Contents - Beth Lesser

Bredren’ and ‘Dance in Montreal’ on Studio One , and his 1984 hit, ‘Jamaica,
Jamaica’, which was included on an album released by U.S. based RAS Records.
The album was produced by Jah Live music with Ilawe playing drums
on all the tracks. The LP used originally recorded rhythms (although they
were for the most part versions of old standards).
The deCline of jah love
In its heyday, everything about Jah Love just clicked. “It’s just spiritualness
and the love of God keep that sound together,” Brigi reminisces, “Everybody
was like a family, you know. There was about nine, ten of us. Never have a
fight, never have a fuss. We know what we have to do and we just go and do
what we have to do.”
Jah Love kept the culture standard flying though a time of almost omnipresent
slackness. Even the slackest of deejays pay tribute to Brigadier as a
teacher and a role model for everyone in dancehall. He was the originator of
so many lyrics that were recorded first by others. *
Brigadier, live on Jah Love, was responsible for some of dancehall’s finest
moments. But, it didn’t last. A sad Ilawe commented recently, “One of
the manager for Jah Love [Earl Belcher] dead just like how Gadman dead,
so those ideas that we talked about dead. The sound dead too, cause I’m not
around it and Brigadier not around it.” While it reigned, Jah Love with Brigadier
exerted a profound influence on dancehall, an influence that is still felt
and respected today.
* Brigadier’s lyrics spread quickly through the dancehalls via cassettes and were often recorded by
other deejays who had were currently recording. “All the deejays in the world take something from
me. Every single one,” Brigi commented. As he complains in his song Lyrics of Mine, “‘See the Bobo
Dread’ – me build that, ‘dance cork’- me build that, ‘me say me hot’- me build that, ‘pass the chalice’,
a me build that, the whole of them sit down pon Brigi almanac… I’ve got lyrics, yes lyrics, whole
different type of culture lyrics, of yes, the whole of them are mine…” (Released as ‘Lyrics of Mine’,
1990, produced by Brigadier Jerry and Dr. Dread, RAS Records). Still, Brigadier didn’t bear anyone
ill will. As he said in ‘Everyman a Me Bredren’: “Everyman him a me bredren still….every deejay a me
bredren set speed…”
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