Matumbi was a British reggae bands active during the 1970s and early 1980s … Read Full Bio ↴Matumbi was a British reggae bands active during the 1970s and early 1980s remembered as the first successful band of guitarist and record producer Dennis Bovell. Their style was soulful and melodic.
Great Britain has produced several great roots bands -- Steel Pulse, Aswad, Misty In Roots, and Black Slate among them but Matumbi is one of the earliest and most influential. They formed in 1971 in London at a time when roots music in Jamaica itself was just entering its prime.
Formed in south London, with a line-up of Tex Dixon (vocals), Euton Jones (drums), Dennis Bovell (guitar), Errol Pottinger (guitar), Eaton "Jah" Blake (bass guitar) Bevin Fagan (vocals) (died 2008), and Nicholas Bailey (vocals, later better known as Nick Straker), initially they acted as a backing band to touring Jamaican musicians. In 1973, they opened for The Wailers at the Ethiopian famine relief concert in Edmonton.
Success brought problems for the band, with their record label unhappy about some band members' other musical activities, and Bailey and Dixon left, to be replaced by Webster Johnson (keyboards). Pottinger and Jones also left the band, with Glaister Fagan and Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson joining. The new line-up signed a deal with Harvest Records, and toured with Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Matumbi recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1978. In the same year, they recorded the theme song for the BBC television series, Empire Road.
The group's debut album, Seven Seals, was issued in 1978, but their second album, Point of View, was a greater success, with the title track giving the band a top 40 hit in 1979. Further albums followed between 1980 and 1982, but these did not match their earlier success. Their last album, Testify, was recorded in Jamaica co-produced by Bevin Fagan and drummer Euton Jones.
The band split up, with members moving on to various other projects; Dennis Bovell released solo material and became renowned as a producer, Donaldson joined The Cimarons, and Fagan and Blake recorded as The Squad.
Great Britain has produced several great roots bands -- Steel Pulse, Aswad, Misty In Roots, and Black Slate among them but Matumbi is one of the earliest and most influential. They formed in 1971 in London at a time when roots music in Jamaica itself was just entering its prime.
Formed in south London, with a line-up of Tex Dixon (vocals), Euton Jones (drums), Dennis Bovell (guitar), Errol Pottinger (guitar), Eaton "Jah" Blake (bass guitar) Bevin Fagan (vocals) (died 2008), and Nicholas Bailey (vocals, later better known as Nick Straker), initially they acted as a backing band to touring Jamaican musicians. In 1973, they opened for The Wailers at the Ethiopian famine relief concert in Edmonton.
Success brought problems for the band, with their record label unhappy about some band members' other musical activities, and Bailey and Dixon left, to be replaced by Webster Johnson (keyboards). Pottinger and Jones also left the band, with Glaister Fagan and Lloyd "Jah Bunny" Donaldson joining. The new line-up signed a deal with Harvest Records, and toured with Ian Dury & the Blockheads. Matumbi recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1978. In the same year, they recorded the theme song for the BBC television series, Empire Road.
The group's debut album, Seven Seals, was issued in 1978, but their second album, Point of View, was a greater success, with the title track giving the band a top 40 hit in 1979. Further albums followed between 1980 and 1982, but these did not match their earlier success. Their last album, Testify, was recorded in Jamaica co-produced by Bevin Fagan and drummer Euton Jones.
The band split up, with members moving on to various other projects; Dennis Bovell released solo material and became renowned as a producer, Donaldson joined The Cimarons, and Fagan and Blake recorded as The Squad.
Music in the Air
Matumbi Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Music in the Air' by these artists:
Christmas We're walking in the air We're floating in the moonlit sky T…
Dolf van der Linden & His Orchestra There's something in the air That wants me to beware tonight…
Fire & Rain Christmas is in the air You sense it this time of…
Luis Eduardo Aute Invisible is music in the air, but thought your eyes... I…
N/A Pretty girl why sad eyes? They said as she passed by Taking…
Sibongile Khumalo You'll find love You'll find love in music You'll find love …
The Royal Bopsters Music in the air Can be heard wherever you go, Every breeze…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Matumbi:
Bluebeat And Ska Don′t speak, no, don't try It′s been a secret for the…
I Can't Get Enough Of That Reggae Stuff Par, ley, par, ley I can't get enough of that funky…
Ordinary Man ordinary men uuu i would have to be stronger than samsone a…
Point Of View Take a look at these from my point of view That′s…
Reggae Stuff Par, ley, par, ley I can't get enough of that funky…
That Reggae Stuff Par, ley, par, ley I can't get enough of that funky…
War Another day wake in Babylon After dawn we pray Anytime now o…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Ruth Dixon
still sounds fantastic after all these years. matumbi were always the cleverest, most musically literate and stylistically open of the british reggae bands.
Tony Smith
Classic British Reggae track 👍
Alex F
Dennis Bovell - dub maestro!
Ronald Parker
Actually bought this tune for the other side but both nice tunes.
dawn Empress
Nice 1❤
Janie Barker
Rhythm ❤
Jah Fábio Rezende
👉🏽💣💣💣🔥💎
om govindam
up above truly oh jah!
Edwin Roots
!!!
Sidney Stereo
woy !