Joseph Hill & Culture (1989) Negril, Jamaica

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@LeoOReggio

Website: https://leosretroreggaestore.company.site/

A very nice stage show performance in Negril, Jamaica, by Joseph Hill & Culture.

Joseph Hill (22 January 1949 – 19 August 2006) was the lead singer and songwriter for the roots reggae group Culture, most famous for their 1977 hit "Two Sevens Clash", but also well known for their "International Herb" single. Hill recorded twenty-two albums.

Joseph Hill was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica, and began his musical career as a percussionist in the late 1960s with the popular studio band, Soul Defenders. As Rastafarianism's influence on reggae grew in the 1970s Mr. Hill formed the roots-reggae group, Culture, releasing more than 30 albums. He wrote the group's best-known songs including "Two Sevens Clash," "Natty Never Get Weary" and "I'm Not Ashamed". "Two Sevens Clash" (Sly & Robbie played on the recording) is considered one of the most influential reggae records. The song was based on a prediction by Marcus Garvey, the pan-Africanist, who said that chaos would occur when the 'sevens' met -- July 7, 1977. The outcome was similar to Orson Welles & The Mercury Theatre's radio broadcast of 'War Of The Worlds' -- many Jamaican businesses and schools closed their doors on that day.

During the seventies, the group had a string of highly successful singles for producers Joe Gibbs and Sonia Pottinger including the song 'Two Sevens Clash' which made its mark on both Jamaica and the United Kingdom. It was named by Rolling Stone magazine in 2002 as one of the '50 Coolest Records', the only single artist reggae album to make the list. The group also had a hit with 'Stop Fussing and Fighting', a song that addressed the chaotic political climate of the late 1970s and the attempt on Bob Marley's life.

Joseph Hill and Culture developed a reputation as a performing group after a performance at the 'One Love Peace Concert' in 1978 and was soon regularly touring the United States, Europe, and Africa. In recent years the group continued to perform at least one hundred concerts each year, with Hill's wife Pauline as road manager. Hill was a presence on stage: part DJ as he directed his band to reconfigure songs on stage and part teacher as he commented on Jamaican history and current political issues. In his lyrics, Hill often explored how the legacy of slavery continued to have an influence on Jamaican citizens.

Hill had received a number of honours; an induction into the Jamaican Reggae Walk of Fame and a 2005 Independence Award presented by the Prime Minister of Jamaica. In 2005 he received the Culture Shock Bronze Medal in recognition of his contribution to Jamaican music.

Joseph Hill died on a tour bus just after entering Berlin on 19 August 2006. At his funeral in September 2006, Hill was eulogized by, amongst others, Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller who recognized his contributions to Jamaican culture.

His son Kenyatta subsequently took over his role in Culture.