Horace Andy

With a tenure on the microphone now spanning more than half a century, Horace Andy is a true legend of Jamaican and British music. Doubling down on his established reputation in Jamaica as one of the most pioneering and well-loved vocalists in roots and dancehall reggae, Andy received contemporary critical acclaim for his work with British trip-hop institution Massive Attack, the only artist to date to appear on every one of their five critically acclaimed albums.

Andy began releasing records in the late ‘60s, earning his first break with a solo audition for reggae goliath Studio One, an opportunity that led to a string of certified classics, including ‘Got to Be Sure’, the track that won over label boss Coxsone Dodd in the first place. His signature quivering, velvety tenor drifting above the ten-tonne bassline of 1972’s ‘Skylarking’ made Andy an instant favourite among soundsystem selectors throughout Jamaica, setting precedent for a crucial collaboration with heavyweight producer Bunny Lee. Several beloved albums later, Andy left Jamaica for London in the mid-80s, a move that would go on to alter the course of UK music forever.

Lending his unmistakable vocals to emerging Bristol outfit Massive Attack for the track ‘One Love’, plucked from their massively influential debut LP Blue Lines, Andy made an essential contribution towards the development of trip-hop, a genre that would later launch the careers of similarly innovative acts such as Portishead and Tricky. This collaborative streak ran throughout all five of the band’s critically acclaimed albums, seeing Andy contribute his inimitable musical personality to tracks across each record, from the markedly noisier ‘Angel’ to the dizzyingly heady ‘Girl I Love You’.

Finding time in between his work with Massive Attack to team up with British dub innovator Mad Professor for another two albums, Andy has continued to perform around the world, further enshrining his reputation as an iconic presence in Jamaican and British soundsystem culture.