Rudolph Grant, also known as Little Brother Grant, Rudy Grant and The Mexicano, is a
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 ...
deejay
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
Eddy Grant
Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound; his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, Afr ...
, was a member of
The Equals
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
in the late 1960s, and Rudolph also recorded in this era, as Little Brother Grant, releasing the single "Let's Do It Tonight". In the 1970s, he recorded as a reggae deejay under the name The Mexicano, releasing singles such as "Gorilla in Manilla", and "Cut Throat". Grant had his biggest success in 1978, with his ''
Starsky & Hutch
''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a ''Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired by th ...
''-inspired single "Move Up Starsky", on which he deejayed over
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
's "I'm Still Waiting" rhythm. The single topped the UK reggae chart, with an album of the same name following it, and inspired the less successful "Move Up Hutch" by Superstar. Grant followed this with several other singles, including "Lover's Conversation", but none matched the success of "Move Up Starsky". Another 1977 single, "Every Step I Made",First Of May b/w Every Step I Made (The Mexicano)
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
found a wider audience by way of inclusion in
Eddy Grant
Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound; his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, Afr ...
's "Smash Disco Hits on ICE" compilation.Smash Disco Hits on ICE (Various)
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...
By 1981, Grant had abandoned the Mexicano alias and began recording as a singer under his own name, recording
cover versions
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of songs including
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
's "
Woman
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
", and, most successfully
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
hit in February that year.Rudy Grant Chart Stats The single's success led to a contract with
Stiff Records
Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007.
Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...
, although he failed to score any further hits.
Grant's 1987 single "Mash in Guyana" proved a major success in his country of birth, and has been described as "the unofficial anthem of
Mashramani
Mashramani, often abbreviated to "''Mash''", is an annual festival that celebrates Guyana becoming a Republic in 1970.
The festival, usually held on 23 February – Guyanese Republic Day – includes a parade, music, games and cooking ...
".‘Mash in Guyana’ turns 20 , ''Stabroek News'', 20 January 2007 He wrote the song on a visit to Guyana in 1986 and recorded it at his brother Eddy's Coach House Studios on his return to London. Grant performed the song at the
Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean festival event that has taken place in London since 1966
and it went on to top the first soca chart in London, published by the ''Black Echoes'' music paper.
In 2002, Grant's version of "Lately" was included on the ''Dynamite Reggae Classics'' album.Rutherford, Linda (2002) Guyanese artiste, Rudy Grant, inks deal with Deca Dance UK , ''
Guyana Chronicle
The ''Guyana Chronicle'' is a daily newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variet ...
'', 21 July 2002
Discography
Singles
As Little Brother Grant
*"Let's Do It Tonight" (1969)
As The Mexicano
*"Gorilla in Manilla"
*"Cut Throat"
*"The Mexicano v. The Dreadlocks at O.K. Corral" (1977) Serious Business
*"Every Step I Made" (1977)
Ice
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
*"First of May" (1977)
Ice
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
*"Move Up Starsky" (1977)
*"Lover's Conversation" (1978) Ice
*"Annie's Song" (1978) Ice
*"Treasure the Moments" (1978) Ice
*"Move Up Starsky" (1979) Ice
*"Harry the Fool"
*"Rock It"
*"Lonely Street"
*"The Israelites Can Dance Some More" (1980) Ice
*"Better Love Next Time" (1980) Ice (
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...
featuring The Mexicano)
*"Dallas" (1980)
Mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
*"Gimme Little Loving" 1977 (Golden age records)
As Rudy Grant
*"
Woman
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
UK No. 58
*"
Space Oddity
"Space Oddity" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album ''David Bowie''. After the commercial f ...
" (1981) Ensign/Ice
*"Funny Girl" (1982) Ice
*"Without Your Love" Ice
*"Trial by Television" Stiff
*"Everyday People" (1983) RAK
*"Get Ready Get Right" (1984) RAK
*"Mash in Guyana" (1987) Seara
*"You Got to Be Drunk" Seara
*"Melvina"
*"Jump and Play Mas" Seara
Albums
The Mexicano
*''Move Up Starsky'' (1977) Pioneer
*''Goddess of Love'' (1978) Ice
*''The Best of The Mexicano'' (1980), Ice
Rudy Grant
*''Sings the Hits'' (1982) Pinnacle
*''Soca For Lovers volume 1'' Seara
*''Reggae and Soca for Lovers vol. 2''
*''Soca For Lovers Part 4'' Seara
*''Hello Africa'' Tabansi
*''Peace and Love'' (2005) Seara