Dadawah’s Peace And Love Reissued and Expanded

Dadawah – Peace And Love (Cherry Red Records, 2024)

The essential Jamaican music album Peace And Love by Dadawah is available once more. This time, it appears as a 2 CD set with 19 previously unreleased tracks. Here is the background. Influential producer Lloyd Charmers, celebrated for his soulful reggae compositions, was a dynamic figure in Jamaican music production. Known for his willingness to embrace challenges, Charmers consistently pushed musical boundaries.

Pieces And Love highlights Charmers’ ingenuity, featuring four Rastafarian-inspired extended mixes. These compositions seamlessly mix the rhythmic beats and chants of The Sons of Negus’ icon, Ras Michael (also known as Dadawah), with the expertise of Jamaica’s top session musicians, under Charmers’ direction and the mastery of guitarist Willie Lindo.

Originally released in 1974, Peace And Love quickly gained acclaim in both Jamaica and the UK. Today, it is revered as a pinnacle of reggae’s golden era, with its mesmerizing, almost psychedelic sound captivating fans.

The CD reissue includes a bonus disc compiling Lloyd Charmers’ dub interpretations from the mid-70s, featuring mixes of reggae classics like “Fire Burning,” “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” and more. This edition introduces 19 tracks previously unavailable on CD.

Born Michael George Henry in 1943, Ras Michael (Dadawah) grew up in a Rastafarian community in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica. Immersed in the Nyahbinghi tradition, a fusion of African drumming and Black gospel, he developed his musical skills.

In Kingston, during the late 1950s, Henry worked at Studio One under Coxsone Dodd’s tutelage. By 1968, he formed the Sons of Negus and established Zion Disc, the first Rasta-oriented record label. As Rastafarianism gained prominence, Henry’s music found broader audiences through labels like Trojan, Dynamic, and Grounation.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE

Dadawah – Dadawah Peace And Love

Run Come Rally
Seventy-Two Nations
Zion Land
Know How You Stand

DISC TWO

Fire Burning – Charmers In Dub

Burning Drums
Mother Mary
Brand New Version *
Question Sign *
Now You Can See Me Again (instr.) *
I'm A Changed Man instr. *
Let Go instrumental *
Gathering Version *
I'm Falling In Love With You Dub *
Long Dub *
Honey Version *
After Midnight*
Dub Waiting *
Dub Slave *
Dub Don't Cry *
Roots Of Africa *
My Rhythm *
Just A Drea (Version) *
Love For Dub *
Imagination Version *
Devoted Skank *
(* denotes tracks new to CD)

Release Date: March 15, 2024