Ronald William Merrills (23 July 1957 – 5 June 2020), better known by the stage name Judah Eskender Tafari was 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 ...

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

vocalist and musician, known for his distinct vocal tone, and spiritual outlook. His records on the Studio One label are regarded as classics. He died in 2020 after a lengthy illness.Judah Eskender Tafari interview (R.I.P.)
1993 interview by Ray Hurford.

Career

Tafari grew up poor in

Gordon Town, Jamaica Gordon Town is a settlement in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica. It has a population of 1,067 as of 2009. Reggae musician Judah Eskender Tafari was born in Gordon Town, as was Henry Arthur Campbell (1873-1953), electrical engineer. In 2019, Gordon ...

.Judah Eskender Tafari Interview – Part 1
2004 Interview by Peter I He taught himself to play guitar and formed a group with friends 'The Captive Lions' who became the backup group for singer Asher Mackafat. Tafari learnt to sing harmony. Mackafat was a Twelve Tribes member and the band, and Tafari himself, were absorbed into the group from 1976 to 1978, becoming known as the Twelve Tribes Band. Tafari remained a member of the Twelve Tribes organization until his death. Fellow musicians Bagga Walker and

Pablove Black Pablove Black (born Paul Anthony Dixon, 24 October 1950) is a Jamaican reggae musician (keyboards and steel drums), arranger, composer, bandleader, vocalist and producer. Biography Pablove started playing piano and steel drums in the mid-1960s ...

introduced Tafari to record producer Coxsone Dodd as a potential vocalist. Feeling he needed a "vocalist name" Tafari appealed to a visiting Ethiopian Princess who suggested several amharic words. He chose 'Eskender' as it meant 'commander'. From 1978 till 1980 Dodd released a run of six

singles Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

on his Studio One label, "Jah Light", "Rastafari Tell You", "Always Trying", "Conquer Me", "Danger In Your Eyes" and "Just Another Day", on some of which Tafari not only sang but also played guitar and arranged. An album ''African Blood'' was scheduled but never released. Tafari left the Studio One fold, playing bass with the Generation Gap band in Jamaica, and

Brigadier Jerry Robert Russell (born 28 September 1957), better known by the stage name Brigadier Jerry is a Jamaican dancehall reggae deejay known for his "cultural" lyrics. Biography Brigadier Jerry, often nicknamed "Briggy" and "The General", was born in ...

in Canada. On a visit to the USA in 1986, Tafari rediscovered his fame as a vocalist, and recorded some songs for

WFMU WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey. Since 1998 its studios and operating facilities have been headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It broadcasts locally at 91.1 Mhz FM, i ...

DJ Jeff Sarge, which trickled out on the Shaka Label over the next 10 years. After living for several years in

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, Tafari later settled in Brooklyn, and did steady touring work, both as vocalist and musician. In 1993 he recorded in England for producer Gussie P, resulting in the single "Live By The Gun" in 1994, and an album, ''Rastafari Tell You'', in 1995. Tracks from these sessions continued to be released into the 2000s. Also in the 2000s a number of the original Studio One tracks, and extended mixes thereof, were released on other labels such as

Heartbeat Records Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington, Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of L ...

and

Soul Jazz Records Soul Jazz Records is a British record label based in London. Outside of releasing records, the label also publishes books, occasionally films and performs as a DJ set. The music releases labels from a variety of genres, including reggae, house ...

. In the mid-2000s Tafari began performing at the New York City-based Black Redemption Sounds of Praises sound system's live sessions, and between 2007 and 2010

selector Selector may refer to: *Selector, electrical or mechanical component, a switch *''Selector'', music scheduling software for radio stations created by Radio Computing Services *Selector, of music, otherwise known as a disc jockey *Selector, a per ...

Ras Kush produced and released a series of hits on the Black Redemption Label. This, and international touring with Black Redemption, led to greater recognition and, in the subsequent decade, a steady stream of releases on other

roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

labels such as Rhygin, Blackboard Jungle, King Shiloh, Revolutionary Brothers, Blackheart, Universal Love, Bredrin Records, and Roots Youth records. He recorded several songs with producer Tom Chasteen and the band Natural Numbers, which resulted in the EP ''Listen to the Lion'', released in May 2020.Campbell, Howard (2020)
More Tafari Music
, '' Jamaica Observer'', 13 July 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020 Tafari died from

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

on 5 June 2020.Ronald 'Judah Eskendar Tafari' Merrills Memorial' details

Discography

Albums

*''Rastafari Tell You'' (1995), Gussie P *''The Builder'' (1998), Tan-Yah *''Long Suffering'' (2019), Rhygin *''Divine Right'' (2020), Black Redemption *''Life'' (2020), Black Redemption

EPs

*''Judah's Gift: Love and Peace'' (2013), Mind Music Production *''Judah's Gift: Upliftment'' (2016), Mind Music Production *''Listen to the Lion'' (2020), Tuff Gong International - Natural Numbers feat. Judah Eskender Tafari

Singles

*"Danger in Your Eyes" (1978), Studio One - as Ronald Merrills *"Never Conquer" (1978), Studio One *"Jah Light" (1978), Studio One *"Rastafari Tell You" (1979), Studio One *"Just Another Day" (1979), Studio One *"Always Trying" (1979), Studio One *"Live by the Gun" (1994), Gussie P *"Can't Say" (1995), Shaka *"Up In Harlem" (1997), Eternal Life *"Look Down Jah" (1997), Eternal Life *"Mighty Long" (1997), Eternal Life *"Closer" (1997), Eternal Life *"Live by the Gun" (2002), Gussie P *"African Blood" (2002), Gussie P *"Jah Light" (2002), Sip-a-Cup *"Life" (2007), Black Redemption *"Home Sweet Home" (2009), Black Legacy *"Cleanse" (2010), Black Redemption *"Government Man" (2010), Black Redemption *"A Chant of Judah" (2010), Black Redemption *"Choose One" (2010), Black Redemption *"The Real Things" (2010), Black Redemption *"Land Of Confusion (Ticklah Remix)" (2010), Black Redemption/Lion Dub *"Peace" (2012), Descendant *"Jah Love" (2013), Black Redemption *"Sitting in the Park" (2013), Rhygin *"Fret Not" (2014), Blackheart Warriors *"Crying" (2015), King Shiloh *"Danger in Your Eyes" (2015), Revolutionary Brothers Music *"New Dawning" (2016), FarEye Entertainment *"Sold for Naught" (2017), Blackheart Warriors *"When I Was Young" (2017), Great Wall *"Coming" (2018), Universal Love *"Left Us Empty" (2018), Blackboard Jungle *"Time to Love" (2018), I Lion *"Exalted One" (2018), Bredrin *"Get Some Love" (2019), Roots Youths

References

External links

Judah Eskender Tafari
Official Facebook page
Judah Eskender Tafari at Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tafari, Judah Eskender 1957 births 2020 deaths Jamaican reggae singers 20th-century Jamaican male singers People from Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Jamaican reggae musicians Jamaican Rastafarians Jamaican expatriates in the United States Jamaican guitarists Jamaican male songwriters Jamaican bass guitarists Jamaican session musicians Reggae guitarists