BEVERLY HILLS, February 19, (THEWILL) – One of the grandmasters of Reggae , whose real name was Ewart Beckford and renowned for the art of toasting, a key soul precursor to hip-hop, died at the age of 78.
According to Loop Jamaica, U-Roy died in his native Jamaica on Wednesday after a long battle with an undisclosed ailment.
Popular recording company, Trojan Records, took to its Twitter account to eulogise the late singer and producer.
“We are very sad to announce that the pioneering DJ who revolutionised the sound of Jamaican music in the early Seventies – Ewat Beckford aka U Roy has passed away at the age of 78 yesterday in Jamaica,” Trojan Records tweeted.
Also, Dub producer and Ariwa label founder, Mad Professor, wrote on Facebook: “What can I say? A very sad moment of transition for the man who inspired Ariwa. Without him, there would be no Ariwa. From I was 15 when I heard Version Galore I wanted to work with U-Roy. And I finally got the chance in 1991 when we met in LA. This is one of the highlights of Ariwa. We last spoke 2 weeks ago, and he was quite frail, but quite quiet. As we mourn the loss, we have the memories of this amazing talent. We have the stories. Without him there would be no Dancehall, no Hiphop, no Rap, no Afrobeat.”
BBC reggae DJ David Rodigan also took to Twitter to mourn the late singer.
He wrote: “RIP Daddy U Roy the iconic toaster who changed the paradigm of Jamaican music when he voiced the ‘Version Galore’ album …I was always in awe of him; the tone of voice, the cadence, the lyrical shimmering and riddim riding made him ‘the soul adventurer.”
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