Lacksley Castell, sometimes misspelled Laxley, Lacksly, Lasky or Locksley Castel (10 April 1959 – November 1983) was a Jamaican

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 ...

singer best known for his work in the early 1980s.

Biography

Lacksley Castell was born in 1959, (although some sources claim 1962.) The third of five brothers, Castell grew up on Dilliston Avenue in Kingston's Waterhouse district,Campbell, Howard (2019)
Castell does ode to brother
, ''

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 ...

'', 22 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019 the area also home to artists such as

Black Uhuru Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru ( Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful per ...

and The Travellers; Castell recorded in what was known as the "Waterhouse style". He became friends with

Hugh Mundell Hugh Mundell (14 June 1962 – 14 October 1983) was a Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter. Biography Mundell was born the fourth child and only boy to Theresa and Alvin Mundell. Alvin Mundell was a successful lawyer.Campbell, Howard (2012)Hug ...

who helped both him and his friend

Junior Reid Delroy "Junior" Reid (born 6 June 1963) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician, best known for his featuring on the songs " One Blood", " It's Okay (One Blood)" and "This Is Why I'm Hot", as well as being the lead vocalist for Black Uhuru ...

to get started in the music business. That resulted in Castell's first single releases in 1978, "Babylon World" and "Love in Your Heart", recorded with

Augustus Pablo Horace Swaby (21 June 1953 – 18 May 1999),Thompson, Dave (2002) ''Reggae & Caribbean Music'', Backbeat Books, , p. 200-202 known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer and a multi-instrumentalist, active f ...

. In 1979, he recorded "Jah Love Is Sweeter" at

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, which was a pre-release reggae chart hit in the United Kingdom in August 1979, with "What a Great Day" (produced by

Prince Jammy Lloyd James (born 26 October 1947),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter: "Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, better known as Prince Jammy or King Jammy, is a Jamaican dub mixer and record producer. He began his musical career as a dub ma ...

) making the top five of the reggae 12-inch singles chart the same month. In 1980, Castell recorded the ''Jah Fire'' album with Hugh Mundell, produced by Prince Jammy. He also provided backing vocals on

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 ...

's '' Black Roots'' album and had a further 12-inch hit with "African Queen" that year. His first solo album, ''Morning Glory'', was released in 1982 on Robert "Flacko" Palmer's Negus Roots label, who also produced the record. This was followed by a second album, ''Princess Lady'' in 1983, co-arranged by

Dean Fraser Dean Ivanhoe Fraser (sometimes appearing as Dean Frazer) (born 4 August 1957) Allmusic.com biography by Sandra Brennan/ref> is a Jamaican saxophonist who has contributed to hundreds of reggae recordings since the mid-1970s. He was awarded the Mu ...

and mixed by Neil "Mad Professor" Fraser. Castell was also credited as arranger on fellow Negus Roots artists

Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

's 1982 album, ''Dub Rockers Delight'', which consisted of dubs from his ''Morning Glory'' album. Dubs from the ''Princess Lady'' album were included on Mad Professor's ''In a Rub a Dub Style''. Castell died in November 1983 after an illness. He was buried in May Pen Cemetery in Kingston. His two albums were re-issued on CD in 2005. A Lacksley Castell Facebook page exists, maintained by his brother Trevor Castell.

Discography

Albums

* 1980: ''Jah Fire'' (with

) * 1982: ''Morning Glory'' * 1983: ''Princess Lady''

Singles

* 1978: "Babylon World" * 1978: "Love in Your Heart" * 1979: "What a Great Day (It Will Be)" * 1979: "Jah Love Is Sweeter" * 1979: "My Collie Tree" * 1980: "African Queen" * 1980: "Unkind to Myself" * 1981: "Jah Is Watching You" * 1981: "Government Man" * 1982: "Speak Softly" * 1983: "Tug-a-War Games" * 1983: "Johnny Brown"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castell, Lacksley 1959 births 1983 deaths Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Deaths from asthma Jamaican reggae musicians Year of birth uncertain