The Itals are 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 ...

vocal group formed in 1976 by Alvin "Keith" Porter, Lloyd Ricketts, and

Ronnie Davis Ronnie Davis (1950 – January 25, 2017) was a Jamaican reggae singer who was a member of The Tennors, The Itals, and the group Ronnie Davis & Idren. He lately performed as a solo artist. Biography Born in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland Parish, ...

(formerly a member of

The Tennors The Tennors were a Jamaican rocksteady and reggae vocal group in the 1960s and '70s. Among the band's hits was "Ride Yu Donkey" in 1968. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film '' Broken Flowers''. History The group was for ...

), all of whom had previously also recorded as solo artists. All three had worked together in the late 1960s in The Westmorelites. The group recorded several albums through the late 1970s and 1980s, with Ronnie Davis going on to a successful solo career in 1997 as Ronnie Davis and Idren. The Itals' debut single, "In A Dis Ya Time", is regarded as the group's finest work, and topped the Jamaican chart. 1987's ''Rasta Philosophy'' was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

as Best Reggae Album. The line-up has changed over the years, with former solo artist

David Isaacs David Isaacs may refer to: * David Isaacs (singer) (1946–2009), Jamaican reggae singer * David Isaacs (writer), American TV screenwriter and producer * David Isaacs (UFC Cofounder) David Isaacs is a media and technology entrepreneur and TV/liv ...

joining in 1987 when Ricketts was sentenced to a prison term, preventing him from travelling to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Davis left the group in 1994, and was replaced by Porter's daughter Kada. The Itals continued to tour in 2009 in support of the newly released "Let Them Talk". In 2011 original member Lloyd Ricketts was able to obtain a work permit and performed two shows with Keith and Ronnie before his death. Ronnie Davis stepped away from The Itals again in 2012 and reunited with the Rocksteady group

, but Keith continues to tour with two of his children, Darien Porter and Kada Porter, providing harmonies. Keith will be releasing "Mind Over Matter", the remastered compilation of 22 early Itals songs and a solo album of reggae covers of classic R&B songs, called "Let's Get it On" in July 2015.

Albums

*''The Early Recordings: 1971-1979'' (1984) Ital Music *''Brutal Out Deh'' (1981) Ital Music *''Give Me Power!'' (1983) Ital Music *''Rasta Philosophy'' (1986) Ital Music *''Cool and Dread'' (1989) Ital Music *''Easy to Catch'' (1991) Rhythm Safari *''Modern Age'' (1998)

RAS Ras or RAS may refer to: Arts and media * RAS Records Real Authentic Sound, a reggae record label * Rundfunk Anstalt Südtirol, a south Tyrolese public broadcasting service * Rás 1, an Icelandic radio station * Rás 2, an Icelandic radio stati ...

*''Mi Livity'' (2003) Ital Music *''Let Dem Talk'' (2009) Ital Music *''Mind Over Matter'' (2015) Ital Music *''Get It On''(2015) Ital Music *''Ital Music''(2020) Ital Music COMPILATION *''In A Dis Ya Time'' (2008)

VP Records VP Records is an independent Caribbean-owned record label in Queens, New York. The label is known for releasing music by notable artists in reggae, dancehall and soca. VP Records has offices in New York City, Miami, London, Kingston, Tokyo, ...

References

Contracts possessed by Suelion Music, the Itals manager

External links

The Itals at Roots Archives
Jamaican reggae musical groups {{Reggae-stub