"Pass the Kouchie" is a 1981 Jamaican reggae song by

the Mighty Diamonds The Mighty Diamonds were a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group was formed in 1969 and were best known for their 1976 debut album, '' Right Time'', produced by Joseph Hoo Kim, and the 1979 ...

. The song is based around

Rastafarian Rastafari is an Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much ...

use of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

via cannabis pipes. It was later adapted by the British-Jamaican group

Musical Youth Musical Youth are a British reggae band formed in 1979 in Birmingham, England. They are best known for their 1982 single " Pass the Dutchie", which was number 1 in multiple charts around the world. Their other hits include " Youth of Today", "N ...

as "

Pass the Dutchie "Pass the Dutchie" is a song performed by the British reggae band Musical Youth, taken from their debut studio album, '' The Youth of Today'' (1982). It was produced by Toney Owens from Kingston, Jamaica. The single peaked at the top of the UK ...

History

"Pass the Kouchie" was based upon a 1968 reggae instrumental piece called "Full Up" by

Leroy Sibbles Leroy Sibbles (born Leroy Sibblies, 29 January 1949) is a Jamaican reggae musician and producer. He was the lead singer for The Heptones in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to his work with The Heptones, Sibbles was a session bassist and arra ...

. When the song was released, it was condemned by the

Prime Minister of Jamaica The prime minister of Jamaica () is Jamaica's head of government, currently Andrew Holness. Holness, as leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), was sworn in as prime minister on 7 September 2020, having been re-elected as a result ...

Edward Seaga Edward Philip George Seaga ( ; 28 May 1930 – 28 May 2019) was a Jamaican politician and record producer. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1980 to 1989, and the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005.

for endorsing the use of illegal cannabis. The

government of Jamaica Politics in Jamaica takes place in the framework of a representative parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The 1962 Constitution of Jamaica established a parliamentary system whose political and legal traditions closely follow those ...

subsequently banned it from being played on national radio as part of a drive against "kouchie culture". Despite this, the song was popular and became a top seller in Jamaican music shops and held that position for several weeks. The song was viewed as having established the Mighty Diamonds as being highly regarded in the reggae music scene. It also gained popularity internationally.

Adaptation

"Pass the Kouchie" gained popularity within the Caribbean communities in the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1982, the British group Musical Youth adapted "Pass the Kouchie" for release in the United Kingdom. In the adaption, they changed the word "kouchie" to "dutchie" (a cooking pot) and other lyrics referencing drugs being changed to food. The majority of the United Kingdom at large were not aware of it being based on "Pass the Kouchie" and the cannabis background of it. Despite the change being made to specifically avoid drug references, "dutchie" later eventually became a slang word for cannabis because of the song. The adaption reached number one in the UK Singles Charts. In 2012, the relationship was subject to an English High Court case regarding copyright royalties where it was held that "Pass the Dutchie" shared the same copyright as "Pass the Kouchie".

References

{{Reflist 1981 songs Jamaican reggae songs Songs about cannabis Jamaican works about cannabis Songs involved in royalties controversies