Kiddus I
Encyclopedia
Kiddus I is a reggae
singer and musician, best known for his appearance in the film Rockers.
and his father a bookkeeper. He adopted the stage name Kiddus, which is Amharic for "blessed one", after becoming a Rastafarian. In 1971, he set up a Rastafarian commune and craft centre located between uptown and downtown Kingston
, which became a unique feature of a city generally divided by social class.
Dowding was a member of Ras Michael
's Sons Of Negus from 1971 to 1978, singing and playing funde drums. He recorded several self-productions in 1972 with Aston Barrett
at Joe Gibbs
' studio, but these were not released due to lack of funds. Rockers director Theodoros Bafaloukos had seen Kiddus recording "Graduation In Zion" in 1976, two years before the film was made, and decided to film Kiddus recording the track as part of the movie.
Kiddus had by then released a few singles on his own Shepherd label, including "Security In The Streets" which was recorded with Lee Perry at his Black Ark
studio. Dowding was a prominent member of the Peace Movement, and "Security in the Streets" was one of the first of several songs recorded in appreciation of the Peace Treaty of 1978 between rival political gang-leaders Claudie Massop and Bucky Marshall.
After releasing a handful of further singles, and recording an album that was not released due to the master tapes getting lost, little was heard of Kiddus I until French label Makasound issued Inna De Yard in 2005, one of a series of albums recorded acoustically by vintage reggae artists in Jamaica. Japanese label Dub Store Records
then reissued some of the 1970s singles, followed by the anthology Graduation In Zion: 1978-1980 in 2007. In June 2009, Kiddus I released Green Fa Life (Naya Records), remarkably his first full length electric instrumentation album of his 30+ year career. Green Fa Life sees Kiddus I team up with roots reggae legends Earl "Chinna" Smith and Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace, although that is naming just a few of the very respected heavy weight artists who also play on the album. Kiddus I also appears on the first two "Grass Yard Productions" albums [Naya Records] released 2009 with the tracks "Merry Chase" and "Shine Your Light". Both Grass Yard Productions: Vol1 & Vol2 has Kiddus I sharing studio time with other stella Jamaican musicians such as Ken Bob, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore
, Jamel, Don I, Ken Boothe, Israel Voice, Jahmali and Michh "Shemaiah" Abrahams.
In 2007, a copy of his album tapes from 1981 were discovered, and his debut album was finally released in 2009 as Rocking Rebel Volumes 1&2.
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer and musician, best known for his appearance in the film Rockers.
Biography
Dowding was born in 1944, his mother a potterPottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and his father a bookkeeper. He adopted the stage name Kiddus, which is Amharic for "blessed one", after becoming a Rastafarian. In 1971, he set up a Rastafarian commune and craft centre located between uptown and downtown Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
, which became a unique feature of a city generally divided by social class.
Dowding was a member of Ras Michael
Ras Michael
Ras Michael is a Jamaican reggae singer and Nyabinghi specialist. He also performs under the name of Dadawah.-Biography:...
's Sons Of Negus from 1971 to 1978, singing and playing funde drums. He recorded several self-productions in 1972 with Aston Barrett
Aston Barrett
Aston Barrett , often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, is a Jamaican bass player and Rastafarian.-Biography:...
at Joe Gibbs
Joe Gibbs (record producer)
Joe Gibbs born Joel A. Gibson was a Jamaican reggae producer.-Biography:Joe Gibbs worked as an electronics engineer in the United States before his career in music started. Gibbs eventually returned to Kingston, Jamaica and opened an electrical repair shop with television repairs and sales as its...
' studio, but these were not released due to lack of funds. Rockers director Theodoros Bafaloukos had seen Kiddus recording "Graduation In Zion" in 1976, two years before the film was made, and decided to film Kiddus recording the track as part of the movie.
Kiddus had by then released a few singles on his own Shepherd label, including "Security In The Streets" which was recorded with Lee Perry at his Black Ark
Black Ark
The Black Ark was the recording studio of reggae and dub producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, built in 1973 and located behind his family's home in the Washington Gardens neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica...
studio. Dowding was a prominent member of the Peace Movement, and "Security in the Streets" was one of the first of several songs recorded in appreciation of the Peace Treaty of 1978 between rival political gang-leaders Claudie Massop and Bucky Marshall.
After releasing a handful of further singles, and recording an album that was not released due to the master tapes getting lost, little was heard of Kiddus I until French label Makasound issued Inna De Yard in 2005, one of a series of albums recorded acoustically by vintage reggae artists in Jamaica. Japanese label Dub Store Records
Dub Store Records
Dub Store Records is a Japanese reggae record label specializing in Jamaican music reissues. The label is also known as Studio One Japanese official agency.-2005:...
then reissued some of the 1970s singles, followed by the anthology Graduation In Zion: 1978-1980 in 2007. In June 2009, Kiddus I released Green Fa Life (Naya Records), remarkably his first full length electric instrumentation album of his 30+ year career. Green Fa Life sees Kiddus I team up with roots reggae legends Earl "Chinna" Smith and Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace, although that is naming just a few of the very respected heavy weight artists who also play on the album. Kiddus I also appears on the first two "Grass Yard Productions" albums [Naya Records] released 2009 with the tracks "Merry Chase" and "Shine Your Light". Both Grass Yard Productions: Vol1 & Vol2 has Kiddus I sharing studio time with other stella Jamaican musicians such as Ken Bob, Johnny "Dizzy" Moore
Johnny Moore (trumpeter)
John Arlington "Dizzy" Moore OD was a Jamaican trumpet player and founding member of pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae act, The Skatalites.-Biography:...
, Jamel, Don I, Ken Boothe, Israel Voice, Jahmali and Michh "Shemaiah" Abrahams.
In 2007, a copy of his album tapes from 1981 were discovered, and his debut album was finally released in 2009 as Rocking Rebel Volumes 1&2.
Albums
- Inna De Yard (2005), Makasound
- Graduation In Zion: 1978-1980 (2007), Dub Store
- Green Fa Life (2009), Naya
- Rocking Rebel Volumes 1&2 (2009)