The late Prince Buster, the King Of Ska who passed away on September 8 and other Jamaican music legends are being honored with a massive tribute song/video to be released next week. The song titled ‘Foundation Sound’ was recorded in Jamaica by singer Richie Stephens & the Ska Nation band at Penthouse Records and arranged in Salento Italy at Adriatic Sound studio
‘Prince Buster was a musical pioneer who paved the way for other Ska legends who followed’ said Richie Stephens who provides lead vocals on the track.
‘We also have to pay homages to trailblazers like Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Derrick Morgan, Toots & the Maytals, Phillis Dillion, Monty Morris, Byron Lee and the Dragonairs and the great Don Drummond’ Stephens noted.
For the project, producer Donovan Germain of Penthouse Records, created a reinterpretation of the famous Simmer Down riddim played with the horn section by legendary saxophone player Dean Fraser and Everton ‘Pesso’ Pessoa on trombone. Ska Nation’s trombonist Gianluca Ria and trumpet player Giancarlo Dell’ Anna created a brilliant musical solo which was arranged and produced by Papa Leu and sax player Luca Manno.
‘Go tell it to the nation that Ska is the foundation’ Stephens croons in his opening salvo. ‘First Jamaica international music and we should never loose it’ he implores.
The release of the album Internationally and single The Foundation is a powerful sign that the Ska genre is making a come back in a big way. And the fact that Fire Fire from the album was nominated for an international award at the 7th annual Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) in Los Angeles, CA is a clear indication that the Ska revolution is not ending anytime soon.