- Dennis Bovell
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Dennis Bovell 
Dennis Bovell (left) playing with Matumbi, Cardiff 1978Background information Also known as Blackbeard Born 1953 Origin Saint Peter, Barbados, West Indies Genres Dub
Lover's rock
ReggaeOccupations Musician
ProducerInstruments Bass, guitar Years active since 1968 Labels LKJ Records Associated acts Linton Kwesi Johnson
Janet Kay
Matumbi
Bobby Kray
The 4th Street OrchestraDennis Bovell (born 1953, Saint Peter, Barbados, West Indies) is a reggae guitarist, bass player and record producer. He was a member of the British reggae band Matumbi,[1] and released dub-reggae records under his own name as well as the pseudonym 'Blackbeard'.[2]
Contents
Biography
Bovell moved with his family to South London at the age of twelve. He became immersed in Jamaican culture, particularly dub music, and set up his own Jah Sufferer sound system.[3] Running the sound system brought trouble from the police and Bovell was imprisoned for six months on remand, but was later released on appeal.[3] Bovell was friends at school with future rock musicians including keyboardist Nick Straker and record producer Tony Mansfield, both of whom later worked with Bovell.[3]
Bovell also worked as an engineer at Dip Records, the precursor to the Lovers Rock label, and he was a key figure in the early days of the lovers rock genre. He is also known for attempting to fuse disco rhythms with reggae, most notably with the hit song "Silly Games" by Janet Kay.
He has produced albums by a wide variety of artists including I-Roy, The Thompson Twins, Sharon Shannon, Alpha Blondy, Bananarama, The Pop Group, Fela Kuti,[4] The Slits,[5] Orange Juice and Madness. He has collaborated with poet, Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his working life.[1]
Bovell also co-wrote and co-produced the majority of material by British reggae singer Bobby Kray.[6]
In 1980, he wrote the score for Franco Rosso's film Babylon. Bovell has also written music for the 1983 television drama The Boy Who Won the Pools and Global Revolution (2006).[7]
Discography
See also: Matumbi (band)#Discography- Strictly Dub Wize (1978), Tempus - as Blackbeard
- I Wah Dub (1980), More Cut/EMI - as Blackbeard
- Dub Conference (Winston Edwards & Blackbeard At 10 Downing Street) (1980), Studio 16 - with Winston Edwards
- Brain Damage (1981), Fontana
- Audio Active (1986), Moving Target - as Dennis Bovell and the Dub Band
- Dub Dem Silly (1993), Arawak
- Tactics (1994), LKJ
- Dub of Ages (2003), LKJ
- All Over the World (2006)
- Dub Dem Silly Volume 2 (2006), Arawak - Dennis Bovell featuring Janet Kay
- Corean Jamaican Connection, Powerslave - Yoonkee meets Dennis Bovell
- Dub Outside (2011), Double Six - Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell
- Compilations
- Decibel: More Cuts and Dubs 1976-1983 (2003), Pressure Sounds
- Dub Master (1993), Jamaican Gold
vibrativa- mas que mirar- 2010 (sonofotron records)
References
- ^ a b Veal, Michael E. (2007). Dub. Wesleyan University Press. pp. 231–233. ISBN 9780819565723. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rveYGxIUD4oC&client=firefox-a. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ^ Thompson, Dave (2002) "Reggae & Caribbean Music", Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6
- ^ a b c Larkin, Colin (1998) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9, p.35-36
- ^ Cumming, Tim (31 March 2006). "Dennis Bovell: The dub master - Features, Music - The Independent". www.independent.co.uk. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/dennis-bovell-the-dub-master-472069.html. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ^ "Barbican - Dennis Bovell and the Dub Band". www.barbican.org.uk. https://www.barbican.org.uk/music/event-detail.asp?ID=8295. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ^ Lester, Paul (13 June 2007). "No 122: Bobby Kray". The Guardian (Guardian News and Media Limited). http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/jun/13/popandrock2. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ "Dennis Bovell (I)". www.imdb.com. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0100599/. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
External links
Categories:- British reggae musicians
- British record producers
- 1953 births
- Living people
- English people of Barbadian descent
- Black British musicians
- British guitarists
- Barbadian reggae musicians
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