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.
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.