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 Sugar Minott veteran singer, songwriter, musician and producer from Kingston Jamaica (born Lincoln Barrington Minott) has been a driving force in pioneering the creation of reggae music. Contributing to his indoctrination into the reggae music started while growing up near a
dancehall where some of the best sounds of the day used to play. From this exposure he began to build a repetoir and entered talent contests like the Little Theater Company.
When he finished school he began his jouney in the music business by selling records and playing in a sound named Sound of Silence Keytone. Sugar then started his own sound by the name of Black Roots which then lead to the creation of Youth Promotion.
In 1969 Sugar teamed up with Tony Tuff and Derrick Howard and formed the group the African Brothers. Tony was the lead singer and they recorded for Micron Music which was run by Mick Johnson and Ronny Burke of Sunsplash fame. The group then recorded for other producers from the likes of Keith Weston, Winston "Marrytone" Blake, Ruppie Edwards and Coxsone Dodds. Some of the releases were "Lead Us Father", "Mistery Of Nature", "Party Time" and "Rightious Kingdom" just to name a few. The group sprang up from the gathering at Delacree Road and Delamar Avenue corner, properly known as Tony Martin corner where many aspiring artists would mass. Due to the strong cultural contents of the lyrics the group did not receive the type of publicity it deserved so they all decided to pursue solo careers.
In 1974 Sugar then teamed up with producer Coxsone Dodds and was the singer responsable for reviving Studio One to its status following the loss of singers like John Holt, Ken Boothe and Alton Ellia to other studios of the day. The first hit recorded for Studio One by Sugar was "Vanity" and songs like "House Is Not A Home", "Hang On Natty" and "Mr. DC" which lead to his
first solo album entitled "LIVE LOVING".
He continued to work with Studio One untill 1979 when he left and created his own label BLACK ROOTS which lead to the foundation of the YOUTH PROMOTION CREW. Some of the artists that where recorded at this time were Little John, Barry Brown, Triston Palma an Tony Tuff. Based out of Maxfield Park Square Sugar's Youth Promotion continued to dominate the competitive reggae scene by voicing young artists like Jr. Reid, Yammy Bolo, Don Angelo, Steely as well as the late Tenor Saw, Nitty Gritty, Colourman and the Archangel Garnet Silk who did his first recording there.
From 1979 to 1981 Sugar had already attained international notoriety and had toured in the US and the UK and he is credited to the development of Lovers Rock by the release of his album "MUSIC FOR ROOTS LOVERS" which became an instant success with his english audience. Following this he had a hit "Good Things Going" (a Jackson 5 cover) which went to #2 on the british charts.
While Sugar was in England he continued to develop the Youth Promotion and formed the Black Roots Players and is responsoble for discoxering the musical group Musical Youth. He also did work with Carl Thompson and Bertie
Grant, the engineer of UB40.
Sugar had much success with his Black Roots Label and helped to develop some popular labels in Jamaica such as Channel One where he recorded the hits "No Vacancy", "Herbman Husting" and "Devil Pickney" with Sly and Robbie From works done with George "Powerhouse" Phang, Philip "Exterminator" Burrell, Germane "Penthouse" Donovan, Top Ranking, Tobbie Jammys, Tappa Zukie, Bobby "Digital" Dixon and Bullwakies from New York the new style known as the singjay Dance Hall emerged. The sounds that made this popular were those of U Roy, King Stereograph, King Tubby's right up to Stone Love and along with Barry Brown he toured the dance halls and thus emerged the current trend that is seen today in Jamaica. In 1984 Sugar Minott took reggae music to Japan.
Credit to his career Sugar has over 60 albums and thousands of 45's of which 27 of the albums he has produced. Presently Sugar has established a base at 1 Robert Crescent where Youth Promotion Music Center and Black Roots Production Co. Ltd. specialize in recording production. Studio facilities include from 8 to 24 track, record distribution, rehearsal facilities and music school where aspiring youth from all areas, whether the country or the town, can come and realize their aspiration in the reggae journey as he did.
Currently Sugar is working on three new albums at Hamma Studios for three major companies (one in Europe and two in the US) to be realeased the middle of 1997. He is also touring the US tristate area and Canada and continues to travel between Jamaica and the US to keep shows and work on current productions with Youth Promotion.
Original 1997 biography is released by 'Sons of Light Promotion' (Wayne "Lonesome" Brown and Steven "Iya" Ibanez) |
| Country: Jamaica |
| Style: reggae dancehall |
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You take beat-box, a guitar, a accordion, rap and voices put all this in a mixer and you get Air'Box. A trio from different horizons but the vibes! 
Jacka Youth and the 
The Swiss group 
New album 
From church choir as 6 year old Stefano Raschi to the today 
