Roydel Johnson
Encyclopedia
Roydel Anthony Johnson better known as Congo Ashanti Roy is a Jamaica
n reggae
singer best known as a member of The Congos
but who also recorded solo and as a member of Ras Michael
's Sons of Negus.
, and attended Kendal School with Lee "Scratch" Perry, their mothers also being friends. At the age of sixteen he moved to Kingston
to live with an aunt, and began hanging around recording studios, where he was taught guitar by Ernest Ranglin
. In 1964 he was recruited to the US Peace Corps to work at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, where he worked for the next five and a half years. In 1966 he took leave to return home for Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica and became a committed Rastafarian
from that point on.
Being a family man Johnson always cared for his 7 children; Marie Johnson, Christopher Johnson, Miriam Johnson, Tamara Johnson, Negus Johnson, Coretta Johnson & Garette Johnson.
In the early 1970s, Johnson's ambitions turned once again to music and he hung around Kingston recording studios trying to get someone to record him. Lee Perry was the first to take a chance on him, although his version of "Standing on the Hill" was passed over in favour of that by Chenley Duffus. With nobody prepared to record him as a singer he concentrated on the guitar, and worked as a member of the Sons of Negus in the early 1970s, as well as The Righteous Brothers (led by Vivian "Yabby You" Jackson
and also featuring Albert Griffiths of The Gladiators
). In 1977 he met Perry again, who after hearing Johnson play "Row Fisherman Row", invited him to his Black Ark
studio to record the song. Jackson arrived at the studio with Cedric Myton
and they would record together as The Congos for the next few years, his tenor
complementing Myton's falsetto
.
When the Congos split up, Johnson began recording as Congo Ashanti Roy, and worked with Adrian Sherwood
on his Singers & Players
project and Prince Far I
, the latter producing his debut solo album, Sign of the Star in 1980. Johnson contributed to Far I's Showcase in a Suitcase
album the same year. A second album, Level Vibes, followed in 1984, this time produced by Sherwood.
In 1997 he rejoined Myton in the Congos for a live performance, and in 2002, he appeared on The Slackers
' Slackers and Friends album along with Glen Adams
, Cornell Campbell
, and Ranking Joe
. In 2003, Johnson moved into production and set up his own Lion's Den recording studio in Christian Pen, Gregory Park, St. Catherine, and his own Koto Koto Music label. In 2004, The Congos, including Johnson, announced plans to tour the world, and in 2006 they toured Europe and Asia.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n reggae
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 best known as a member of The Congos
The Congos
The Congos are a reggae vocal group from Jamaica active on and off from the mid-1970s until the present day. They are best known for their Heart of the Congos album, recorded with Lee "Scratch" Perry.-History:...
but who also recorded solo and as 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.
Biography
Johnson was born in 1943 in Kendal, Hanover Parish, JamaicaHanover Parish, Jamaica
Hanover , is a parish located on the northwestern tip of the island of Jamaica. It is a part of the county of Cornwall, bordered by St. James in the east, and Westmoreland in the south. With the exception of Kingston, it is the smallest parish on the island...
, and attended Kendal School with Lee "Scratch" Perry, their mothers also being friends. At the age of sixteen he moved to 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...
to live with an aunt, and began hanging around recording studios, where he was taught guitar by Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin
Ernest Ranglin O.D. is a Jamaican guitarist and composer. Best known for his session work at the famed Studio One, Ranglin helped give birth to the ska genre in the late 1950s...
. In 1964 he was recruited to the US Peace Corps to work at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, where he worked for the next five and a half years. In 1966 he took leave to return home for Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica and became a committed Rastafarian
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
from that point on.
Being a family man Johnson always cared for his 7 children; Marie Johnson, Christopher Johnson, Miriam Johnson, Tamara Johnson, Negus Johnson, Coretta Johnson & Garette Johnson.
In the early 1970s, Johnson's ambitions turned once again to music and he hung around Kingston recording studios trying to get someone to record him. Lee Perry was the first to take a chance on him, although his version of "Standing on the Hill" was passed over in favour of that by Chenley Duffus. With nobody prepared to record him as a singer he concentrated on the guitar, and worked as a member of the Sons of Negus in the early 1970s, as well as The Righteous Brothers (led by Vivian "Yabby You" Jackson
Yabby You
Vivian Jackson , better known as Yabby You , was a reggae vocalist and producer, who came to prominence in the early 1970s through his uncompromising, self-produced work.-Biography:...
and also featuring Albert Griffiths of The Gladiators
The Gladiators (band)
The Gladiators are a Jamaican roots reggae band, most popular during the 1970s. The core was Albert Griffiths , Clinton Fearon and Dallimore Sutherland bass guitar and singer. The two most famous albums are Trenchtown Mix Up and Proverbial Reggae with songs as "Hearsay", "Jah Works", "Dreadlocks...
). In 1977 he met Perry again, who after hearing Johnson play "Row Fisherman Row", invited him to 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 to record the song. Jackson arrived at the studio with Cedric Myton
Cedric Myton
Cedric Myton born in Jamaica is a Reggae musician and Rastafarian. Myton played with Prince Lincoln Thompson in The Tartans in the early 1970s until they apparently fell out. Cedric Myton claims he was one of the backing harmony vocals on Prince Lincoln's Humanity album recorded in 1975, but he is...
and they would record together as The Congos for the next few years, his tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
complementing Myton's falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
.
When the Congos split up, Johnson began recording as Congo Ashanti Roy, and worked with Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood is an English record producer best known for his work with dub music as well as for remixing a number of popular acts such as Coldcut, Depeche Mode, The Woodentops, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sinéad O'Connor, and Skinny Puppy...
on his Singers & Players
Singers & Players
Singers & Players were a reggae collective made up of vocalists and musicians associated with Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound Records. They recorded five albums between 1981 and 1988....
project and Prince Far I
Prince Far I
Prince Far I was a Jamaican reggae deejay, producer and a Rastafarian. He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics against measures initiated towards violent crime.-Biography:He was born Michael James Williams in...
, the latter producing his debut solo album, Sign of the Star in 1980. Johnson contributed to Far I's Showcase in a Suitcase
Showcase In A Suitcase
Showcase In A Suitcase is a reggae album comprising showcase format material produced by Prince Far I, and performed by Prince Far I, Ashanti Roy, The Wailing Souls, and Naggo Morris. The backing band throughout is the Roots Radics. The tracks on the album were taken from singles released on...
album the same year. A second album, Level Vibes, followed in 1984, this time produced by Sherwood.
In 1997 he rejoined Myton in the Congos for a live performance, and in 2002, he appeared on The Slackers
The Slackers
The Slackers are a New York City band, formed in Brooklyn in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz...
' Slackers and Friends album along with Glen Adams
Glen Adams
Glen Adams was a Jamaican musician, composer, arranger, engineer, producer, based since the mid-1970s in Brooklyn, New York.-Career:...
, Cornell Campbell
Cornell Campbell
Cornell Campbell aka Don Cornell or Don Gorgon is a reggae singer, best known for his trademark falsetto voice, and his recordings at Studio One in the late 1960s and his later work with Bunny Lee in the 1970s.-Biography:Cornel has one of the sweetest falsettos of any Jamaican vocalist and uses it...
, and Ranking Joe
Ranking Joe
Ranking Joe aka Little Joe is a reggae deejay who rose to prominence in the 1970s and had continuing success in the 1980s.-Biography:...
. In 2003, Johnson moved into production and set up his own Lion's Den recording studio in Christian Pen, Gregory Park, St. Catherine, and his own Koto Koto Music label. In 2004, The Congos, including Johnson, announced plans to tour the world, and in 2006 they toured Europe and Asia.
Discography
- Sign of the Star (1980) Pre
- Level Vibes (1984) Sonic Boom
- Big City (1994) Jah Power/Jet StarJet StarJet Star was a United Kingdom record distribution company that grew out of Pama Records in 1978. It was one of the largest distributors of reggae music, the company themselves claiming the title "the world's largest reggae distributors".-History:Jet Star was formed in 1978 by the Palmer Brothers,...
- Light Up the City (1995) Jah Power
External links
- Congo Ashanti Roy at Roots Archives