Greetings,
Reggae Radio for 31 years. I am a fundamentalist when it comes to how I program Smile Jamaica
No digital for I ‘n’ I. I play LPs, 7″ vinyl, 12″/10″ vinyl singles and CDs. I don’t care to learn your virtual deejay software. Let it be a mystery. As I tell my nieces and nephews: I put the “old” in Old School.

Vinyl is sleek and beautiful. Large size album covers tell a visual story. CDs are smaller and more functional. You would think more durable too.
KRCL has two turntables and three CD players. I was juggling some Wailers Family Tree. Hoped to debut a Peter Tosh bootleg: NYC ’81. Pop the CD into a tray. Cue it up. Fade Studio One Wailers vinyl….remote start the disk.
After 20 seconds the CD started looping back to the beginning. WTF? I usually always have a disk in the tray in case of sonic malfunction. This time I was caught dry. I fumbled for a Bunny Wailer CD and recovered.
30 seconds of dead air on Radio? Is the equivalent of an hour to the listener. It is the worst screw up a deejay can make outside Carlin’s seven dirty words.
No worries. I keep a trusty cloth in my kit to wipe down CDs. Bunny fades and Peter 2.0 segues. Same thing: 20 seconds and loop, loop, loop.
So all I could say was BUMBO KLAAT
Listen to Peter describe what is Bumbo Klaat
<Bumbo Klaat; 96 sec.>
In Jamaica, a bumbo klaat is a vulgar derivative of the American femine hygiene product. In the U.S. the vernacular, “Are you on the rag?” Would be “Oh bumbo klaat” in Jamaica. But times ten in offensiveness.
I could be wrong on this but: In England “fanny” or “bum” refers not to the buttocks, as Americans assume, but the vagina.
So a sanitary napkin translates in Jamaican patois turns as “bum” cloth. Which elides to bumbaclot. As in cloth/clotting effect of the material.
That word however, is a YUUGE expletive in Jamaica. Like imagining saying MOTHER FUCKER in church or a staff meeting.
Peter, the Malcolm X to Bob Marley’s Martin Luther King, was always willing to push the buttons of the Babylonian shitstem against the Crime Minister and the House of Represenathief.
As an anti-authoritarian curmudgeon myself, I always love the “in your face grit” of Tosh. Even his violent death was in tune with dark forces that haunted him.
So for him to release a love song duet with Gwen Guthrie, called Nothing But Love b/w Oh Bumbo Klaat on the flip? That’s the kind of fuck you attitude I’m talking about!
For Peter, paralyzed by a psychic vampire during the night, he called out to Jah: “What do I do?” His Imperial Majesty telepathed to him the statement: “Son, use the word!”
OH BUMBO KLAAT
“Now I am free as a bird.” Selah!
bless, Bobbylon
Oh bumbo klaat, oh ras klaat
To guide and teach my fellow man
But one thing I can’t overstand
Is why them don’t love his brother man
And listen to the daily sound
But when I check, there’s so much lies
And that’s the reason why the children cry
So the shitstem we got to rearrange
And if there’s obstacles in the road,
We got to throw them overboard
I could not make one single sound
Jah told me, ‘Son, use the word’
And now I’m as free as a bird
Smile Jamaica Ark-Ives: Jah-gust 3, 2019 Annotated Playlist; 77 sec.
Set 1:
- Wayne Jarrett – Saturday Night Jamboree; Chip In (Greensleeves) ’82 UK
- Sly & Robbie – Indiana Jones (Paragons); Raiders of the Lost Dub (Mango) ’81 US vinyl dub album of the hour
<Sued for copyright infringement>
- Afro Omega – It’s On the People; CD Single (Afro Omega)
- Jimmy Cliff – Third World People; Club Paradise Soundtrack (Sony) ’86
- Carlton Livingston – Chalice in Mind; Crucial Reggae (Mango) ’82 4:20 Cannabis Service Announcement
- Tristan Palmer – Joker Smoker; 12″ (Greensleeves) ’82 UK herbtune

Set 2:
- Misty in Roots – Wandering Wonderer; Chronicles (Kaz) ’94/’89
- Hortense Ellis – Breakfast in Bed (Horns Mix); I’m Still in Love With You
- Tony Curtis – Leave the Collie Alone; Leave the Collie Alone (Cou$ins) 2006 herbtune
- Culture – Black Rose (Stand Up and Fight); Production Something (Heartbeat) ’79
- Tapper Zukie – Raggy Joey Boy; 10″ (Mobiliser) ’82 UK picture sleeve
Set 3: Best of Smile Jamaica 29+ Years
- Dr. Alimantado – Johnny Was a Baker; Best Dressed Chicken in Town (Keyman) ’75
- Rasheda – Mr. Roots Man; Roots Daughters (Ariwa) ’88
- Earth Last Messengers & Black Disciples – Hypocrites + Brezensky Dub; Jack Ruby Hi Fi (Auralux/Clappers) ’80
Set 4:
- Ken Boothe – In the Summertime; 70’s Reggae Hits (Sanctuary) ’70 Mungo Jerry skiffle cover
- Barry Brown – Be Careful; General For All General (Hitbound) ’84 herbtune
- Simone – Mr. Right; Inner City Roots (Crazy Joe) 2005
- Prince David & the Dubiterian – Jah Will Never Let Me Down; 10″ (Moa Anbessa) 2008 Jah-talian militant stepper
Set 5: Vinyl is Vital
- Lion Zion – Gas Guzzler; Reggae in America (House of Natty) ’76 Oakland; Lee “Scratch” Perry prod’n
- The Marvels – Think; Reggae Treasure (Upper Class Records) ’81 UK Aretha Franklin cover w/ female vox
- Milo – Hell Is On Fire; Positive Movement (Rooney) ’89 Ft. Lauderdale
- Charlie Chaplin – Naw Lef Me Chalwa; Red Pond (Tamoki Wambesi) ’82 UK herbtune
- Blues Busters – I Shot the Sheriff; Phillip & Lloyd (Scepter) ’75 NY
- Dub Specialist – Why Oh Why Version; Version Dread (Heartbeat/Studio One) Dub Album of the Hour; Studio One dubs
Set 6: Wailers Family Tree
- Bob Marley & the Wailers – Lonesome Track; Marley, Tosh, Livingston & Associates (Coxsone) ’82/’66 JA vinyl
<Bob Marley train song; 82 sec.>
- Bunny Wailer – Rat Race; Hall of Fame (RAS) ’95 50 songs for Bob’s birthday
- Bob Marley/Bill Laswell – Burnin’ & Lootin’; Dreams of Freedom (Axiom) ’97 ambient rmx
- Peter Tosh – Oh Bumba Klaat; Honorary Citizen (Columbia/Legacy) ’81
- UB40 – Present Arms in Dub; Present Arms in Dub (DEP) ’81 Dub Album of the Hour
Set 7: : Rockers do Reggae Set
- Taj Mahal – Desperate Lover; Mo’ Roots (Columbia) ’74 Bob Andy cover
- Hot Chocolate – Confetti Day; Every 1’s a Winner (RAK) ’78 UK soul/rock
- Garland Jeffreys – Midnight Cane; Garland Jeffreys (Collector’s Choice) ’73 single: NYC biracial rockers
- Pretenders – Private Life; Pretenders (Sire) ’79
Set 8: Mutant Dub Roots Dawtas
- Alpha & Omega feat. Nishka – Bind Us Together; Safe in the Ark (A & O) ’94 UK trance dub
- Hollie Cook – Turn It Around; Vessel of Love (Merge) 2018 UK
- Dry & Heavy feat. Likkle Mai – Don’t Make the Children Cry; New Creation (Green Tea) 2002 Jah-pon
- Dao – Had Gedam; Essential Bombay Lounge (UBL) 2006 Hindi
- Dayjah Meets the Disciples – Storm Clouds; Storm Clouds (Third Eye) ’96 UK