Black Uhuru
Waterhouse roots with a colder edge: Duckie Simpson’s group matched Michael Rose and Puma Jones’ voices to Sly & Robbie’s muscular, increasingly electronic production. Anthem won reggae’s first album GRAMMY.
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Derrick “Duckie” Simpson founded Black Uhuru in Kingston’s Waterhouse district, with early lineups including Don Carlos and Garth Dennis. The group found its most internationally recognized form with Michael Rose and Puma Jones, backed and produced by Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. Sinsemilla, Red, Chill Out and Anthem made the combination feel both militant and modern. When Anthem won Best Reggae Recording at the 1985 GRAMMY Awards, it became the first winner in the category. The record also captured a transition: roots-reggae harmony and political writing pushed through Sly & Robbie’s digital instruments, rock guitar and studio technology. Black Uhuru survived many lineup changes because Simpson kept the name and Waterhouse identity moving.
Where the history is argued
- Sources differ on whether to date Black Uhuru’s formation to 1964, 1972 or later lineup milestones. The early Waterhouse origin is real; the classic Rose/Jones/Simpson lineup came later.
How they stand with the others
Studio influenceThe classic Black Uhuru sound is inseparable from Sly & Robbie’s rhythm section and production, not only the vocal lineup.
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Last checked 1 September 2026