Today we need something to celebrate. Let’s celebrate the 75th birthday of reggae pioneer The Honourable Toots Hibbert, OJ, the face of the Maytals. Hibbert was an early and leading influence in ska, rock steady and reggae music first in Jamaica and then throughout the world. Toots claims to have originated the use of the term reggae to describe the music style in his 1968 song “Do the Reggay.” Reggay being a dance fad at the time.
Movie audiences were introduced to Mr. Hibbert in the 1972 film The Harder They Come (1972), starring the reggae singer Jimmy Cliff. This clip shows Toots & the Maytals at a recording session:
And the same song years later with a more full sounding band:
Perhaps his biggest hit, Pressure Drop:
Monkey Man has been covered by acts such as the ska-punk band The Specials and Amy Winehouse:
Monkey Man covered by The Specials in 1979:
The only clip I found of Amy Winehouse performing Monkey Man features Ms. Winehouse in good voice, but her appearance and stage presence was less than flattering, so it is not embedded here.
Finally, here is Toots performing with Willie Nelson:
Photo at the top is from the front row at Space in Evanston, Illinois a few years ago, with essentially the same band as in the Pressure Drop TV clips above.
Enjoy some ska and reggae music today to honor Mr. Hibbert on his birthday! A true music pioneer.