Jan
20
I get on tumblr to post some hauntingly weird Fatima al-Qadiri videos and instead I get to find out Etta James and Winston Riley died. Riley has been in a coma since November when he was shot in the head (he was also stabbed in September). A fucked up and sad end to an inspiring career. He’d be an important part of reggae history even if he’d only ever been a vocalist for the Techniques, but his work as a producer is part of the basic DNA of Jamaican music. His most obvious contribution being the Stalag riddim as heard in the video above, but he has great songs throughout the ’70s and well into the digital era. RIP.
