Trinity Junior Brammer (born Wade Brammer, 1954 – 9 April 2021) was a Jamaican

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 and producer, whose career began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1990s.

Biography

He was born in 1954 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 the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

, and Brammer was educated at the

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys' School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica, still ru ...

. After initially working under the name Prince Glen, he began working under the stage name Trinity, taken from the

Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

character. After working as a deejay on several Kingston

sound systems Sound system may refer to: Technology media * Sound reinforcement system, a system for amplifying audio for an audience * High fidelity, a sound system intended for accurate reproduction of music in the home * Public address system, an institution ...

, he made his debut recording in March 1976 with "Set Up Yourself" for producer Joseph Hoo Kim. "Words of The Prophet" followed for Yabby You, who also produced his debut album, ''Shanty Town Determination'', which was re-released on Steve Barrow's Blood and Fire (record label) in 2000, replete with extended Rockers discomixes. Late in 1976, he joined up with Dillinger for the "Crank Face" single, and the ''Clash'' album, produced by UK-based producer Clement Bushay. 1977 saw the deejay in great demand, recording more than 20 singles for a variety of producers, including Winston Riley, Tommy Cowan, Joe Gibbs, and Yabby You, his biggest hit coming with "Three Piece Suit" for Gibbs, featuring Trinity toasting over a new version of Alton Ellis's "I'm Still In Love With You"

riddim In Jamaican dancehall music, a riddim is the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the term consist of the ''riddim'' plus the ''voicing'' (vocal part) sung by the deeja ...

, with a lyric that anticipated the move from 'cultural' lyrics to more material/carnal concerns of the

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...

era. This prompted an answer record from Althea & Donna using the same rhythm, in the form of the UK-chart topping " Uptown Top Ranking". Trinity recorded "Slim Thing" in response, but failed to match Althea & Donna's success. 1977 also saw the release of the ''Uptown Girl'' album, produced by Bunny Lee, and strong albums in 1978 in the form of ''Three Piece Chicken and Chips'' (with Ranking Trevor) and ''Showcase''. In 1978, Trinity also performed at the One Love Peace Concert in Kingston. In the later 1970s, Trinity began producing both himself and other artists, starting his own Flag Man record label. In 1979, he recorded the duet "Funny Feeling" with Dennis Brown, and joined up with

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 ...

for "Lose Respect" and "I Need a Girl" in 1979 and 1980 respectively. Subsequent albums met with diminishing commercial success, and Trinity switched from deejaying to singing, releasing the albums ''Telephone Line'' and ''Hold Your Corner'' in 1987 under the name Junior Brammer. Trinity's younger brother, Robert Brammer, also had a successful career as a deejay, recording under the name

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

. Trinity died on 9 April 2021, at the National Chest Hospital in

Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Saint Andrew () is a Parishes of Jamaica, parish, situated in the Ordinal directions, southeast of Jamaica in the county of Surrey County, Jamaica, Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, and stretches into the Blu ...

, at the age of 67 of complications from

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

Albums

;as Trinity *''Shanty Town Determination'' (1977) TR International, reissued in 2000 on Blood and Fire in an expanded form *''Clash'' (1977) Burning Sounds (Dillinger verses Trinity) *''Three Piece Suit'' (1977) Joe Gibbs *"Real Ranking" (1977) Althea Douna (sic) & Trinity (Jam Sound Production) 12" Disco Mix *''Uptown Girl'' (1977) Magnum, reissued as ''Side Kiks'' (1983) Vista Sounds *''Three Piece Chicken and Chips'' (1978) Cha Cha (with Ranking Trevor) *''At His Toasting Best'' (1978) Gorgon *''Dreadlocks Satisfaction'' (1978) Jackpot *''Showcase'' (1978) Burning Sounds *''African Revolution'' (1979) GG's *''Trinity Meet The Mighty Diamonds'' (1979) Gorgon (with The Mighty Diamonds) *''Rock In The Ghetto'' (1979)

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 ...

*''African Christmas'' (1979), Top Ranking - with Hortense Ellis *''Have a Little Faith'' (1980) Micron, also issued (2002) Thompson Sounds, and as ''Life'' (2004) Clocktower, with different track listing *''Bad Card'' (1981) Joe Gibbs *''Full House'' (1981) JB *''Yabby You Meets Trinity At Dub Station'' (1982) Yabby U *''Teen Jam'' (1983) Kingdom (Trinity featuring Little Culture) *''The Best Of Trinity'' (1985) Culture Press *''Around The World'' (1986) Yard International *''Natty Tired To Carry Load'' (1988) Burning Sounds *''Burning'' (1992) Lagoon *''Big Big Man'' (1993) Esoldun *''DJ Originators Head To Head Vol 2'' (200?) Rocky One (

Prince Far I Prince Far I (23 March 1945 – 15 September 1983) was a Jamaican reggae deejay and producer, and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics abou ...

& Trinity) *''Eye To Eye'' (2013) Irie Ites ;as Junior Brammer *''Telephone Line'' (1987) John Dread *''Hold Your Corner'' (1987) Live & Learn

References

External links

Trinity at Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trinity 1954 births 2021 deaths Jamaican reggae musicians Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Trojan Records artists Diabetes-related deaths People educated at Alpha Boys School