Black Uhuru - Part 1 - Tear It Up - 1981

With reggae's fabled "riddim twins," drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, laying down the solid grooves for this second of the many Black Uhuru incarnations, the group was firmly set on the fast track to international pop stardom. This recording from London's Rainbow theater captures the group in 1981, at their most intimidating and exhilarating peak--rock & roll flash coupled with Rasta-reggae militancy--without stooping to distracting camera angles or edits. Front man Michael Rose, a "Uhuru" snarl pasted on his face as he tears up the stage, is still one of the finest exponents of Kingston's fabled Waterhouse school of roots yodeling-singing. Tall, lanky, and poker-faced, group founder Ducky Simpson maintains his tight military skank dance throughout as he blends his bass choruses with soprano wails from the late and beauteous African American Puma Jones, whose training in classical African dance gave a special twist to the spectacle of individual talents that was Black Uhuru at the time. The songs--all anthems of Rasta reasoning such as "Shine Eye Gal," "Plastic Smile," "Youth of Eglington," "General Penitentiary," "Happiness," "Sponji Reggae," and "Sinsemilla"--are as fresh today as the day Uhuru first sang them. Thankfully, this video captures a reggae moment that ended far too soon.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• black
• uhuru
• concert
• live
• 1981
• Tear
• It
• Up
• VHS
• london
• reggae
• roots

[Rinusj1]

I saw black uhuru many times play....unfortunatly i never saw them live in this formation...thanx for the upload very nice :)

[marcovittozziii]

best uhuru show...the mystic 80's....i-rie ;)

[MrBennyfromtheblock]

Used to have this on vinyl until someone stole it, all I can say is they had impeccable taste.

[emmanuelkux]

whaat! Rose is high like a kite 4:50 to 5:00

[emmanuelkux]

and sly n robbie.. All so young and flexible on stage

[emmanuelkux]

really and trully,the rose-puma jones-duckie Black uhuru of early 80s was the most electrifying!!



[Mr87sam]

Darkness. Love Black Uhuru. Thanks for the upload.

[hiephoi058]

great upload! bless