Herman Davis (born 16 September 1944), better known as Bongo Herman, is a Jamaican hand-drummer, percussionist and singer who has had a successful career stretching back to the early 1960s.

Biography

Herman Davis was born on 16 September 1944, and grew up in the

Trench Town Trench Town (also Trenchtown) is a neighbourhood located in the parish of St. Andrew, part of which is in Kingston, the capital and largest city of Jamaica. In the 1960s, Trench Town was known as the Hollywood of Jamaica. Today Trench Town is t ...

area of Kingston.Edwards He began playing in the late 1950s, and in the 1960s performed on the '' Vere Johns Opportunity Hour'', and in Kingston's live music scene. In 1966 he performed at the visit to Jamaica of

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

. Herman's recording career began in 1969.Moskowitz, p. 133 He recorded as a duo with

Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont Eric Lamont (23 September 1955 - 31 December 1993), better known as Bingy Bunny, was a Jamaican guitarist and singer who recorded with the Roots Radics and The Morwells as well as recording solo material. He is regarded as one of Jamaica's most ...

in the early 1970s for producer

Derrick Harriott Derrick Clifton Harriott Order of Distinction, OD (born 10 February 1942) is a Jamaican singer and record producer. He was a member of the Jiving Juniors with Herman Sang before embarking on a solo career. He has produced sound recording and re ...

, having hits in Jamaica including "Know For I" in 1971.Larkin, p. 26 He moved on to record for

Harry Mudie Harry A. Mudie (born 1940 in Spanish Town, Jamaica) is a Jamaican record producer.Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 315 Biography Harry Mudie attended the St Jago High School.Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Vi ...

in the mid-1970s.Larkin, p. 205 In the 1970s and 1980s he was much in demand as a studio musician, recording with

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(including kété drums on "Satta Masa Gana"),

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

Prince Far I Prince Far I (23 March 1945 – 15 September 1983) was a Jamaican reggae deejay and producer, and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics about ...

the Congos The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica which formed as the duo "Ashanti" Roy Johnson (tenor) (b. Roydel Johnson, 1947, Hanover, Jamaica) and Cedric Myton (falsetto) (b. 1947, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica), later becoming a trio ...

Culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

the Revolutionaries The Revolutionaries (sometimes known as "Revolutionaires") was a Jamaican reggae band. Career Set up in 1975 as the house band of the Channel One Studios owned by Joseph Hoo Kim, The Revolutionaries with Sly Dunbar on drums and Bertram "Ranchi ...

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, and

Mikey Dread Michael George Campbell (4 June 1954 – 15 March 2008), better known as Mikey Dread, was a Jamaican singer, producer, and broadcaster. He was one of the most influential performers and innovators in reggae music. Biography Born in Port Antoni ...

.Campbell He acted as percussionist for

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for several years. He made an acting appearance in the 1978 film '' Rockers'', of which he commented "Me was the first man in Jamaica to break-dance in a movie". He also features in the 2009 documentary ''Rock Steady the Roots of Reggae''.Walters During the 1990s he continued to work with many of Jamaica's top stars including

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(with whom he toured Europe in 2003/4),

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Lady Saw Marion Hall (born 12 July 1969; formerly known by the stage name Lady Saw) is a Jamaican singer and songwriter whose career has spanned over two decades. Formerly known as the Queen of Dancehall, she is the first female deejay to be certified ...

, and

U-Roy Ewart Beckford OD (21 September 1942 – 17 February 2021), known by the stage name U-Roy, was a Jamaican vocalist and pioneer of toasting.Jo-Ann GreeneU-Roy Biography, AllMusic. Retrieved 11 April 2013. U-Roy was known for a melodic style ...

, and in the 2000s recorded with

Mutabaruka Allan Hope (born 1952), better known as Mutabaruka, is a Jamaican Rastafari dub poet, musician, actor, educator, and talk-show host, who developed two of Jamaica's most popular radio programmes, ''The Cutting Edge'' and ''Steppin' Razor''. His ...

and

Gyptian Windel Beneto Edwards (born 25 October 1983), better known by his stage name Gyptian (), is a Jamaican reggae singer. He often appears with roots reggae songs within the reggae subgenre dancehall. Early life Born to a Seventh-day Adventist mo ...

.YardFlex, 7 October 2005 The digital era proved no barrier, with Herman stating "Once yuh is a professional musician yuh will fit inna anything, even a steel band; yuh have various type a percussion fi play, yuh jus' have fi know how to mix it inna di rhythm." His live performances often include the playing of a

chamber pot A chamber pot is a portable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent of indoor plumbing and flushing toilets. Names and etymology "Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot ...

and an enamel

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

.CookeSpaulding

Discography

Albums

* ''Bongo Herman: Master Drummer'' (2007) * ''Bongo Herman Meet The Roots Man Vibration/Various'', Roots Man * ''Sound Clash of the 21st Century'' - Bongo Herman Meets Downbeat & Caveman Sounds

Singles

* "

Dr. Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

" (1969), Explosion - Bongo Herman & Les Chen, featured on 2007 compilation ''Essential Ska'' * "Know For I" (1971) - Bongo Herman and

* "Orthodox Rock" (1974), Cactus * "Let Them Try" (1975), Impact * "Chairman of the Board" (1984), Harry J * "Liquidator" (1984), Harry J * "Great Stone", Ire Hi-Fi * "Heat of the Battle", Massive B * "Satta Don", Clinch * "Wisdom", Clinch

Notes

References

* Cooke, Mel (2009)
Fiery end to substandard Haile Selassie coronation celebration
, ''

Jamaica Gleaner ''The Gleaner'' is an English-language, morning daily newspaper founded by two brothers, Jacob and Joshua de Cordova on 13 September 1834 in Kingston, Jamaica. Originally called the ''Daily Gleaner'', the name was changed on 7 December 1992 to ' ...

'', 4 November 2009, retrieved 29 November 2009 * Edwards, Michael A. (2004)
BONGO HERMAN DRUMS: 'Batter, Flatter and Scatter'
, ''

Jamaica Observer ''Jamaica Observer'' is a daily newspaper published in Kingston, Jamaica. The publication is owned by Butch Stewart, who chartered the paper in January 1993 as a competitor to Jamaica's oldest daily paper, ''The Gleaner''. Its founding editor i ...

'', 27 August 2004, retrieved 29 November 2009 * Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, * Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, * Spaulding, Leighton (2005)
JAVAA pays tribute to Cynthia Schloss in fine style
, ''

'', 23 October 2005, retrieved 29 November 2009 * Walters, Basil (2009)
Rock Steady movie ready for the big screen
, ''

'', 28 June 2009, retrieved 29 November 2009 *
Bongo Herman - Jamaica's #1 Nyabinghi Man
", YardFlex.com, 7 October 2005, retrieved 29 November 2009

External links

Bongo Herman
at Roots Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Herman, Bongo 1944 births Living people Jamaican reggae musicians Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica