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Dawn Penn – over 50 years in reggae music |
Throwback to two female reggae artistes who have impacted the international industry impressively with their timeless reggae love songs and whose music still augurs well for audiences today.
Dawn Penn
One such is Dawn Penn, a Jamaican reggae singer who had a short career during the rocksteady era, between 1967 and 1969. She is most known for her single “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No,) which became a worldwide hit in 1994. Dawn Penn’s earliest recordings were composed and written by her around 1966. She recorded the rocksteady single “You don’t Love Me” in 1967 on the Studio Label produced by Coxsone Dodd which hit US Billboard Top 100 chart, peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart.
Subsequently, “You Don’t Love Me” has been sampled and covered by the artistes such Ghostface Killah, Mims, Eve featuring Steven Marley and Damian Marley. Two years ago Ms. Dawn Penn made history along with an illustrious group of Jamaican artistes who showcased ‘Dancehall” in true dancehall style at the B.E.T. Awards to much excitement and appreciation by the audience in attendance.
JC Lodge
Another female artistes whose music is as relevant today as it ever was is British Reggae
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1985 JC Lodge |
artiste of Jamaican parent JC Lodge. Her breakthrough hit “Someone Loves You, Honey” became the best-selling single of 1982 in the Netherlands, earning the singer gold and platinum discs. She went on to record the album, ‘Revealed’ with Gussie Clarke in 1985 as well as “I Believe In You” and “Selfish Lover.” But her most memorable recording for me is the 1988 ‘Telephone Love’ dancehall/reggae track, the first to crossover in the R n B and hip-hop markets in the US, topping urban charts and earning her a record deal with Warner Brothers label.
JC Lodge who is also an accomplished painter, having exhibited in Kingston art galleries and has acted in several theatre productions, recorded mostly reggae albums, as well as album that featured R n B and pop elements too. Some of her other popular tracks includes “More Than I Can Say” and “Make It Up” as well as collaborations with Dancehall artiste “Tiger” on “Love Me Baby” and Shabba Ranks on a remixed “Telephone Love“
In 2001, JC Lodge returned to her native England, and recorded the album Reggae Country on Jet Star label then went on to record with Greensleeves Records.
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