 1986 – ''I Do (Ijahman and Madge)'' * 1987 – ''Forward Rastaman'' * 1987 – ''Culture Country'' * 1988 – ''Ijahman and Friends'' * 1988 – ''Over Europe Live'' * 1989 – ''Inside Out'' * 1991 – ''On Track'' * 1991 – ''Love Smiles'' * 1992 – ''Kingfari'' * 1993 – ''Entitlement'' * 1993 – ''Gemini Man'' * 1994 – ''Two Double Six'' * 1994 – ''Black Royalties'' * 1995 – ''Home Free by Madge'' * 1995 – ''Live in Paris 1994'' * 1995 – ''Ijahman Sings Bob Marley'' * 1996 – ''Ijahman & Bob Marley in Dub'' * 1997 – ''Live at Reggae on the River'' * 1997 – ''Beauty and the Lion'' * 1997 – ''Lion Dub Beauty'' * 1998 – ''Crocodile Man'' * 1998 – ''Monkey Man'' * 2000 – ''Arkart'' * 2001 – ''The Roots of Love'' * 2006 – ''Versatile Life''References