Born in Cuba of mixed Cuban and Jamaican descent, Aitken and his family settled in Jamaica in 1938. After an early career working for the Jamaican Tourist Board singing mento songs for visitors arriving at Kingston Harbour, he became a popular nightclub entertainer. His first recordings in the late 1950s were mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer", "Sweet Chariot" (aka the gospel classic "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") and "Baba Kill Me Goat". Aitken's 1958 single "Boogie in My Bones"/"Little Sheila" was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell and the first Jamaican popular music record to be released in the United Kingdom. Other more Jamaican rhythm and blues orientated singles from this period include "Low Down Dirty Girl" and "More Whisky" both produced by Duke Reid.
Aitken moved to Brixton, London, in 1960 and recorded for the Blue Beat label, releasing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963. He recorded for Duke Reid, with backing from the Skatalites on tracks such as "Zion" and "Weary Wanderer", before returning to the UK, where he began working with Pama Records. He recorded hits such as "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants", which led to a wider recognition outside of Jamaica and the UK. This cemented his position as one of ska's leading artists and earned him the nicknames The Godfather of Ska, and later Boss Skinhead. He gained a loyal following not only among the West Indian community, but also among mods, skinheads and other ska fans. He had hit records in the United Kingdom and other countries in the 1950s through to the 1970s on labels such as Blue Beat, Pama, Trojan, Rio, Dr. Bird, Nu-Beat, Ska-Beat,Hot Lead and Dice. Some of his singles featured B-sides credited to his brother, guitarist Bobby Aitken. Aitken also recorded a few talk-over/deejay tracks under the guise of 'King Horror', such as "Loch Ness Monster", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness", and "The Hole". Aitken settled in Leicester with his wife in 1970. His output slowed in the 1970s and during this period he worked as an entertainer in nightclubs and restaurants in the area including the popular 'Costa Brava Restaurant' in Leicester under his real name Lorenzo. In 1980, with ska enjoying a resurgence in the wake of the 2 Tone movement, Aitken had his only success in the UK Singles Chart with "Rudi Got Married" (#60) released on I-Spy Records (the label created and managed by Secret Affair. Aitken's career took in mento/calypso, R&B, ska, rock steady, and reggae, and in the 1990s he even turned his talents to dancehall. He performed occasional concerts almost until his death from a heart attack in 2005. After a long campaign, a blue plaque in his honour was put up at his Leicester home in 2007. Punk band Rancid cover's Aitken's Everybody Suffering on their 2014 LP Honor Is All We Know
Laurel Aitken (April 22, 1927 - July 17, 2005) became famous as one of the originators of Jamaican ska music in the late 1950s.
Aitken was born as Lorenzo Aitken in Cuba, and is the brother of singer Bobby Aitken. He moved to England in the 1960s, and had a loyal following among Skinheads and other ska fans. He had massive hits in the 1950s through 1970s, while recording for Blue Beat Records, Pama Records and Trojan Records. He recorded one of the earliest ska records, the double A-sided Boogie in My Bones / Little Sheila (1958). It was the first record on producer Chris Blackwell's Island Records label.
Aitken, who is known as "The Godfather of Ska", made his home in Leicester UK and performed live almost until his death. He suffered from a serious illness following a heart attack about a year before he died. He died from a heart attack in Leicester, UK on July 17, 2005.
Jamboree
Laurel Aitken Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took place inna Kingston cemetery
Oh, what a jumbie jamboree
Took place inna Kingston cemetery
Jumbies from up north of the island
Some of them are great Calypsonians
Since the season was carnival
And what they singing
Back to back, belly to belly
I don't care a damn, I dun dead already
Back to back, belly to belly
That a jumbie jamboree
One female jumbie wouldn't behave
Look how she jumping 'pon the grave
In one hand she's holding a quart a rum
The next hand she's beating Congo drum
The lead singer starts to make his rhyme
While other jumbies rock their bones in time
One bystander started to say
It was a sight to see jumbie break away
And what they singing
Back to back, belly to belly
I don't care a damn, I dun dead already
Back to back, belly to belly
That a jumbie jamboree
(.)
Left to right things was getting sweet
A bystander mash a jumbie feet
The jumbie raise his finger to one
He said, "Mister take care, you mashing me corn"
The funniest thing I have ever seen
To see jumbie eating salt fish and ackee
I never see more marpy or ginger beer
That took place at a jumbie parade last year
Hear what they singing
Back to back, belly to belly
I don't care a damn, I dun dead already
Back to back, belly to belly
That a jumbie jamboree
The song "Jamboree" by Laurel Aitken is a vibrant and lively tune that narrates the festive ambience of the Kingston cemetery where the jumbies, a local term for ghosts or spirits, gather during Carnival season. The song opens by describing the Jamaican cemetery as the site of an energetic jumbie jamboree, with spirits from all over the island, including great Calypsonians, gathering to celebrate. The lyrics then narrate the festivities, such as dancing, playing the congo drum and singing, with specific mention of one female jumbie jumping on a grave with a quart of rum in one hand and congo drum in the other.
The lead singer starts to narrate the rhymes describing how the jumbies were having such fun that one bystander reported to have seen a jumbie break away. The second part of the song describes a bystander who mashes a jumbie's feet, endangering himself as jumbies are said to be immortal. The jumbie raises his finger to the bystander, warning him not to mash his corn. Then, things start to get funny as the lyrics describe the jumbies eating traditional Jamaican food like ackee and saltfish, washing it down with marpy, a local drink similar to ginger beer. Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the catchy chorus, "back to back, belly to belly, that a jumbie jamboree," which accentuates the party mood and tempo of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, what a jumbie jamboree
The song describes a lively event that occurred in Kingston cemetery, with jumbies from different parts of the island coming together for a carnival season to make music.
Jumbies from up north of the island
The jumbies in attendance came from the northern part of the island and featured notable Calypsonians.
Some of them are great Calypsonians
The jumbies from the north boasted some great Calypso music performers among them.
Since the season was carnival
The event took place during the carnival season, prompting the jumbies to come together and create a fun atmosphere at the cemetery.
They ska together in Bakanal
The jumbies played and danced together in a manner interpreted by the singer as 'Bakanal'.
Back to back, belly to belly
The jumbies sang and danced with each other, getting as close as possible, starting from back to back and eventually belly to belly.
I don't care a damn, I dun dead already
Despite their undead status, the jumbies didn't care a bit about physical contact or intimate proximity as portrayed by the lyrics.
One female jumbie wouldn't behave
Despite the overall revelry, a female jumbie got a little wild with her dancing and even danced on top of a grave out of excitement.
Look how she jumping 'pon the grave
The female jumbie's dancing was so exuberant that she jumped onto a grave near her during the performance.
In one hand she's holding a quart a rum
The female jumbie held a quart of rum in one hand while dancing.
The next hand she's beating Congo drum
With her other hand, the female jumbie played a Congo drum, adding to the musical atmosphere of the event.
The lead singer starts to make his rhyme
A lead singer with the jumbies started reciting his verses while the others rhythmically danced to the music.
While other jumbies rock their bones in time
Other jumbies at the event continued to sway and dance to the rhythmic music while the lead singer performed.
It was a sight to see jumbie break away
A bystander watching the festivities described how it was fascinating to watch the jumbies break away from each other while performing their dance routines.
A bystander mash a jumbie feet
As the event continued, a bystander accidentally stepped on a jumbie's foot, interrupting the festivities briefly.
The jumbie raise his finger to one
The jumbie whose foot was stepped on raised a finger and cautioned the bystander involved to be more careful to avoid further disruption.
He said, "Mister take care, you mashing me corn"
The jumbie admonished the bystander lightly, saying that he was hurting his foot by stepping on it roughly.
To see jumbie eating salt fish and ackee
The event's festivities included jumbies partaking in classic and traditional Jamaican dishes, with the singer mentioning saltfish and ackee.
I never see more marpy or ginger beer
The event also included lots of ginger beer and marpy, which the singer explains he'd never seen in such quantity before.
That took place at a jumbie parade last year
The singer concludes by calling the festivities a 'jumbie parade' and suggesting it occurred the previous year.
Writer(s): Walls, Attaway
Contributed by Adeline V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.