In Jamaica there is a form of African rooted music that is comprised of drums and chanting known as Nyabinghi, which is one of the roots of ska and reggae. In the early 1970s, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was introduced to musicians who performed this kind of music on Jamaica’s northern shore. On the beach near Steer Town, Richards struck up a friendship with Justin Hinds, an essential figure in ska and reggae history.
“In Jamaica, especially at that time, I was just one of the crowd,” Keith Richards told reggae archivist and author Roger Steffens. “The Rasta thing was really popping, and there were a lot of young dreads around, so I started to drift up to the villages, up in the hills. They had no idea who the Rolling Stones were. They didn’t even give a shit. I guess we were just taken at face value, and the fact that we all got to know each other—I mean, my kids would be up in Steer Town for weeks at a time – no problem.”
For two decades Richards met with the musicians and recorded sessions. Hinds was joined by friends, neighbors, and relatives, most of whom were local fishermen and divers who shared his musical and spiritual vision. The Rastafarian musicians brought their sacred drums to Richards’ home and later into the studio. They encouraged Richards to jam with them even though instrumental accompaniment was normally prohibited for religious reasons.
“As I listened to what they were playing, I thought, ‘This is something else,’” Richards remembers. “Justin would never put himself forward because he was so humble, so it took me a couple of years to learn who he was, but I could see that sometimes he was playing the bass drum, and that’s what sets the whole thing up. He gave me the nod to start strumming an acoustic, and because he said it was okay, I think the rest of them had to accept it—otherwise I was still just a listener, you know?”
“I think Nyabinghi music gets as pure a spirit going as you can imagine,” Richards explains. “It’s about uplifting moments where you forget all of the sorrows and cares of the world.”
Richards was not through with the idea and decided to work on a second volume. Wingless Angels II is a tribute to the late Justin Hinds. It is collection of new Rasta roots pieces featuring Hinds’ last sessions before his passing and a special re-release of the much-sought-after original Wingless Angels album, long out of print.
“We jammed for a couple nights before we went in,” Jobson recalls, “so there was a continuity going. We just miked up all of the drums, then Justin was to one side with a mic on his voice alone, and he was playing a drum as well. It was very organic, yunno? Justin would just say, ‘Okay, let’s take up a beat,’ and he would start chanting, with the drums going. We’d start in the afternoon and go ’til 11 or 12 o’clock at night.”
Wingless Angels II is a fascinating introduction to Nyabinghi Rastafarian music and a worthy tribute to the musicians who kept and are keeping alive the ancient African-rooted traditions of Jamaica.
Buy the album:
- In North America: Wingless Angels I & II
- In Europe: Wingless Angels Vol.1 & 2
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Will Kieth Richards launch the albums in Jamaica if he is really a friend of Justin Hinds. This would be the best thing.. For sure you are involved in his estate which needs documentation and there is no way out