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Dusted Features
Legendary Studio One founder Coxsone Dodd died yesterday at his home in Jamaica. He was 72.
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Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd: 1932-2004
The great Jamaican producer Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd has died at the age of 72.
In the 1950s, Dodd was at the heart of the sound system phenomenon in Jamaica, importing American Rhythm and Blues records, pumping them out bass-heavy and loud for dancers. By the late ’50s, those imported sounds had merged with local music to produce the homegrown blends that became ska and rock steady, and Dodd made history by releasing some of the first records in these Jamaican styles.
Through his legendary Studio One label, Coxsone found, nurtured, and helped create crucial sounds that became the heart of reggae. He was one of the earliest producers to recognize the importance of dub and his vintage Studio One rhythms still provide the foundations of much current dancehall and reggae.
Dodd’s impeccable taste and the quality of his label’s output were high-water marks for decades. His passing means the loss of a musical pioneer who helped build a small island’s own unique music from the ground up, and in the process ended up changing the musical landscape of the whole world.
By Kevin Macneil Brown
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View all articles by Kevin Macneil Brown