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Biography
Infobox musical artist| image =| name = Prince Far I| caption =| image_size = | background = solo_singer| birth_name = Michael James Williams| alias =| Born = c. 1944| Died = 15 September 1983| origin = Spanish Town, Jamaica | instrument = Human voice|Vocals | genre = Reggae | occupation =| years_active =| label =| associated_acts = Suns of Arqa | website =| notable_instruments = Prince Far I (c. 1944 & ndash; 15 September 1983) was a Jamaica n reggae deejay , record producer|producer and a Rastafari movement|Rastafarian . He was known for his gruff voice and critical assessment of the Jamaican government. His track "Heavy Manners" used lyrics against measures initiated towards violent crime.cite book | first= Paul | last= Du Noyer | year= 2003 | title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music | edition= 1st | publisher= Flame Tree Publishing | location= Fulham, London | isbn= 1-904041-96-5 | page= 354
Biography
He was born Michael James Williams in Spanish Town , Jamaica . Williams' first job in the music industry was as a deejay on the Sir Mike the Musical Dragon Sound system (Jamaican)|sound system ,Allmusic|class=artist|id=p2929|pure_url=yes allmusic.com biography by Jo-Ann Greene also working as a security guard at Joe Gibbs (record producer)|Joe Gibbs ' studio, and later as a bouncer at Studio One (record label)|Studio One , but after recording "The Great Booga Wooga" for Bunny Lee in 1969 (under the name King Cry Cry , a reference to his habit of breaking into tears when angered),Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter:"Reggae: The Rough Guide", 1997, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-85828-247-0Thompson, Dave:"Reggae & Caribbean Music", 2002, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6 he got the chance in 1970 to record for Coxsone Dodd when King Stitt failed to turn up for a session.Larkin, Colin:"The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae", 1998, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0242-9 Dodd was sufficiently impressed to release the resulting recordings, Williams now using the name Prince Far I at the suggestion of another producer he had worked with, Enos McLeod ). With a unique deep bass voice and talking over style, preferring to describe himself as a "chanter" rather than a "toaster", he became a popular reggae musician, styling himself "The Voice of Thunder".
His first album, Psalms For I , featuring the Lord's Prayer and various psalms, was dedicated to the literacy|illiterate who could not read the Bible for themselves. He then worked with Joe Gibbs (record producer)|Joe Gibbs on the second album, Under Heavy Manners , before being signed by Virgin Records for their Frontline label. Twelve albums followed between 1978 and 1981, including the highly regarded Cry Tuff Dub Encounter series of dub music|dub albums, produced by Williams and released on his Cry Tuff label, and featuring the Roots Radics under the pseudonym The Arabs . Spending an increasing amount of time in England , he also collaborated with UK On-U Sound Records including providing vocals in the reggae collective Singers & Players and may be considered a mentor figure to Adrian Sherwood . His final live performance took place at Band on the Wall|Band on the Wall , Manchester , on 7 Dec 1982 where he performed with Suns of Arqa . http://mog.com/artists/bio/mn214791/suns-of-arqa This performance is captured on his album "Musical Revue". In 1983, he was recording the album Umkhonto We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) with producer Roy Cousins in Kingston. Before the album was finished he was shot at his home in Kingston, Jamaica during a robbery, allegedly relating to a dispute over money,Katz, David:"Solid Foundation - An Oral History of Reggae", 2003, Bloomsbury, ISBN 0-7475-6847-2 and died later in hospital.
Vocals he recorded for Suns of Arqa in the late 1970s and early 1980s have been repeatedly reused by the band on a variety of tracks and remixes, ranging from their first album in 1979 to (so far) 2006. He is credited for vocals on the sleeve of each of the releases in question. http://www.discogs.com/artist/Suns+Of+Arqa His vocals also appear on their much remixed single "Govinda" which was originally produced by his former collaborator Adrian Sherwood . http://www.discogs.com/artist/Suns+Of+Arqa
He is referred to by The Clash in their single " Clash City Rockers " and also by The Mountain Goats in the song "Sept. 15th 1983", a reference to the date of his death.
Discography
Albums
Psalms For I (Carib Gems, 1975)
Under Heavy Manners ( Joe Gibbs (record producer)|Joe Gibbs , 1976)
Message from the King (Virgin Front Line (record label)|Front Line 1978)
Musical Revue / Suns of Arqa Live with Prince Far I (1983)
Umkhonto We Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) (Kingdom/Tamoki Wambesi 1984)
Health and Strength ( Pressure Sounds , 1998)
Compilation albums
Black Man Land (1990)
Dubwise (1991)
Cry Freedom Dub (1994)
In the House of Vocal & Dub with King Tubby (1995)
DJ Originators Head To Head Volume Two Prince Far I & Trinity (1996)
Megabit 25, 1922-Dub (1998)
Ten Commandments (1999)
The Golden Years 1977-1983 (1999)
Heavy Manners: Anthology 1977-83 (Trojan, 2003)
Silver & Gold 1973-1975 ( Blood and Fire (record label)|Blood and Fire , 2005)
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.princefari.com/ Tribute site to Prince Far I
http://rootsdub.free.fr/PrinceFari-disco.htm Prince Far I discography
http://www.skysaw.org/onu/artists/personnel/princefari.html Prince Far I information at On-U Sound site
Persondata | NAME =Prince Far I | ALTERNATIVE NAMES =Williams, Michael James | SHORT DESCRIPTION = Jamaica n reggae deejay and record producer | DATE OF BIRTH =c. 1944 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Spanish Town , Jamaica | DATE OF DEATH =15 September 1983 | PLACE OF DEATH = Kingston, Jamaica DEFAULTSORT:Prince Far I Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:1945 births Category:1983 deaths Category:Murdered entertainers Category:Jamaican Rastafarians Category:People murdered in Jamaica Category:Jamaican murder victims Category:Trojan Records artists Category:Deaths by firearm in Jamaica
de:Prince Far I fr:Prince Far I ht:Prince Far I nl:Prince Far I pl:Prince Far I sl:Michael James Williams fi:Prince Far I
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