Big Youth

Manley Augustus Buchanan was born on April 19, 1949, one of five children. He left school at 14 and worked as a taxi driver and mechanic at Kingston hotels Skyline and Sheraton; singing while working led him to become one of Lord Tippertone’s best DJs.\r\n\r\nHis first recording, produced by Gregory Isaacs, was "Movie Man". With studio experience including time with Keith Hudson, he rose quickly. In 1973 Youth launched his own label, Negusa Negast, and continued to work with producers like Prince Buster, Joe Gibbs, Derrick Harriott and Winston Riley. His output placed five of the top ten singles in Jamaica.\r\r\nHe recorded a version of the Wailers' "Keep On Moving" with Lee Perry in 1972, and recorded versions of Bunny Wailer songs such as "Bide Up" and "Black On Black." Through the mid‑70s Youth released enduring tracks like "House Of DreadLocks", "All Nations Bow", "Wolf In Sheeps Clothing" and "Mosiah Garvey".\r\r\nYouth toured the UK with Dennis Brown and others, giving British audiences a strong sense of Jamaica’s musical pulse. The 1977 London Rainbow show was a landmark. Big Youth continues to record and perform; his socially conscious roots remain influential and his music still speaks to new generations.