Jamaica’s independence in August 1962 marked not just the sovereignty of a new nation but the arrival of a new music destined to become a global force. Reggae as a genre lay a few years down the line, but this expansive two-CD collection drawn from independence year captures its innovative origins. Jamaica’s template was the shuffle and boogie of American R&B, but that was swiftly alchemised by the verve of an island brimming with young talent. On one side were gifted singers such as Owen Gray and Derrick Morgan, respectively represented by cuts including Midnight Track and Housewife’s Choice, while a 16-year-old Jimmy Cliff celebrated Miss Jamaica and narrated the trials of that year’s Hurricane Hattie.
As important were the musicians supplying the backings and starring in their own right on instrumentals that combined the island’s trademark offbeat rhythms with the freedom and virtuosity of jazz – players such as tenor saxophonist Roland Alphonso, who crystallised the new “ska” sound. Most tracks come from producer Duke Reid, and there are too many missing classics from sound-system rivals such as Lloyd Coxsone for Rise Jamaica to be definitive, but the exuberance and optimism of the times is ever present. A timely, captivating celebration for the island’s 60th birthday.
