Desmond Dekker (left) and the Aces performing their 1968 Festival song, 'Intensified'. - FILE
LAST FRIDAY, two days after pioneer ska singer Desmond Dekker's death, a vox pop on the Nationwide radio show revealed that not many young Jamaicans knew who he was.
Dekker died in London, reportedly from a heart attack at the age of 64.
While many of his countrymen were ignorant of his achieve-ments, that was not the case in the United Kingdom and Europe where the nasal Dekker had a loyal following.
In fact, he was still touring at the time of his death. Dekker had powerful songs like the Festival runner-up UNITY, the 1968 winner Intensified, Israelites and 007 (Shanty Town) to thank for his enduring fan base.
They were produced by Leslie Kong, the Chinese-Jamaican whose Beverley's Records first recorded Bob Marley. Kong also had major success with Derrick Morgan, Jimmy Cliff and Toots Hibbert.
Israelites and 007 (Shanty Town) were outstanding records that hear Dekker and his backup partners, The Aces, singing about the hardships of ghetto life.
The former went to number one the British national charts in 1968 and made the top 10 in the United States. And 007 (Shanty Town) was also a smash in the U.K. where Dekker eventually settled and enjoyed a cult following throughout the 1970s.
At the time of Dekker's international rise, the Jamaican songwriter was emerging. Outstanding records like Bob Andy's I Want To Go Back Home and The Abyssinians' Satta Masa Gana were cut during the same period at producer Clement Dodd's Studio One.
Of the three performers, only Andy had high school (Kingston Technical) education.
Interestingly, at the time of his death, Dekker was being 'played' every day on local airwaves. The radio jingle for a gas company is actually driven by the jangly guitar riffs of 007 (Shanty Town).
Desmond Dekker facts
Desmond Dekker says he and Bob Marley learned the welding trade at the same shop.
Trinidadian guitarist, Lynn Taitt, played the memorable opening chords to 007 (Shanty Town).
007 (Shanty Town) is one of the songs on The Harder They Come soundtrack.
Dekker had more success in Britain during the 1970s and 1980s with updated versions of Israelites.
Queen Latifah's song, U.N.I.T.Y. (from her Black Reign CD) borrows heavily from the Desmond Dekker and The Aces song of the same name.
- H.C.
