Greetings,

It was Chinese leader Mao Zedong who said Women Hold Up Half the Sky. I was inspired by what I saw during the International Women’s Day celebrations and remembrances.

As many specialty shows I have done over the Years (Mutant Dub, Jah-loween, 4:20, Marley Tributes), I had never done a full on Women’s Reggae Special

I have been doing radio for almost 30 years. No one has really critiqued or analyzed how i program Smile Jamaica in decades. So I can get into ruts like anyone else.

Reggae music is a largely male, Rasta music form. I don’t play much romantic Reggae, which is where quite a bit of female Reggae fixates.

It was probably around Iraq War 2.0, if I remember correctly, I was slinging  Roots and got a phone call from a listener. Woman said to me, “I love Smile Jamaica but you don’t play very much women’s Reggae.”

I took that criticism to heart and ever since I try to juggle at least 1 female tune in my four song sets. And it certainly isn’t tokenism. It’s just methodically harvesting all my Dawtas out of my massive archives of CDs, LPs, 10″ and 12″ and 7″ 45s. Now I can rotate in the best Roots with Quality female artists.

What I call Roots Dawtas or Mutant Dubstresses.

Livicated to all the wives, mothers, dawtas, grandmothers, sisters, nieces, girlfriends and friends.

bless, robt

 

Annotated Playlist for Smile Jamaica: March 11, 2017 – Roots Dawta Showcase; 1min 10 sec.

Set 1:

• Natural Beauty – Nice Up Dancee; Nice Up Dancee (RAS) ’86 
• Thievery Corporation feat. Racquel Jones – Road Block; Temple of I & I

<Smile Jamaica’s favorite album of 2017; 22 sec.>

• Sister Nancy – Bam Bam; 300% Dynamite (Soul Jazz ’82 singjay
• Althea & Donna – If You Don’t Love Jah;  Uptown Top Ranking (Virgin Front Line)
• Sophia George – Girlie, Girlie; For Everyone (Pow Wow) ‘85
• Ganja Woman –  Light Up Your Spliff; Pro Canabis 4 (EFA) ’94 – 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement

<Come on Mr. President, smoke the chronic, this time inhale it beats gin ‘n’ tonic; 18 sec.>

Set 2:

• Afro Omega – All My Love; Pick Up the Pieces (Afro Omega) 2006 feat. Lady O – SLC group
• Joy White – Tribulation; United Dreadlocks (Rhino UK) ‘75
• Lovejoys – Chances Are; Lovers Rock Showcase (Wackies) ‘83
• Senya – Children of the Ghetto; Cobra Style (Heartbeat ’76 Aston “Familyman” Barrett prod’n

Set 3:

• Hollie Cook – Milk and Honey; Hollie Cook (Mr. Bongo) 2011 dawta of Sex Pistol drummer, Paul Cook
• June Lodge – Someone Loves You Honey; Someone Loves You Honey (Joe Gibbs) ’80 Charley Pride cover

<#1 all time of the Pacific Islander Reggae Charts; 13 sec.>

• Ayo – Who; Ticket to the World (Universal) 2013 Germ.-Nigerian singer
• The Selecter – Celebrate the Bullet; Celebrate the Bullet (Chrysalis) ’80 UK 2 Tone Ska
• Joy Card – Black Girl; 12” (Wackies) ’82

Set 4: Jamaican Jukebox 7″ set

• Faith D’Aguilar – Reggae Pioneers; 7” (Gorgon) Marley tribute
• Dawn and Christine – Free Marijuana; 7” (Thompson Sounds)
• Carlene Davis – Ism Schism; 7” (Sonic)

<No isms or schisms; 12 sec.>

• The I Three – He’s a Legend; 7” (Tuff Gong) ’86 Marley tribute

<Rita + Judy + Marcia = I Three; 10 sec.>

• Merva Grey – Stop the War; 12” (Uhuru)

Set 5: Vinyl is Vital

• Rita Marley – Who Feels It Knows It; Who Feels It Knows It (Shanachie) ’80 Bunny Wailer cover
• Casselberry & DuPree’ – Comin’ in From the Cold; City Down (Icebergg) ’86 Jahwaukee, Jahsconsin, Bob cover
• Sister Candy – Nation Connection; Laserbeam (World Enterprise) ’83 Brooklyn herbtune
• Aisha – Daughters of Zion; Daughters of Zion (Twinkle) ’93 UK

Set 6:

• Phyllis Dillon – Midnight Confessions; Midnight Confessions

<AM radio Reggae covers; 16 sec.>

• 15 16 17 – Girls Imagination; Magic Touch (DEB) ’78 Smokey Robinson cover
• Nora Dean – Barbwire; Monkey Business (Trojan) ‘69
• Judy Mowatt – Mellow Mood; Mellow Mood (Ashandan) ’75 Bob Marley cover
• Marcia Griffiths – Don’t Ever Leave; 12” (Sheba) ‘81

Set 7: Rocking Sisters do Reggae

• Patti Smith – Redondo Beach; Horses (Arista) ’75

<Patti Smith on Smile Jamaica? WTF?>

• Bananarama – Tell Tale Signs; Deep Sea Skiving (London) ’83 bonus
• The Emotions – There’s More Questions Than Answers; Complete Stax/Volt Singles (Stax/Volt) ’74
• Sinead O’Connor – Downpressor Man; Throw Down Your Arms (That’s Why There Is Chocolate & Vanilla) 2005 Peter Tosh cover
• Vibal Smash feat. Queen Ekanem – Take a Load Off Dreadlocks; Fight For What You Believe In; 12” EP (Ecko); ’87 LA cover of The Band’s The Weight

Set 8: Mutant Dubstresses

• Massive Attack feat. Shara Nelson; Blue Lines (Virgin) ’91 – Mutant Dubstresses
• M.I.A. – Double Bubble Trouble; Matangi (Interscope) 2013
• Morcheeba – Smal Town; Who Can You Trust (Indochina) ‘96
• The Slits – Man Next Door; Live (Jungle) punk dub covers the Paragons
• Dry & Heavy feat. Likkle Mai – New Creation; 12” (Green Tea) 2002 Jah-pon

Words of Wisdom: