Nkrumah "Jah" Thomas (born 1955, Kingston, Jamaica) is a

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

deejay A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile DJ ...

and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

who first came to prominence in the 1970s, later setting up his own ''Midnight Rock'' and ''Nura'' labels.

Biography

Named Nkrumah after

Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...

nationalist leader

Kwame Nkrumah Francis Kwame Nkrumah (, 21 September 1909 – 27 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He served as Prime Minister of the Gold Coast (British colony), Gold Coast from 1952 until 1957, when it gained ...

, he adopted the stage name Jah Thomas and began deejaying in the mid-1970s, working with producers such as

Alvin Ranglin Alvin 'GG' Ranglin (born 1942, Eden, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica)Greene (Alvin Ranglin Biography) is a Jamaican reggae singer, record producer and record label owner. Biography Ranglin started to sing in public in his teens with an Adventist Chur ...

, who released his single "Midnight Rock", which topped the Jamaican chart in 1976. Thomas's debut album, ''Stop Yuh Loafin gained international recognition via a release on the newly formed

Greensleeves Records Greensleeves Records is a record label specializing in dancehall and reggae music. The company was founded by Chris Cracknell and Chris Sedgwick. Based in Britain, Greensleeves Records started as a small record store in West Ealing, London, i ...

label. Further deejay albums appeared in the late 1970s, before Thomas began concentrating on producing other artists, that included:

Robert Ffrench Robert Ffrench (born 1962) is a Jamaican reggae singer and record producer. Biography Robert Ffrench grew up in central Kingston and attended Kingston College. He recorded his first singles in 1979, at the age of 17.McDonald, Kandré (2007)Robe ...

, Anthony Johnson,

Triston Palma Triston Palma (born 1962) is a Jamaican reggae singer/deejay. He has been active since the mid-1970s. Biography Palma was born in 1961 and grew up in the Waltham Park area of Kingston, and decided from an early age that he wanted to be a singe ...

Johnny Osbourne Johnny Osbourne (born Errol Osbourne, 1948) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall singer, who rose to success in the late 1970s and mid-1980s. His album '' Truths and Rights'' was a roots reggae success, and featured "Jah Promise" and the album's t ...

, Michael Palmer, Barry Brown,

Barrington Levy Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist from Clarendon, Jamaica. Career In 1977, Levy formed a band called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Bla ...

Sugar Minott Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead a ...

Early B Earlando Arrington Neil (28 February 1957 – 11 September 1994) better known by his stage name Early B, was an early dancehall and reggae deejay whose lyrics had a cultural bent, noted mainly in his hits ''Visit of King Selassie'', ''Histor ...

, Ranking Toyan, and Robin Hood, at the same time setting up the ''Midnight Rock'' record label, one of the most successful performer-owned labels of the period. Midnight Rock soon had a hit record in the shape of Thomas's " Cricket Lovely Cricket". Thomas would often use the mixing talents of

Scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...

, and the

Roots Radics The Roots Radics Band is a Jamaican reggae group, formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. The nucleus of Holt and Lamont had previously worked together in the ...

band. He later also set up the ''Nura'' label. He is the father of reggae singer Da'Ville and singer/producer Dwight Thomas.Walker, Karyl (2014)
Dwight Thomas goes with the rhythm
, ''

Jamaica Observer The ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by ...

'', 7 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014

Discography

*''Stop Yuh Loafin (1978) Greensleeves *''Dance on the Corner'' (1979) Midnight Rock *''Nah Fight Over Woman'' (1980) Tad's *''Black Ash Dub'' (1980)

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 18 ...

(with

The Revolutionaries The Revolutionaries (sometimes known as "Revolutionaires") was a Jamaican reggae band. Career Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Bertram "Ranchi ...

) *''Tribute to the Reggae King'' (1981) Midnight Rock *''Dance Hall Connection'' (1982) Silver Camel *''Dance Hall Stylee'' (1982) Daddy Kool/Silver Camel *''Shoulder Move'' (1983) Midnight Rock * ''Jah Thomas Meets Scientist in Dub Conference'' (1996) Munich * ''Triston Palmer Meets Jah Thomas in Discostyle'' (1996) Munich * ''Jah Thomas Meets King Tubby Inna Roots of Dub'' (1997) Rhino * ''Jah Thomas Meets The Roots Radics Dubbing'' (1999) Trojan * ''Jah Thomas meets Barrington Levy inna Dancehall Style''

Culture Press Culture Press is an independent record label from UK specialized in Jamaican music. It was founded in 1984 in UK by Enzo Hamilton with Webster Shrowder and was relocated, in 1987, to Paris, France. LP Discography *VSLP5000 – Bob Marley – ...

* ''King Tubby's Hidden Treasure''(1999) Trojan (Jah Thomas & The Roots Radics) * ''Lyrics For Sale'' Rhino * ''Prophecy of Dub'' Abraham (Jah Thomas & The Roots Radics) *''Jah Thomas Meets King Tubby in the House of Dub'' Majestic Reggae *
Roots Dancehall Party
' (2003) Silver Kamel *
Big Dance A Keep
' (2005) Silver Kamel *
Big Dance Dub
' (2005) Silver Kamel *
Liquid Brass
' (2005) Silver Kamel *''Jah Thomas Presents...'' (2007) Ras Sta Reggae *''Jah Thomas Meets...'' (2007) Ras Sta Reggae *''Jah Thomas Meets...'' (2021) Dub of Dubs

References

External links

Jah Thomas at Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Jah 1955 births Living people Musicians from Manchester Parish Jamaican reggae musicians Greensleeves Records artists Trojan Records artists