www.culturereggae.net
Formed in the rich tradition of harmony trios in 1976, Culture
quickly became a part of the vibrant, politically charged Jamaican reggae scene
of the day. Originally known as the African Disciples, the line-up consisted of
Joseph Hill (lead vocals), Albert Walker (backing vocals) and Kenneth Dayes
(backing vocals). Hill was the only member of the trio who had prior studio
experience having worked at Coxsone Dodds legendary Studio One as a
percussionist with the Soul Defenders group in the early 1970s. It was also at
Studio One that Hill first recorded as a vocalist. Shortly after Culture came
together, they began working with the Mighty Two producer Joe Gibbs and engineer
Errol Thompson. While at Gibbs studio, the singers recorded a series of powerful
singles, many of which ended up on their successful debut album Two Sevens
Clash. This initial release was hugely popular in both Jamaica and England. The
lyrics demonstrated Hills keen awareness of the connection between Jamaicas
history and its current social climate. While the songs may have been dealing
with serious issues, at the same time the group always recognized the value of a
catchy beat a sensibility shared by U.K. punks at the time. At once Culture
became part of a wave of vocal groups (including the Mighty Diamonds, Black
Uhuru, the Meditations and countless others) that ruled the reggae scene for a
brief while in the late 70s. After their success with Gibbs, the group went on
to make a string of albums for producer Sonia Pottinger. Culture began working
with some of the premier musicians of the day including Robbie Shakespeare, Sly
Dunbar, Ansel Collins, Cedric Brooks and the ever-present percussionist Sticky.
Virgin Records picked up the albums, and that added distribution enabled Culture
to gain an even larger following outside of Jamaica. In recent months Virgin has
begun re-issuing most of its reggae catalog from the late 70s, so once again
these early Culture albums are readily available. In 1982 the three singers went
their own ways. Joseph Hill carried on using the Culture name, and recorded the
Lion Rock album, which was released in the United States by Heartbeat Records.
For their part, Walker and Dayes recorded a handful of songs on their own a few
of which turned up on an album titled Roots & Culture. In 1986 the original
line-up reformed to record two highly regarded albums Culture in Culture and
Culture at Work. These releases marked the beginning of a very busy period for
the group, including annual albums and countless tours. The U.S. label Shanachie
released a steady stream of new and old Culture albums up to Wings Of A Dove in
1992. In 1993 Kenneth Dayes left the group and was temporarily replaced by the
singer from Dub Mystic who was their backing band at the time. With Dub Mystic,
Culture reached new heights that included the release of two popular studio
albums (One Stone and Trust Me) and a live album (Cultural Livity). Today,
Culture consists of Hill, Walker and Telford Nelson. After a lengthy career on
his own, Nelson joined on harmony vocals in 1999. In concert the group is
currently backed by the DC based band Forces of Justice. These accomplished
musicians have been behind Culture for three years, playing several
well-received tours in Europe, Africa and North America. Culture continues to be
in demand in the studio as well. In 2000 the group recorded the album Payday,
which was followed by a much-praised dub album mixed by the renowned engineer
Scientist. In the same year a very cotemporary sounding album called Humble
African appeared on VP Records. With these new recordings, Joseph Hill continues
to demonstrate his ability to be both lyrically relevant, and musically fresh.
While Culture has now been around for 25 years, Joseph Hill and friends are
showing no signs of slowing down. Hill has lost none of his striking stage
presence and fiery energy over the years. The group has sustained their lengthy
career by being both true to their cultural roots, and at the same time able to
incorporate new sounds and ideas into their mix. To their credit the group has
never been content to be a mere oldies act. Culture has proved to be one of the
few acts in reggae that can always be relied on both on record, and on stage. As
reggae music goes, a Culture concert is both a tribute to the past and a glimpse
of the future . Not to mention a whole lot of fun!