Contents - Beth Lesser

steel horns coming like them setting right in my yard.”
The sound often played sessions up in the hills. Brigadier’s sister and fellow
deejay, Sister Nancy, used to hear Brigi’s voice from afar while she was
working around the house. Brigi was out there deejaying for Emperor Marcus.
Brigadier recalls, “I couldn’t wait for school to over, man! School over, I went
to my home, changed my clothes. The sound was over in the hills. So, I cross
the river, I go up there and string it up. String up the steel horns and the one
little box. And they couldn’t get rid of me.”
After a stay with Marcus, Brigadier was invited to hold the mic at a Jah-
Mick Music dance at Mona Heights. At the time, Brigadier was known as
Ranking Dickie. “I went to the celebration they were keeping for a Bredren. I
think he was going to Ethiopia. Through a couple of people in my community
know that I am a deejay, [they said], ‘Brigi, come hold the mic and chat two
thing now.’ And from that day, I never put it [the mic] down back.”
Even before becoming a professional, career deejay, Brigadier used to
perform what he refers to as ‘stand-up comedy’. He would tell the audience
children’s stories and fables, often about animals, like the Guinea pig named
Sammy * , Bumbo the elephant, or Aesop’s Androcles and the Lion. The tales
had a twist at the end and he would narrative them in a patterned vocal style
that made use of pauses and rhythmic changes to emphasize events along the
way. He later developed a deejay style that made good use of his ability to pace
his words and measure his phrases.
When Brigi began to take the sound system business seriously, he changed
his name. “Ina them time there most of the deejay were Ranking – Ranking
Joe, Trevor Ranking, Peter Ranking, and through I say Brigadier run all the
ranks, so I just go one step ahead of the ranks. Jerry was my original name
‘cause my father was Mr. Jerry. And whenever time anybody see us they say,
‘Boy, from me see you, me can tell you a Jerry pickney [child].’ So, me just use
his name ca’ he was a big man in the community.”
Just as described in Brigadier’s popular lyrics, Mr. Jerry farmed ** and did,
indeed, leave every morning to tend to his land in St Andrews. As did his
grandfather on his mother’s side. So the Jerry clan never lacked for food.
Both Brigadier and neighborhood musician Albert Malawi, later to become
legendary Jah Love selector Ilawe, joined the Twelve Tribes the same
year. Gadman’s teachings were sweeping the community in the early ‘70s.
“Me go to the 12 Tribes in 1972 at the age of 13 - same time Ilawe joined. Me
big sister whe’ me follow went to one of the meetings and then she come back
and tell us about it. So, we go now and check it out and, boy, the vibe was
* For example, this story began, “There was brown and white Guinea pig called Sammy who lived
quite a happy life in his hutch looking after wise young master. One night he escape and, how pleased
he was to be free!”
** lyrics: “My father is a farmer, everyday him gone plow. Him plant I-laloo and him plant Bok Chow”
( Calaloo and Bok Choy)
124 | RUB A DUB STYLE – The Roots of Modern Dancehall