Formed
in the rich tradition of harmony trios in 1976, Culture quickly became a part of
the vibrant, politically charged Jamaican reggae scene of the day.
Originally known as the African Disciples, the line-up consisted of
Joseph Hill (lead vocals), Albert Walker (backing vocals) and Kenneth Dayes
(backing vocals). Hill was the only
member of the trio who had prior studio experience – having worked at Coxsone
Dodd’s legendary Studio One as a percussionist with the Soul Defenders group
in the early 1970’s. It was also
at Studio One that Hill first recorded as a vocalist.
Shortly after Culture came
together, they began working with the ‘Mighty Two’ – producer Joe Gibbs
and engineer Errol Thompson. While
at Gibbs’ studio, the singers recorded a series of powerful singles, many of
which ended up on their successful debut album ‘Two Sevens Clash’.
This initial release was hugely popular in both Jamaica and England.
The lyrics demonstrated Hill’s keen awareness of the connection between
Jamaica’s history and its current social climate.
While the songs may have been dealing with serious issues, at the same
time the group always recognized the value of a catchy beat – a sensibility
shared by U.K. punks at the time. At
once Culture became part of a wave of vocal groups (including the Mighty
Diamonds, Black Uhuru, the Meditations and countless others) that ruled the
reggae scene for a brief while in the late 70’s.
After their success with Gibbs,
the group went on to make a string of albums for producer Sonia Pottinger.
Culture began working with some of the premier musicians of the day
including Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Ansel Collins, Cedric Brooks and the
ever-present percussionist Sticky. Virgin
Records picked up the albums, and that added distribution enabled Culture to
gain an even larger following outside of Jamaica.
In recent months Virgin has begun re-issuing most of its reggae catalog
from the late 70’s, so once again these early Culture albums are readily
available.
In 1982 the three singers went
their own ways. Joseph Hill carried
on using the Culture name, and recorded the ‘Lion Rock’ album, which was
released in the United States by Heartbeat Records.
For their part, Walker and Dayes recorded a handful of songs on their own
– a few of which turned up on an album titled ‘Roots & Culture’.
In 1986 the original line-up
reformed to record two highly regarded albums – ‘Culture in Culture’ and
‘Culture at Work’. These
releases marked the beginning of a very busy period for the group, including
annual albums and countless tours. The
U.S. label Shanachie released a steady stream of new and old Culture albums up
to ’Wings Of A Dove’ in 1992.
In 1993 Kenneth Dayes left the
group and was temporarily replaced by the singer from Dub Mystic – who was
their backing band at the time. With
Dub Mystic, Culture reached new heights that included the release of two popular
studio albums (‘One Stone’ and ‘Trust Me’) and a live album (‘Cultural
Livity’).
Today, Culture consists of
Hill, Walker and Telford Nelson. After
a lengthy career on his own, Nelson joined on harmony vocals in 1999.
In concert the group is currently backed by the DC based band ‘Forces
of Justice’. These accomplished
musicians have been behind Culture for three years, playing several
well-received tours in Europe, Africa and North America.
Culture continues to be in
demand in the studio as well. In
2000 the group recorded the album ‘Payday’, which was followed by a
much-praised dub album mixed by the renowned engineer Scientist.
In the same year a very cotemporary sounding album called ‘Humble
African’ appeared on VP Records. With
these new recordings, Joseph Hill continues to demonstrate his ability to be
both lyrically relevant, and musically fresh.
While Culture has now been
around for 25 years, Joseph Hill and friends are showing no signs of slowing
down. Hill has lost none of his
striking stage presence and fiery energy over the years.
The group has sustained their lengthy career by being both true to their
cultural roots, and at the same time able to incorporate new sounds and ideas
into their mix. To their credit the
group has never been content to be a mere oldies act.
Culture has proved to be one of the few acts in reggae that can always be
relied on – both on record, and on stage.
As reggae music goes, a Culture concert is both a tribute to the past and
a glimpse of the future …. Not to mention a whole lot of fun!
2001, Jim Dooley
Lyrics
- Interview - Review
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