''Man from Wareika'' was the first album recording for Rico Rodriguez led by his own artistic imagination, and his first recording created for album release. It is notable for being the only

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the honoring of God, called Jah ...

album to be released on

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

. After recording one track ("Africa") in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

with engineer

Dick Cuthell Dick Cuthell is a British musician and record producer. He plays flugelhorn, cornet, and trumpet, amongst a range of other brass instruments, including tenor horn and valve trombone. Cuthell is best known for his work with The SpecialsStrong, Ma ...

as a kind of a demo for label owner

Chris Blackwell Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll ...

- its arrangement is completely different in comparison to the rest of the album and contains flute and chorus - Rodriguez was offered a contract to record this album; and he could arrange to record in

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 ...

. After 15 years Rodriguez returned for the first time to Jamaica. He had left the country in 1961 when he was already heavily involved in creating the then new

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

sound. In 1976 he added something new to reggae music. A critic wrote in 1977 that the album "does not just reflect the current popular trends, but ... expresses in a definitive way the Jamaican music tradition." The nine self-composed tracks on the album offer Jamaican rhythms with horn lines between a melodic use (e.g. on "This Day" and "Lumumba") and jazz; the latter helped to define something like a new genre, Jamaican jazz, transforming the experience from early ska days into 1970s roots reggae. Most of the songs remain in Rodriguez's live repertoire until today. Some have been re-recorded by other artists as well as by himself.

Track listing

All compositions and arrangements by Rico Rodriguez #"This Day" – 4:14 #"Ramble" – 4:11 #"Lumumba" – 4:01 #"Africa" – 4:36 #"Man from Wareika" – 3:16 #"Rasta" – 3:38 #"Over the Mountain" – 3:14 #"Gunga Din" – 3:53 #"Dial Africa" – 3:22

Personnel

*Rico Rodriguez - trombone *Viv "Talent" Hall - trumpet *

Bobby Ellis Bobby Ellis OD (2 July 1932 – 18 October 2016) was a Jamaican trumpet player. He worked with many reggae artists including Peter Tosh, Burning Spear and The Revolutionaries. Biography Born in Kingston on 2 October 1932, Bobby Ellis attended ...

- trumpet * Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall - tenor saxophone *George Lee - tenor saxophone *

Herman Marquis Herman Marquis is a Jamaican saxophone musician who has played with many reggae artists including Burning Spear. He recorded for Arthur "Duke" Reid in the 1960s and was a member of The Revolutionaries and The Upsetters in the 1970s.Barrow, Steve ...

- alto saxophone *Ray Allen - alto saxophone *Bernard "Touter" Harvey - keyboards *

Ansell Collins Ansel Collins is a Jamaican musician, composer, singer, songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Dave Barker as Dave and Ansel Collins. Biography Born 1949 in Kingston, Jamaica,Karl Pitterson Karl Pitterson is a Jamaican record producer and sound engineer. Pitterson began his career in the early 1970s as house engineer with Jamaican studios such as Dynamics, Federal, Randy's, Studio One, Treasure Isle and Aquarius. Over the course of ...

- lead guitar, keyboards, percussion *Radcliffe "Duggie" Bryan - lead guitar * Junior Hanson Marvin - lead guitar *

Lloyd Parks Lloyd Parks (born 26 May 1949) is a Jamaican reggae vocalist and bass player who has recorded and performed as a solo artist as well as part of Skin, Flesh & Bones, The Revolutionaries, The Professionals, and We the People Band.Larkin, Colin: ...

- rhythm guitar * Ras Robbie Shakespeare - bass *

Sly Dunbar Lowell Fillmore "Sly" Dunbar (born 10 May 1952, Kingston, Jamaica) is a drummer, best known as one half of the prolific Jamaican rhythm section and reggae production duo Sly and Robbie. Biography Dunbar began playing at 15 in a band called ...

- drums * Skully - wood drums *Flick - fussy tambourine ;Personnel on "Africa": *Rico Rodriguez - trombone * Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton - trumpet *

Keith Gemmell Keith Gemmell (15 February 1948 – 24 July 2016) was a British musician. He played saxophone, clarinet, and flute, and was best known for being a member of art rock band Audience from 1969 to 1972 and from 2004 to 2016. He was also a musica ...

- tenor saxophone *Tony Washington - keyboards *

Phillip Chen Phillip Chen (born April 22, 1978) is an American politician and member of the California State Assembly. He is a Republican representing the 55th district, encompassing small parts of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino Counties. The di ...

- rhythm guitar *Bunny McKenzie - bass *Jacko - drums *Tony Utah - percussion *Satch Dixon - percussion * Ijahman - backing vocals *Candy McKenzie - backing vocals Recorded at

Joe Gibbs Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional football coach. In football, he was head coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992, and a ...

Studios and Randy's Recording Studio,

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley Inter ...

, September 1976.
Engineers:

Karl Pitterson Karl Pitterson is a Jamaican record producer and sound engineer. Pitterson began his career in the early 1970s as house engineer with Jamaican studios such as Dynamics, Federal, Randy's, Studio One, Treasure Isle and Aquarius. Over the course of ...

, Errol Thompson,

, assisted by Flick.
"Africa" was recorded at Island Hammersmith Studios, May 1976 by Dick Cuthell.
All tracks mixed at Island

Basing Street Studios Basing Street Studios was a recording studio in a former 17th century chapel at 8–10 Basing Street, in Notting Hill, London, England. Originally established in 1969 as Island Studios by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, the studi ...

by Karl Pitterson and Dick Cuthell, assisted by Kevin Dallimore.
Executive producer:

Cover illustration by Tony Wright. Design by Eckford/Stimpson.

Releases

1977: *LP: Island ILPS 9485 /UK *LP: Blue Note BN LA819 H /US *LP: Top Ranking no # /Jamaica ca. late 1980s: *CD: Mango /Island CID 9485 /UK 1999/2000: *Vinyl Only /Island 2004: *CD: Island Japan 2016: *CD: Caroline International CAROLR049CD (Double CD featuring 'Man From Wareika' and 'Wareika Dub' with extra tracks.) ''Man From Wareika'' was also remixed into a dub version, released as ''Warrika Dub'' (LP: Ghetto Rockers PRE 1), re-released 2004 in Japan on Island CD.

External links

Two-Tone Records Roots Archives
{{Authority control 1977 albums Rico Rodriguez (musician) albums Island Records albums Blue Note Records albums