Q: Did you know Chinna from before?

A: I think the firs' time I meet Chinna is not Scratch, is Channel One. But no, I think is Scratch, in the seventies, like '77 going up, yeah, I think is Scratch. And 'Reggae Music', Chinna don't really play on 'Reggae Music'. But musician on 'Reggae Music' was Ernie Ranglin, Winston Wright. Yeah, I can remember - the only musician that I don't remember, 'cos Ernest Ranglin play the riddim, for the guitarist who play lead on that song, I don't remember that musician. Ernie Ranglin, Boris Gardiner play bass, Sly play drum, Keith Sterling. I think Keith Sterling play on that song.

Q: How did that session come about again, what led up to it?

A: As I say '74 I went to Scratch, so he know that I already record for him.

Q: 'Raindrops'.

A: Yeah, 'Raindrops'. When I record that for him he say, "Hugo, you gonna make it big", that him say to me, yunno. And as I say it's exploitation again. In '77 now, it jus' give me a good feeling, seh 'You know what, I already record a song for Scratch, so I'm heading back to Scratch'. As a solo artist, right, that is the reason why I head back to Scratch. And me say 'Alright, I'm gonna do somet'ing with him'. So, that's how me do 'Reggae Music'.

Q: How did you find the work at the Ark?

A: It's nice, you got space. The studio was at his home, right, so when you go to Scratch, Scratch have a vibes, yunno, he has just a nice vibes when it comes to record. It jus' give you a good feeling. Even though you might find him a rip-off, he might be plannin' a rip-off, but he give you a good feeling. And there's a lot of other musician all waiting at Scratch, at his studio, sitting down for the whole day, making a lot of jokes an' t'ings like that, yunno. So, it was a good feeling, recording for Scratch. And you've got space, you can smoke your herb free an' t'ing like that. So it was nice, nuff time to work on whatever. So, if he plan to do like five or six or ten tracks for the day, he jus' call in the musician them and eat food, smoke herb an' lay riddim tracks. Its just with a good spirit.

Q: Was 'Reggae Music' the only track you recorded at that session, or you did more that never came out?

A: No, that is the only track that I record, 'Reggae Music', at that time. Nothing else. 'Raindrops' and 'Reggae Music' is the only two tracks I do solo for Scratch.

Q: That song was released along with 'Rastaman Train' on a Black Art 12" with Raphael Green and a deejay slot by Dr Alimantado. Who was Raphael Green, can you recall him? A very nice vocal on that track.

A: Yeah, Raphael Green is a guy from the parish of Clarendon, yunno. So, he himself is like he want to be in the recording business as a singer, and it was so tough getting into the business. But, he is like, driving away from Clarendon to Kingston is the best opportunity for him to get to Scratch, that's how we meet.

Q: Was 'Rastaman Train' cut at the same session as your song?

A: No, not on the same session, that record on a different session when I wasn't there.

Q: Did you spend a lot of time at the Ark even after that tune was out, to get the chance to do some more solo tunes - you never did any session work there for other songs?

A: No. No, no, and I did a song too before that and I've got to tell you the truth - I don't even remember the name a that song, I record that song for Jacob Miller. That is when - I don't know if you have any idea about Talent Corporation?

Q: Sure, the agency owned by Tommy Cowan and Warrick Lyn.

A: Yeah, Tommy Cowan and Talent Corporation. That time Inner Circle were distributed by Talent Corporation, right, that time too I think Talent Corp. was distributing for Bob Marley. That is the time when I record a song for them. It's Horsemouth playing drums on that song, 'Teardrops', ca' he was playing with them at that time, Inner Circle. I don't know if them release that song because we come to a confrontation. They're supposed to release that song, and when I realise I can't hear anything about it I go to them and try to find out what happened. They were acting up (?) and we come to a confrontation, and that is how Robert Shakespeare - at this time he was there, 'cos Talent Corp. them days there was a lot of musician hangin' out. It was a big, like a big open lan', big space uptown. So a lot of musician was hanging out there, play dominoes and t'ings like that. So, Robert Shakespeare now, he hear us talkin' about the song, and my confrontation with them about my song, and listen wha' being said. I think that is the reason why no one want to release the song, that long after the confrontation I record that song for Taxi. Is like he remember that confrontation and realise 'Oh, it was the guy!' Them going to some kind of argument, seh 'You know what? We nah go release the song', for (chuckles) the Taxi label is between him and Sly. But, that song a go come out on my next album. And I'm gonna release 'Reggae Music', with a new vibes, yunno. Yeah, we gonna re-record it.

Q: Did you know that Trojan put out the original 'Reggae Music' on a 12" in the UK a while back?

A: No.

Q: Yes, last year.

A: Yeah?! And guess what? Guess what happen here, Heartbeat put it out.

Q: 'Reggae Music'?

A: Yeah. Heartbeat put it out on a compilation CD, the name of the CD is 'Bafflin' Smoke Signal'. Yeah, Heartbeat put it out. So you see what's going on in the business! Behind your back (laughs). But we gonna re-record it, this time you're gonna hear a different flavour, man, with Istan Black & The Sweets.

Q: Did you approach Heartbeat about the inclusion of your song?

A: Not yet, we're working on it still. But we have our CD as Istan Black & The Sweets called 'Fatal Struggle', it's distributed by a independent company here in the US called Little Fish Records. Finally those songs are registered. I get the opportunity now to credit those songs, and now they are published by BMI.

Q: Would you call those recordings at the Ark as the high-point of what you've done so far?

A: Yeah (laughs)! 'Cos that is the original, yunno. It's a good feel, it's a high-point, it's the original. But we have advanced more now, y'know. Sound more unique now, yeah, soundwise, vibeswise - sounding more better, y'know.

Q: You were still in touch with the Time Unlimited while being solo, Porti, and them?

A: Yeah. But as I say Porti was in the Jewels and he was in Port Antonio, that's Portland, at Leggo Beast's farm, yunno. He bought that place at the same time he had his studio, late eighties.

Q: I think the last release by Porti was in '86 for Trevor Douglas (Leggo Beast), or thereabouts.

A: Yeah? I didn't see him that often because he moved out to Portland, and Orville moved to England.

Q: When did he migrate there?

A: After we do 'Modelling'. He meet this English girl, the girl come to Jamaica an' that girl jus' love him off and he just married the girl and settled in England. He go to England and get around four kids, and then something happened, and he had to leave back to Jamaica.

Q: And he's still there now? He recorded a few songs for the Riz label while in England as far as I can recall.

A: Yeah, he's in Jamaica.

Q: And what became of Donovan Joseph, he's still there with Chinna?

A: No, I don't think so. He has his solo career but he hooked up with Bertram Brown.

Q: Freedom Sounds, Greenwich Farm.

A: Yeah. He's still with Bertram Brown, and that album was release late 2002, the Time Unlimited album, name 'Devil's Angel', it release late 2002. 'Cos is my mother bring my album up for me, they give my mother the album to bring up. Is when I get it, I realised, yunno.

Q: What label? When was this recorded and who took care of production?

A: Live Wire. It record like around in the eighties by Hartnel Henry (aka Sky High), he is from Duhaney Park. He and Donovan Joseph used to go to school together so he want to put some money into the business. He loved what we were doing. He say he want to do some product, y'know, our album was the first thing he do as a producer. Drummer I think it was Benbow, Tony Asher, Chris Meredith, Harry T and Chinna, guitar. I think Chinna play on it too. Those are some of the musician that are on it. Chinna now he is a very serious musician, and anyt'ing he play on he want to do it very, very, very perfect. That is Chinna. Even though he is a busy man, always on the move. When he get a little time, he go into production, yunno. But he is very serious, and whenever he carry acts to the studio he don't spend a lot of time with artists in the studio, becaue when he have to book studio the artists have to be right at it, focused, don't waste time. So that is a great attitude, so you've got to be ready. Well prepared, you've got to be ready.

Q: Tell me a bit about the inspiration for 'Garvey Inspiration'? This was a great 7" for High Times back in '92.

A: Yeah, hear what now: Chinna jus' come with like a line, a headline, I think it was in a Jamaica newspaper, somet'ing about Garvey. And Chinna just come and say - I don't know, one or two or more of us artists was at the (High Times) store. When him come and seh, "Hugo, just write something, do something about Garvey ca' is the Garvey inspiration". He jus' want me to write somet'ing about Garvey, and that is how it jus' come up. He just hit me and want me to do it, I just "Alright Chinna, I come up with somet'ing". Then I just put some ideas together, yunno, I just get lyrics together and work out the melody myself, and then now like around two days after that I get back to Chinna and seh, "Is what I come up with, wanna listen to it?", and him say alright, him love what him hear. I don't know what they get that from, but a lot of people relate that song to Black Uhuru, y'know, like saying 'Ohhh, that song sound like a Black Uhuru'. Original, a Jah vibes that, Almighty vibes. Donovan Joseph was responsible for a lot that going on into High Times at that time, right, so he kinda give himself some credit for production of that song. It was Leggo studio we did that. I think Chris (Meredith) play on it too, play bass. I believe is Squiddley (Cole) program the drums, I think Chinna and Asher play on it. 'Cos Asher was High Times musician at that time. I did another solo track for High Times that release, and he put it on a compilation CD with Frankie Paul and Sugar Minott and some more artists, called 'I Love You'. That was at Chris Stanley studio, at Music Mountain. That song now, the back-up vocal is Nadine Sutherland, Tom Arland and Erica. Then in the nineties I did 'Ruff Justice' for Shanti Roy, 'cos Shanti Roy now that is where we mostly hang out, that is in St. Catherine, Rebel Park. That is where Donovan Joseph live, and Donovan and Shanti Roy live very close. Now my mom has a house next to door to them, there we eat at Shanti Roy's house, we cook and eat and smoke herb together. Is I who create that Kotoko label for Shanti too. I recorded twelve songs for New Name Records, I don't know if Castro Brown release any of those songs. Castro wanted me to sign a contract and I didn't love the offer, I said no I'm not doing it. New Name was the firs' digital studio made in Jamaica, and I and Wayne Wade were the first two artists to record in that studio. I jus' didn't like the offer. Then they moved from the spot to another spot, and get Lady Saw and Luciano, right, 'cos I think he didn't really break out Luciano, yunno, on the New Name label. Before, somehow Fatis sign up with Luciano, Luciano was with Castro Brown, and I jus' stop. I just step off, went to the country area way down in St. Elisabeth, I just kinda cool off. I go to Kingston like two days a week, but not for recording, just for the racetrack, yunno. Hooked up with the racehorse trainers them to get some money for my kids them, I just go to the tracks, check my trainers brethren them to find out what them plannin' to win with, and jus' go on the road, get some guys to gamble some money on it and just make some money.

Q: That was at Caymanas Park.

A: Yeah, that is what I earned off to support my family.

On returning to Jamaica on a short visit a few years later, Hugo hooked up with Chinna again and cut an album at Squiddley Cole's studio, this is apparently one of a few projects to be released shortly. I hope it does well, but 'nothing ever happens before the time' as it is said somewhere. The third volume in Heartbeat's excellent 'Upsetter Shop' series, 'Bafflin' Smoke Signal', had him as one 'Hugh' Blackwood but is, of course, none other than the subject of this interview. I truly hope the company come to their senses and give the man his share and stop avoiding those who created the songs which make up their products. The true credit and compensation is long overdue as I would say. As far as I know, Chinna has kept 'Garvey Inspiration' in print over the years and it is a most recommended purchase with its cross-pollination of binghi and raggamuffin rhythm patterns. Our man turns in one of his stronger vocal performances on this piece of music as well; listen and you'll hear. 'Ruff Justice' (Kotoko) might not be one of Congo Ashanti Roy's best shots in the producer's chair and it turned out to be Hugo's last JA single when leaving for the States some time after this recording. Another wish I need to express is to see a wider distribution for the Time Unlimited effort, music like that should always be more than locally (JA) available. Perhaps that will change futurewise. Meanwhile, keep an eye on what the group will produce on American soil, it might just be right up your 'cultural alley'. Food for thought, medicine for your hips. Let the conscious reggae music keep on playing - Itinually.

7" single information courtesy Roots Knotty Roots.


Visit Hugo Blackwood's Website.