BOB MARLEY was known as "Tuff Gong" and "Skip" within his entourage. Veteran singer Frederick "Toots" Hibbert of TOOTS and the MAYTALS, was given his name because his stylized vocals sounded like a horn tooting. HORACE ANDY is called "Sleepy" because of his sleepy-looking eyes. Grammy-winning singer David "ZIGGY" Marley, Bob Marley's eldest son, has had his nickname for so long that he cannot recall its exact origin. And with so many famous rhythms, we all can guess why the famed drum and bass duo, SLY and ROBBIE, are known as the "Riddim Twins!"
A nickname is what your mama or your closest friends call you. Dictionary.com defines a nickname as 1) a descriptive name added to or replacing the actual name of a person, place or thing, and 2) a familiar or shortened form of a proper name. Because nicknames are so popular in reggae music and culture, the Reggae Festival Guide decided to probe into this tradition a little further.
At this year's Ragga Muffins' Bob Marley Day Celebration, MIKEY GENERAL, accompanied by musical partner LUCIANO, gave the audience an exclusive unplugged set. He was born Michael George Taylor, and as it turns out, his stage name is also his nickname. "The name Mikey General was given to me by my friends when I was about 12 years old," said the singer. Growing up in Jamaica, I used to wear hand-me-downs, my brothers' bigger clothes and t'ing. One day, I went to visit my friends and I had on some pants that my brother had just grown out of. They were big on me. My friends saw me walking down the street and said, ‘man, those pants look like something that the governor general would wear!' and started calling me 'Governor General.' Because of my skills in soccer where I took over, they cut off the governor and stuck with the 'General.' When Mikey grew older and started singing on sound systems, they called him "General" then too. "When I migrated to England and started doing some work, my brethren from Coxsone Sound System said there were too many people named 'General,' I said, 'Boy, that's my original name!' So him say, ‘You have to put something on it.' I said. 'My first name is Mikey,' so him, say, ‘All right, 'Mikey General' then.' That was back in 1982. That was way back before BUNNY GENERAL and RICKY GENERAL. I was the first General."
I caught up with BEENIE MAN as he was relaxing in his San Francisco hotel room before a performance. The sexy dancehall superstar, a.k.a. Moses Davis, "The Doctor" or "The Girls Dem Sugar," has many moods with aliases to match. The Grammy-winning DJ was nicknamed "The Girls Dem Sugar" by his father because of his natural charm and popularity with the young ladies. Beenie Man, a former child star, received his stage name when he gave his first concert at age five near his Waterhouse, JA home. "The DJ on the mic was a longtime Jamaican artist from back in the day," Beenie Man explained. "He thought I was a lost kid pulling on his pant leg. He gave me the mic and said, 'OK, do what you came to do.' People were surprised because I lived across the road. My mother and father were over there sleeping while me, my big sister and brother were at the dance. In the morning, people in the community saw me and said 'There he is, the beenie (little) man. Is that your name, Beenie Man?' And I didn't have a name, so I said 'Yeah, that's it.'"
David "Dread" Hinds, lead singer/songwriter/rhythm guitarist of the Grammy-winning U.K. reggae band, STEEL PULSE, has had several nicknames throughout his illustrious career. Many of them refer to his one massive dreadlock, which once shot straight from his head like a mighty tree. "Well, over the years I've been called several names," said Hinds. "Names like 'King,' 'Congo,' 'Knots' and 'the Dread.' I've also been called 'Lionheart,' or simply, 'D.' I decided to adapt the name 'David Dread,' because it works well with my autograph." Like the core members of Steel Pulse, conscious toaster PATO BANTON, born Patrick Murray, also hails from Birmingham, England. "Pato" is a nickname given to him by his stepfather. The name derives from a wise night owl in Jamaica, that stays up all night, calling "patoo, patoo!" In DJ circles a "Banton" is a heavyweight lyricist, thus in England, Pato became "The Banton."
Last February at the 23rd Annual Ragga Muffins' Bob Marley Day Celebration in Long Beach, CA, the flamboyant ELEPHANT MAN chilled in the hotel lobby with his crew. Like his contemporaries SEAN PAUL and WAYNE WONDER, Elephant Man has enjoyed phenomenal crossover success into the world of MTV, rap and hip hop. At the risk of a slap on the wrist from the Federal Communications Commission, it would be unwise to get too graphic into exactly how Elephant Man got his stage name. One can only say that he got it from a certain uh, body part. "The anaconda, baby, the anaconda," said Elephant Man, who is also affectionately called "Elly." "It's a Jamaican t'ing, seen."
Things were pretty hot and steamy backstage after SEAN PAUL and his entourage of DJs, musicians and dancers performed at Ragga Muffins Bob Marley Day Celebration in San Diego, CA last February. The Grammy-winning dancehall star sipped bottled water in between deep breaths. As he was cooling down in a corner, DJ FAHRENHEIT, who performed with Sean Paul, explained the origin of his nickname. Fahrenheit, a singer, is also an actor who plays an architect on the Jamaican television series Royal Palm Estate. "I got my nickname from a friend of mine in JA, a DJ named DON FLASH. He used to kind of tease me because I was always kind of a show-off and I liked to try to hot up the place with the girls. I was singing on a track, and he announced I was 'Coming in Fahrenheit.'"
Women in the industry are in no way exempt from nicknaming. "I never thought I'd be telling anyone about this, but when I was a kid they called me 'Funky Feet' because I'd out-run everyone in my neighborhood - barefoot - including the now infamous basketball player, Baron Davis, who I grew up with," laughed the regal Akua, of Southern California reggae band, AKUA and QUEEN'S COMPOUND. "When I do see Baron, he still teases me!"
"Bunny" appears to be one of the most common nicknames in the reggae business. BUNNY WAILER (Neville O'Riley Livingston), who together with step-brother Bob Marley and PETER TOSH formed THE WAILERS, received his nickname as a youth. Also, you have Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson (MIGHTY DIAMONDS), Williams "Bunny Rugs" Clarke (THIRD WORLD), BUNNY BRISSET (vocalist), Bunny Keyston (producer) and BUNNY GRANT, a one-time Jamaican boxing champion who made only one recording for CLANCY ECCLES, but was a classmate of ALTON ELLIS, mentioned in the song "Dance Crasher."
Nicknaming is also a part of the African tradition. At a cafe in San Francisco's Haight District, I caught up with West African vocalist Felicite Tchaco. Her nickname and stage name, "FELY," came from her warm personality. "My nickname came from friends who used to call me 'Felie L'amour' while living in Cote d'Ivoire, a touristy town in the southwest of my country," said Fely. "They said I was popular and loved by everyone everywhere I go. I went to Abidjan, where I had an interview with a journalist from the well-known newspaper, Top Visage, who suggested that I keep my name short and simple. So I combined my first and my middle name to be 'Fely' ([Fel]icite Le[y]e)."
And then there are the journalists, promoters, tour managers and security personnel, who work tirelessly to keep reggae in the spotlight, such as Roger Steffens - respected author, Bob Marley historian, lecturer, documentary producer and actor. Steffens received his nickname from his idol and longtime friend. "Ro-Jah is what Bob Marley called me - I guess he liked the sound," said Steffens. "I added the honorific 'Ras.' Also, my favorite form of exercise as a kid amidst the lakes of New Jersey was rowing, and that's how it's pronounced, 'Ro-Jah.'" Kingston-based journalist, Karyl "Chassy" Walker covers the music scene and other beats for the Jamaica Observer. As an emcee, he has also toured with ANTHONY B, NORRIS MAN and the STAR TRAIL CREW. "They called me 'Chicken Chassy' from high school because I am slim and very bony," said Walker. "It means the chicken back or the vertebrate of a fowl." Others who work behind the scenes are often nicknamed by their more famous clients, such as Graalin "Snoopy" Badgett, who handles security for the Marley family. Badgett said he got his nickname from Bob Marley's daughter, vocalist CEDELLA MARLEY while on tour. "I had on a 'Goofy' hat from Disneyland when I first met the Marleys in 1985 on the Hey World tour," said Badgett. "Because Cedella wanted to say 'Goofy,' and her patois was very strong, it came out 'Snoopy.'"
The hardworking musicians of backing bands who lay the foundation for reggae music also have some amusing stories to tell. Andrew "Gapo" Manning, keyboardist for BERES HAMMOND and the son of veteran singer, Donald Manning of the ABYSSINIANS, is called "Gapo" because of the charming gap between his front teeth. His brother, Craig Manning, a member of the GHETTO YOUTH UPRISING BAND, which backs DAMIAN and JULIAN MARLEY, is called "Drummie" - naturally - because he is a drummer.
It seems that nicknames are also passed down from generation to generation. As a child, JR. TOOTS "Zulu" Hibbert, was called "Cassius" by his father, after boxing champion Cassius Clay, who later became Muhammad Ali. Later, his brethren nicknamed him "Shaka Zulu" (after the South African military strategist) because of his dark complexion. Jr. Toots eventually dropped the "Shaka" and kept "Zulu," which is what his loved ones and close friends call him today.
For several years now, Jamaican-born Ali "Pretty" Cooke has worked as a tour and production manager for the FUGEES, BEN HARPER, Ziggy Marley plus Michael Franti and SPEARHEAD. He recently visited 39 cities in eight weeks while touring. Most people might consider his job glamorous, but according to Cooke, most of what he sees during his travels are the fronts of hotels and the backs of the venues. Cooke got his nickname 25 years ago when he first began growing his dreads. He had curly hair and he refused to wear turbans, hats or tams. He also opted for natty suits and crisp dress shirts as opposed to African robes and khakis. "One night, when we were at a club, this older sista came up and said 'Oooh, what a pretty dread,' - the cats around me started laughing," and he was "Pretty" from then on!
Rolando Alphonso Wilson is the drummer for Kingston's renowned GUMPTION BAND, who have backed Beres Hammond, TONY REBEL and other artists. Wilson's mother named him after the late, great ROLANDO ALPHONSO, saxophonist for the SKATALITES. Wilson said his mother must of known he was going to be a musician - she and his family have called him "Phonso" since he was born and the nickname stuck as a stage name.
"Nicknames are an integral part of Jamaican culture," said Kingston-born writer, poet, educator and former Chair of the Ethnic Studies/Cultural Diversity Program at the California College of the Arts, Opal Palmer Adisa, Ph.D. "I grew up never knowing many people's real names, both adults and children. They were called and known throughout the entire community by their nicknames, good or bad. A nickname was never arbitrary; it had significance, and often pointed to a character or physical trait. It announced loudly and boldly who the person was, and more importantly how a person was perceived by those around them. There are certainly correlations to African culture, where people are never just named after a star or their father, rather their name is significant to whom and what the person will become. A name is a pronouncement, a tell-tale sign of whom and what a person is.