To commemorate Junior Murvin's passing we present a tribute mix, touching on the distinguished singer's luminous career.
Murvin Junior Smith was born to a tailor and ballad singer father in 1949. After his father's death the family relocated from St James Parish to Port Antonio until Smith returned to his hometown's capital Montego Bay,studying mechanics. Encouraged by numerous successful stage shows the young singer pursued a musical profession. In Kingston, known as Junior Soul, a wealth of experience was gained, touring with Max Romeo & The Hippy Boys, and recording playful rocksteady on Sonia Pottinger's Gayfeet label and Derrick Harriot's Crystal label. In 1976, after a second audition with Lee "Scratch" Perry a swarm of instant killers emerged from the smoky chaos of the Black Ark, fusing the vibrancy of Perry's abyssal soundscapes with Murvin's ardent falsetto voice.
From jocular to political vibrations Junior Murvin's voice continues to chime with our everyday issues.
