Kiddus I

Kiddus I (born Frank Dowding in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica, December 1954)Katz, David (2000) "People Funny Boy - The Genius of Lee 'Scratch' Perry", Payback Press, ISBN 0 86241 854 2] is a reggae singer and musician, best known for his appearance in the film Rockers.

Biography

Dowding was born in 1954, his mother a potter and his father a bookkeeper. He adopted the stage name Kiddus, which is Amharic for "blessed one", after becoming a Rastafarian. In 1971, he set up a Rastafarian commune and craft centre located between uptown and downtown Kingston, which became a unique feature of a city generally divided by social class. Dowding was a member of Ras Michael's Sons Of Negus from 1971 to 1978, singing and playing funde drums. [Sleeve notes to "Graduation in Zion:1978-1980"] He recorded several self-productions in 1972 with Aston Barrett at Joe Gibbs' studio, but these were not released due to lack of funds. "Rockers" director Theodoros Bafaloukos had seen Kiddus recording "Graduation In Zion" in 1976, two years before the film was made, and decided to film Kiddus recording the track as part of the movie.

Kiddus had by then released a few singles on his own Shepherd label, including "Security In The Streets" which was recorded with Lee Perry at his Black Ark studio. Dowding was a prominent member of the Peace Movement, and "Security in the Streets" was one of the first of several songs recorded in appreciation of the Peace Treaty of 1978 between rival political gang-leaders Claudie Massop and Bucky Marshall.

After a handful of further singles, little was heard of Kiddus I until French label Makasound issued "Inna De Yard" in 2005, one of a series of albums recorded acoustically by vintage reggae artists in Jamaica. Japanese label Dub Store Records then reissued some of the 1970's singles, followed by the anthology "Graduation In Zion: 1978-1980" in 2007.

References

External links

* [http://www.reggae-reviews.com/kiddusi.html Kiddus I at reggae-reviews.com]
* [http://www.roots-archives.com/artist/2792 Kiddus I at Roots Archives]
* [http://www.roots-archives.com/reviews/albums/22/Kiddus_I-Graduation_In_Zion Review of "Graduation In Zion" at Roots Archives]
* [http://www.reggae-vibes.com/concert/kiddusi/kiddusi.htm Interview by Peter I from reggae-vibes.com]