Jamaican Entertainment: Where are the groups? Reggae/dancehall acts prefer going solo

BY SIMONE MORGAN Observer staff reporter morgans@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, September 12, 2014 

THE 1990s are considered by many to be the finest era for dancehall music.

It not only had high-riding acts like Shabba Ranks and Mad Cobra, it saw the rise of groups. But despite promise the majority of these groups have not survived.

ARP

Innocent Kru which featured Benzly Hype, Dapsie Daps, Copper Kid and Macka Head was one of these popular quartets best known for their 1999 hit Impossible Train. There was also the vocal group ARP of which singer D'Aville was lead. That aggregation too did not survive the test of time. Another casualty of the group syndrome was Scare Dem Crew -- a group of deejays comprising Elephant Man, Harry Toddler, Nitty Kutchie and Boom Dandimite.

Each made a mark but after a few years they disbanded for various reasons. It is not unique to Jamaican music.

Innocent KRU

According to music consultant Copeland Forbes, several factors usually contribute to a band breaking up.

"For one group that I knew, what led to their break-up is the fact that one member could not get a visa or work permit to travel. Therefore, when the group had shows overseas it became a problem so they each started individual careers," Forbes told Splash.

He added that long-standing differences between members and inflated egos have also resulted in several dancehall/reggae groups splitting. That was the case with The Wailers and Black Uhuru. more