Trinity Junior Brammer (born Wade Brammer, 1954 – 9 April 2021) 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 ...

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 ...

and producer, whose career began in the mid-1970s and continued into the 1990s.

Biography

He was born in 1954 in

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 ...

, and Brammer was educated at the

Alpha Boys School Alpha Cottage School (often referred to as Alpha Boys School, Convent of Mercy "Alpha" Academy and now called Alpha Institute) was the name of the vocational residential school on South Camp Road in Kingston, Jamaica, still run by Roman Catholic ...

. After initially working under the name Prince Glen, he began working under the stage name Trinity, taken from the

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

character. After working as a deejay on several Kingston

sound systems In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

, he made his debut recording in March 1976 with "Set Up Yourself" for producer

Joseph Hoo Kim Joseph "Jo Jo" Hoo Kim (10 December 1942 – 20 September 2018) was a Jamaican reggae record producer best known for his productions in the 1970s at his Channel One Studios. Career Born to parents of Chinese heritage, Joseph Hoo Kim grew up in ...

. "Words of The Prophet" followed for

Yabby You Vivian Jackson (14 August 1946 – 12 January 2010), better known as Yabby You (or sometimes Yabby U), was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work. Biography Jac ...

, who also produced his debut album, ''Shanty Town Determination''. Late in 1976, he joined up with

Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dill ...

for the "Crank Face" single, and the ''Clash'' album, produced by UK-based producer

Clement Bushay Clement "Clem" Bushay (born 1955) is a British reggae producer who also ran the ''Bushays'' record label. Biography Hailed the creator of the 'Lovers Rock' genre in the UK, Bushay's productions in the early 1970s were issued by Trojan Records, ...

. 1977 saw the deejay in great demand, recording more than 20 singles for a variety of producers, including

Winston Riley Winston Riley (14 May 1943 – 19 January 2012) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter and record producer. The ''Jamaica Gleaner'' notes he was one of the most successful reggae producers.

Tommy Cowan Tommy Cowan CD (born Thomas Lincoln Cowan, 6 April 1946, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica) is a producer and singer, initially working in reggae but later concentrating on gospel, who has been involved in the music business since the 1960s.Brooks, Sade ...

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 ...

, and Yabby You, his biggest hit coming with "Three Piece Suit" for Gibbs, featuring Trinity toasting over a new version of

Alton Ellis Alton Nehemiah Ellis (1 September 1938 – 10 October 2008)Godfather ...

's "I'm Still In Love With You"

riddim Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm". In the context of reggae and dancehall, it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song and is synonymous with the rhythm section. Jamaican music genres that use the ...

, with a lyric that anticipated the move from 'cultural' lyrics to more material/carnal concerns of the

dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...

era. This prompted an answer record from

Althea & Donna Althea & Donna were a Jamaican reggae vocal duo, consisting of Althea Rose Forrest and Donna Marie Reid. They are best known for their 1977 single "Uptown Top Ranking", which was a number-one hit in the United Kingdom in 1978. Career The Jamai ...

using the same rhythm, in the form of the UK-chart topping "

Uptown Top Ranking "Uptown Top Ranking" is a song by Jamaican teenage singers Althea Forrest and Donna Reid, recorded when they were 17 and 18 years old respectively. Released in 1977, the song comprises the girls ad-libbing to deejay track "Three Piece Suit" by T ...

". Trinity recorded "Slim Thing" in response, but failed to match Althea & Donna's success. 1977 also saw the release of the ''Uptown Girl'' album, produced by

Bunny Lee Edward O'Sullivan Lee OD (23 August 1941 – 6 October 2020), better known as Bunny "Striker" Lee, was a Jamaican record producer. He was known as a pioneer of the United Kingdom reggae market, licensing his productions to Trojan Records i ...

, and strong albums in 1978 in the form of ''Three Piece Chicken and Chips'' (with

Ranking Trevor Maxwell Grant (20 January 1960 – 7 August 2012), better known as Ranking Trevor and sometimes as Ranking Superstar, was a Jamaican reggae deejay. Biography Grant began deejaying as a teenager in the 1970s, and began his recording career at the ...

) and ''Showcase''. In 1978, Trinity also performed at the

One Love Peace Concert The One Love Concert (OLPC) was a large concert held on 22 April 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. This concert was held during a political civil war in Jamaica between opposing parties Jamaican Labour Party and the People's ...

in Kingston. In the later 1970s, Trinity began producing both himself and other artists, starting his own Flag Man record label. In 1979, he recorded the duet "Funny Feeling" with

Dennis Brown Dennis Emmanuel Brown CD (1 February 1957 – 1 July 1999) was a Jamaican reggae singer. During his prolific career, which began in the late 1960s when he was aged eleven, he recorded more than 75 albums and was one of the major stars of l ...

, and joined up with

Barrington Levy Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. Career Levy was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. He formed a band called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Blac ...

for "Lose Respect" and "I Need a Girl" in 1979 and 1980 respectively. Subsequent albums met with diminishing commercial success, and Trinity switched from deejaying to singing, releasing the albums ''Telephone Line'' and ''Hold Your Corner'' in 1987 under the name Junior Brammer. Trinity's younger brother, Robert Brammer, also had a successful career as a

, recording under the name

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

. Trinity died on 9 April 2021, at the National Chest Hospital in

Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Saint Andrew is a parish, situated in the southeast of Jamaica in the county of Surrey. It lies north, west and east of Kingston, and stretches into the Blue Mountains. In the 2011 census, it had 573,369, the highest population of any of th ...

, at the age of 67 of complications from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

Albums

;as Trinity *''Shanty Town Determination'' (1977) TR International, reissued in 2000 on Blood and Fire in an expanded form *''Clash'' (1977) Burning Sounds (Dillinger verses Trinity) *''Three Piece Suit'' (1977) Joe Gibbs *"Real Ranking" (1977) Althea Douna (sic) & Trinity (Jam Sound Production) 12" Disco Mix *''Uptown Girl'' (1977) Magnum, reissued as ''Side Kiks'' (1983) Vista Sounds *''Three Piece Chicken and Chips'' (1978) Cha Cha (with Ranking Trevor) *''At His Toasting Best'' (1978) Gorgon *''Dreadlocks Satisfaction'' (1978) Jackpot *''Showcase'' (1978) Burning Sounds *''African Revolution'' (1979) GG's *''Trinity Meet The Mighty Diamonds'' (1979) Gorgon (with

The Mighty Diamonds The Mighty Diamonds were a Jamaican harmony trio, recording roots reggae with a strong Rastafarian influence. The group was formed in 1969 and were best known for their 1976 debut album, ''Right Time'', produced by Joseph Hoo Kim, and the 1979 ...

) *''Rock In The Ghetto'' (1979)

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

*''African Christmas'' (1979), Top Ranking - with

Hortense Ellis Hortense Ellis (18 April 1941 – 19 October 2000) was a reggae musician, and the younger sister of fellow artist Alton Ellis.Prince Far I Prince Far I (23 March 1945 – 15 September 1983) was a Jamaican reggae deejay and producer, and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics about ...

& Trinity) *''Eye To Eye'' (2013) Irie Ites ;as Junior Brammer *''Telephone Line'' (1987) John Dread *''Hold Your Corner'' (1987) Live & Learn

References

External links

Trinity at Roots Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trinity 1954 births 2021 deaths Jamaican reggae musicians Musicians from Kingston, Jamaica Trojan Records artists Deaths from diabetes