
Frustrated with his dealings with record labels, Roy Anthony Cousins, known for being lead singer and founder of vocal group The Royals, started the Uhuru label together with Dave Robinson in 1971. This soon folded, but he returned with his second label Tamoki in 1972 and then the Wambesi label in 1974. Besides doing the production work for his own group The Royals, he also began producing other artists. After relocating to England, Roy Cousins continued to release records on his Tamoki-Wambesi and Dove labels, both from his back-catalogue and new recordings of visiting Jamaican artists. A part of the producer’s extensive catalogue is featured here.
At the time of publication of these pages, the albums were for sale via the links below. However, prices and availability may have changed over time.
At the time of publication of these pages, the albums were for sale via the links below. However, prices and availability may have changed over time.
“For some reason – I always married an Indian woman, my two wives were Indians. And I was reading a book one day, and Tamoki was some great Indian chief in America.”… “One day I met Michael Rose at the bottom of Penwood Road, And he said to me he liked the label Uhuru. And he asked if he could use the name. I said just use the name. And I won’t use it. So then I went to the ‘Phantom’ comic and found the name Wambesi.”
(Roy Cousins about the names he chose for his labels)
