Yabby You

reggae

Yabby You, de son vrai nom Vivian Jackson, connu aussi comme Jesus Dread ou Youth I-An est un chanteur et producteur de reggae jamaïcain né le 14 août 1946 dans le ghetto de Waterhouse à Kingston. Son œuvre, produite dans la seconde moitié des années 1970 pour la majorité, est marquée par un mysticisme certain, mélange de foi rasta et de christianisme ; le son de ses morceaux (dont le plus connu est Conquering Lion) est lourd et prophétique, aidé en cela par des mixs le plus souvent réalisés au studio de King Tubby par le maître des lieux. Il a aussi fait partie des grands producteurs pour les deejays ou certains chanteurs tel Michael Prophet ou Wayne Wade. Yabby You was born Vivian Jackson in a Kingston ghetto. By the time he was 17, Jackson was so malnourished that he had to be hospitalized. He eventually left with severe arthritis and crippled legs. While he could not work, he had musical talent and taking his cues from divine inspiration that he feels comes from the sounds of nature around him, and the help of friends founded a harmony trio, the Prophets, in 1972. They made their single debut with Conquering Lion, a classically styled reggae song with a deeply personal message. They made a few more singles and eventually they all appeared on Jackson's debut album, Conquering Lion. Throughout the decade, he recorded frequently on his Prophets labels. He was closely affiliated with King Tubby, whose dubs often appeared on the B-sides of Jackson's singles. It was Tubby who gave Jackson his famous nickname Yabby You. Some of Yabby You's better-known albums from this period include Deliver Me from My Enemies (1977) and Chant Down Babylon Kingdom. When not recording his own material, Yabby You launched the careers of other new singers including Michael Prophet, Wayne Wade, and Tony Tuff. He also began producing the early recordings of such performers as Willie Williams, Ras I-buna and Half Pint. A Yabby You-produced recording usually features a distinctive bass line combined with organs, horns and soaring harmonies that he uses to create a meditative, spiritual atmosphere. He continued recording steadily through the mid-'80s, and then abruptly stopped after a 1985 North American tour with his backup band, the Gladiators. He often needed crutches to perform. After that, he recorded, but nothing was released so in essence, Yabby You disappeared until 1991 when some of those recordings began to emerge. After that, he resurfaced and began releas...