• Home
  • The Music
  • Press Kit
  • Media
  • Archival
  • More
    • Home
    • The Music
    • Press Kit
    • Media
    • Archival
  • Sign In

  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • My Account
  • Sign out

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • Home
  • The Music
  • Press Kit
  • Media
  • Archival

Account


  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • My Account

Listen or download the song here.

Cover art  of Sheila Rickards meets King Tubby in  "Jamaican Fruit of African Roots"

BUY THE VINYL  HERE


Follow us on social media, or sign up for email updates on future screenings events and record releases.

ABOUT THE SONG - Jamaican fruit of african roots

More than a decade ago, while digging in a rural Canadian thrift store Chris Flanagan found a copy of an album called  "War Zone"   which featured one incredible track by  someone called Shella Record.

 

No more than 500 copies of War Zone were ever pressed on Canadian Reggae  label  Monica's, making it an extremely rare album only known to the deepest reggae collectors. 


During his search to find the mysterious "Shella Record"  Flanagan discovered the song was actually “Jamaican Fruit of African Roots” by  Jamaican Jazz singer Sheila Rickards produced by the legendary  Reggae producer Bunny “Striker” Lee. 


The vocal track was never actually released in Jamaica, however the dub version (instrumental ‘remix’) was included on the 1975 Creation of Dub album, mixed by dub-pioneer King Tubby, considered one of the great albums of the genre. The “Jamaican Roots Dub”  was the stand out track on the album, leaving Dub fanatics wondering who the original vocalist was for decades.


In 2013, while still searching for Sheila, Chris Flanagan licensed the original track and King Tubby dubs from Bunny Lee. Chris started Shella Records, a record label to re-release the Sheila Rickards song in a limited run. The 500-record run sold out almost immediately and has been played by DJs, radio stations and sound systems around the world.  A second run 12" is now available at www.shellarecords.com 


Reviews and comments on Jamaican Fruit of African Roots


Reknowned BBC DJ Gilles Peterson played the track on BBC 6 in 2013 - 150,000 people tune in weekly to listen live, and Peterson has more than 3 million followers on Soundcloud. 


“Rickards' haunting vocals blend Broadway and jazz influences over a reggae backing track as she sings ..with an infectious spirit of celebration and resistance.” “Jamaican Fruit is a unique musical curiosity rescued from the brink of obscurity and a must for reggae collectors.”

  • Vincent Pollard, Exclaim! Magazine, March 25, 2013 http://exclaim.ca/music/article/sheila_rickards-jamaican_fruit_of_african_roots 


“…don’t sleep on this one. With celebrity UK broadcaster Gilles Peterson already hyping it  like a new Galliano joint on Brownswood, the entire pressing run may sell out before word spreads to dealers that there’s also a documentary film in the works.”

  • Tim Perlich, The Perlich Post, April 2 2013 https://theperlichpost.blogspot.com/2013/04/solving-sheila-rickards-mystery.html 


Further details about the release, including the original musicians and full liner notes available here:                          

                      www.shellarecords.com/jamaicanfruit 

Lennie Hibert Combo feat. Sheila Rickards

A rare recording of Sheila Rickards' more typical Jazz output from the very early 1960s .This studio Lp was a taste of what the band would play at the Myrtle Bank Hotel in the early 60's.  Though only a teenager her voice is still incredibly powerful.

Sheila Rickards-Mack The Knife

Another rare recording of Sheila Rickards in her more typical Jazz style before Reggae existed in Jamaica.

Shella Record - A Reggae Mystery

Shella Record - A Reggae Mystery is a feature documentary by Chris Flanagan

©2019 Shella Productions Inc - All Rights Reserved