Aswad

Rising from West London's Caribbean community, Aswad mixed their reggae and dancehall roots with tinges of R&B, soul, and funk to become one of the UK's most acclaimed reggae acts. The group was formed in 1975 around singer and guitarist Brinsley Forde (formerly a child star best known from his work on children’s TV show Here Come the Double Deckers), Angus ‘Drummie Zeb’ Gaye (drums, vocals), Donald ‘Dee’ Griffiths (guitar), George ‘Ras’ Oban (bass) and Courtney ‘Khaki’ Hemmings (keyboards), who was replaced the following year by Tony ‘Gad’ Robinson (bass, keyboards, vocals). The first British band to sign with Island Records, Aswad released their self-titled album in 1976, before accompanying Burning Spear at the Rainbow Theater in London the following year. By the time New Chapter was released in 1981, the group had pared down to the more familiar trio of Forde, Robinson, and Gaye. They released critically acclaimed albums such as Not Satisfied (1982), Live & Direct (1983), Rebel Souls (1984) and To the Top (1986). However, the group didn’t achieve significant commercial success until the album Distant Thunder (1988) and its Number 1 UK single "Don't Turn Around.” Aswad then collaborated with Shabba Ranks on the follow-up album Too Wicked (1990). The group was nominated for a Grammy Award for their 1994 album Rise and Shine, but their hit streak was broken when Brinsley Forde left the group in 1996. Aswad became a duo - Angus Gaye and Tony Robinson - and returned to their reggae roots for the album Roots Revival (1999). They released their final album, City Lock, in 2009. Founding member Angus Gaye died on September 2, 2022, at the age of 62.