Category Archives: reggae musicians

Island Head’s Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung Honored

The Jamaica Music Museum presented its 9th annual Grounation series themed “Blackhead Chineyman: The Chinese Jamaicans’ Contribution to Jamaican Popular Music”.  (according to the Jamaica Observer news)  Legendary Jamaican reggae musicians were honored including Island Head guitarist Mikey ‘Mao’ Chung.

Mikey has worked locally with artists like Dennis Brown, Marcia Griffiths, Bob Marley, John Holt, The Inner Circle, Alton Ellis, Ernie Smith, Ken Lazarus, Pluto, Delroy Wilson, Gregory Issacs, Home T, Pablo Moses, The Wailing Souls, The Abbyssinians, Lorna Bennet, Bunny Wailer, The Heptones, Black Uhuru, Ken Booth, Peter Tosh, I Jahman Levi, Boris Gardiner, Israel Vibration, The Gaylads, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Ken Parker, Jacob Miller, Garnet Silk, Shaggy, Romain Virgo, Alaine, Morgan Heritage, Tessanne Chin (to name a few).

Mikey was a member of Word, Sound and Power recording and touring with the late Peter Tosh. He was also a member of Island Record’s Compass Point All Stars with Sly & Robbie and The Inner Circle.

Internationally, Mikey has worked with artists as diverse as Bette Midler, Mick Jagger, Manu Dibango, Marianne Faithful, James Brown, Joe Cocker, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Big Mountain, Grace Jones, Maxi Priest, Michael Urbaniak, Bernard Lavillier, Bob Sinclair, Khaled, Chris Hinze, Valrie LaGrange, Tiken Jah Fakoly and Serge Gainsbourg among others.

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Andy Bassford on Sting & Shaggy 44/876

Sting & Andy Bassford from Island Head reggae musicians
Andy Bassford (from Island Head), Sting & Joshua Thomas (the other bass player Haha!)

Congratulations to Island Head’s guitarist Andy Bassford for his contributions to the album, Sting & Shaggy “44/876”. The album won the Grammy for “Reggae Album of the Year” in 2019. Andy not only played guitar on 4 songs, he also co-wrote the songs he played on.

For years Andy has worked on almost every Shaggy recording project. Shaggy’s producer, who goes by the moniker Sting International, was brought on to produce the album. He brought in his regular rhythm section players that he uses on his reggae sessions, including Andy. Sting was excited to work with authentic reggae musicians of such high caliber. And, the rest, as they say, is history. History for sure with the winning of the Grammy.

P.S. 44/876 refers to the country codes to phone the countries of Jamaica and England.

Andy Bassford from Island Head reggae musicians holding the grammy for the recording of the reggae album of the year Sting & Shaggy 44/876

Andy Bassford holding the grammy

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#sting #stinginternational #reggae #reggaemusic #islandhead #grammy #reggaegrammy #recordoftheyear #shaggy #44/876

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.#iheartradio #manaradio #reggae #reggaeradio #reggaemusic #siriusxm #thejoint #thejointradio #dermothussey #patmckay #islandhead #islandheadreggae #timcappello #istillbelieve