Errol Holt (born 19 July 1950), also known as Errol Carter and by his nickname Flabba, is a
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
n
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
player and a singer who was a member of
The Morwells
The Morwells aka Morwell Unlimited were a Jamaican reggae band formed in 1973 by Maurice Wellington and Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont. They disbanded in the early 1980s with members going on to form the Roots Radics.
History
The band formed in 1973 ...
and the
Roots Radics
The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. They were joined by many musicians, including guitarist Noel "Sowell" Bailey, Dwight Pinkn ...
and has played on hundreds of Jamaican albums.
Biography
Holt's career began in the early 1970s when he worked as a session musician backing artists including
Don Carlos
''Don Carlos'' is a five-act grand opera composed by Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play '' Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien'' (''Don Carlos, Infante of Spain'') by Fried ...
and
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 ...
.
[Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p.140-141] He also had a
sound system hit in his own name with "A You Lick Me First" in 1976.
[Larkin, Colin (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p.124] In 1976 he joined The Morwells, and later formed (along with guitarist
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 ...
) the
Roots Radics
The Roots Radics Band was formed in 1978 by bass player Errol "Flabba" Holt, guitarist Eric "Bingy Bunny" Lamont and drummer Lincoln "Style" Scott. They were joined by many musicians, including guitarist Noel "Sowell" Bailey, Dwight Pinkn ...
Band, with whom he recorded the backing music for myriad reggae singers and vocal groups in the late 1970s and 80s.
In the 1990s he recorded with
Israel Vibration
Israel Vibration are a reggae harmony group, originating from Kingston, Jamaica. Lascelle "Wiss" Bulgin, Albert "Apple Gabriel" Craig, and Cecil "Skelly" Spence all suffered from childhood polio, and went on to be a Jamaican roots reggae grou ...
,
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 Anton ...
,
Sugar Minott
Lincoln Barrington "Sugar" Minott (25 May 1956 – 10 July 2010)Campbell, Howard (2010)Reggae singer Sugar Minott dies at 54, Associated Press, 11 July 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2010Peru, Yasmine (2010)Godfather of Dancehall, Sugar Minott, dead at ...
,
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 ...
,
Bunny Wailer
Neville O'Riley Livingston (10 April 1947 – 2 March 2021), known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. ...
, and
Yami Bolo
Rolando Ephraim McLean (born 1 October 1970), better known as Yami Bolo, is a Jamaican reggae singer.
Biography
Yami Bolo grew up in postal zone 13 of Kingston. His first professional job and exposure was with Sugar Minott's Youth Promotion C ...
.
He also worked as a producer, producing records by
Jah Stitch
Jah Stitch (born Melbourne James, 27 July 1949 – 28 April 2019) was a reggae deejay best known for his recordings in the 1970s.
Biography
After an introduction to music singing in a yard with the likes of The Wailers, The Heptones, Roy Shir ...
,
Dennis Brown
Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of lo ...
(''Blood Brothers'' and ''Milk & Honey''),
Delroy Wilson (''Which Way Is Up''),
Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond OJ (born Hugh Beresford Hammond; 28 August 1955, in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary, Jamaica)Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. ...
, and
Gregory Isaacs
Gregory Anthony Isaacs OD (15 July 1951 – 25 October 2010)Thompson, p. 127. was a Jamaican reggae musician. Milo Miles, writing in ''The New York Times'', described Isaacs as "the most exquisite vocalist in reggae".Miles, Milo (1992),RECORDI ...
, co-producing Issacs' successful ''
Night Nurse'' album.
[Flabba Holt: Roots to the core]
, ''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 ...
'', 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018 He continues to work in-studio with various artists and on tour with Israel Vibration.
Discography
Solo albums
*''Rastafari Time'' (1975) Sky High
*''Vision of Africa'' (1978) Dread & Dread
*''Roots Radics Dub'' (1981) Tad's
*''Nurse in Dub'' (2001) Naive (Style Scott & Errol Holt)
Participated Albums
*''
Never Ending by
Beres Hammond
Beres Hammond OJ (born Hugh Beresford Hammond; 28 August 1955, in Annotto Bay, Saint Mary, Jamaica)Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , p. ...
'' (2018),
VP Records
VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York (state), New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and Soca music, soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami ...
- Bass
*''Maroon Songs: Born Free, Live Free, Ever Free (album) by
Earl Chinna Smith InnadeYard Binghistra Movement'' (2022), - Bass
References
External links
Flabba Holtat FlabbaHolt.com
Flabba Holtat FlabbaHolt.bandcamp.com
Roots Radicsat RootsRadics.bandcamp.com
Errol Holtat Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Errol
Jamaican reggae musicians
Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica
Living people
Jamaican bass guitarists
1950 births