Greetings Bovine Ska and Rocksteady Friends,

Sadly in November we lost a massive talent when instrumentalist, producer, and arranger, Tyrone Downie passed away at the age of 66. As a teen, Downie recorded with a staggering number of legendary Jamaican artists, from Bob Marley to John Holt to Delroy Wilson. In 1975, Tyrone would become an official member of the Wailers band and he would record and tour with them until Marley’s passing in 1981. In the early 2000s, Downie immigrated to France where he would eventually be dubbed The Father of French Reggae. For our memorial for Downie, we played cuts from his earliest recordings in the early 1970s, to his French production work with Tiken Jah Fakoly which was released earlier this fall.

At this time, we send our deepest respects to Downie’s family and to his many colleagues in music. Rest in power, Sir. XO Generoso and Lily