Sometime ago in an article, I raised the matter of creativity in Jamaican music. A number of artistes were mentioned including Toots and the Maytals, who I believe needed more expansive treatment. So now here I am to take another look at arguably the most creative set of artistes in the Jamaican musical landscape.

The group, previously known as The Maytals, was formed in the early 1960s and consisted of lead singer-songwriter, Frederick 'Toots' Hibbert, Henry 'Raleigh' Gordon and Nathaniel 'Jerry' Mathias. It is reported that the group was later renamed Toots and the Maytals because of the popularity and dynamism of its lead singer. Toots went solo in 1982, but reunited as a group in the early 1990s.

The early period of their music (approximately seven years) is what really defines this group, as they proceeded to churn out hit after hit from one producer to the next. These include songs like Bam Bam, 54-46 (That's My Number), Pressure Drop, Monkey Man, One Eye Enos, Blah Blah Blah, Sweet And Dandy, Six And Seven Books Of Moses, Daddy, Never You Change, Pain In My Belly, If You Act This Way, and the list goes on ... .

It is to be noted that not only do the voices of the members of the group blend well together, but Toots is seen and regarded as the consummate performer. In fact, he has over the years been compared to internationally famous soul singer, Otis Redding.

There is also another aspect of the group's music which I regard to be the most seminal, the one factor on which everything else hinges. It is the strong religious and spiritual content of their music. This is the pillar, the foundation on which their music is built.

A choir boy

Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, popularly known as 'Toots', was born in May Pen in the parish of Clarendon, and not only did he grow up attending church, his father was a preacher man, and he was a singer on the choir. And this was what later provided the religious theme that ran through most of his music.

Some of these songs include tracks like Hallelujah, Matthew Mark, and The Six and Seven Books of Moses. The theme is also seen to some extent in Blah Blah Blah, Bam Bam and One Eye Enos. In the latter two, he tries to be an advocate for peaceful living.

As a performer and songwriter, Toots Hibbert is perhaps unequalled in the music business. He has had some 50 years experience in the business and continues to perform at an alarming rate throughout this time. His dancing and stage craftsmanship has barely diminished over this period. His songwriting ability at the drop of a hat continues to amaze and mesmerise everyone.

His status in the field of music has been legendary. It is hard to find another artiste locally or internationally who when he grunts or groans, it becomes a hit. And what other performers may have found difficult, is for him an easy proposition. He has taken the art of scat singing to a new and higher level.

And true to his church upbringing, he has implored us as a country, as a people, to be humble, to put away boastfulness and to live within our means in the number called Pomps And Pride.

Questions, comments, observations? You can contact me at elgin1225@yahoo.co.uk