Lord Tanamo

Originally one of Jamaica’s leading mento performers, Lord Tanamo is perhaps best known for his popular ska rendition of the standard, ‘I’m In The Mood For Ska’, cut for Kingston-based producer, Lindon Pottinger in 1965.

His career, which included a period as lead vocalist for the legendary Skatalites band, lasted well into the reggae era, although a move to Canada in the seventies resulted in his recorded works being few and far between after the onset of dancehall. He nonetheless continued to remid ska fans of his enduring talent at numerous stage  live events into the 21st Century.

Sadly, he later suffered a stroke from which he was never able to revover and after a period in a Toronto nursing hoime, passed away on 19th April last year.

A year after his sad passing, we pay tribute to the man and his music with an extensive essay on his career, along with a newly curated spotify playlist featuring 30 of his best-known mento, ska and reggae works, which can be found in the Artists section on this site.