Black Uhuru and Sly & Robbie burst onto the Reggae scene in 1977, at a time when Jamaican music was starting to purr and go in circles, while English punks, on the other hand, were blowing up everything that moved. Black Uhuru was, in a way, a Jamaican answer to the Sex Pistols and The Clash. A borderline insolent attitude, provocative stares, leather jackets, often aggressive lyrics... Supported by a heavy uranium rhythm section, Michael Rose, Duckie Simpson, and Puma Jones, like raw nerves, screamed the anger of the forgotten people in Kingston's ghettos, without preaching or Rasta illusions. For several years, Sly & Robbie nurtured this new-generation trio on their TAXI label before signing them with Island, the label that had launched their elders Bob Marley, Burning Spear, and Bunny Wailer 6-7 years earlier. At the time working for Peter Tosh, the riddim twins found in Black Uhuru an ideal experimental ground for their futuristic arrangements. From 1977 to 1980, Black Uhuru experienced rapid progress, which the compilation TAXI TRAX, released by TABOU1 in association with TAXI and Diggers Factory, aims to trace through tracks that have become Reggae anthems, such as "Abortion" or "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," as well as rarities previously released only on 45s in Jamaica, like covers of hits "No No No," "Sun Is Shining," or the surprising "Aquarius," which bears no resemblance to The 5th Dimension's original. In total, four sides filled with singles released by the TAXI label, including irresistible dubs and, most notably, several "Dubplates" – acetates containing 100% unreleased mixes recorded to be played in sound systems, which we were miraculously able to restore. To top it all off, the famous graphic designer Bruno Tilley agreed to create a cover that perfectly captures the Black Uhuru spirit: uncompromising, with photos provided by Adrian Boot, who followed the band from its beginnings, and liner notes written by Noel Hawkes, author of numerous articles and books on Jamaican music, who interviewed Sly Dunbar and the band for the occasion. This time capsule is an ideal introduction to this band that revolutionized Jamaican music in just a few years. Note: TABOU1.com will soon release the digital version of this album as an NFT.
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