Released on the
Island Records subsidiary
Mango in July 1980,
Sinsemilla, named after a type of marijuana, was
Black Uhuru's first album to be issued internationally, its third overall. Although the group was nominally a trio at this point -- consisting of
Derrick "Duckie" Simpson,
Michael Rose, and
Sandra "Puma" Jones -- in effect,
Sinsemilla was a solo album by
Rose, who wrote all the songs and sang lead vocals. In
David Katz's liner notes for this reissue,
Rose is even quoted as saying that
Jones doesn't sing on the disc. In addition to his writing and singing duties,
Rose can be credited for bringing in the production team and rhythm section of
Sly Dunbar and
Robbie Shakespeare, whose
Taxi Gang provides the distinctive musical tracks.
Rose's lyrical vision is revolutionary and radical, extolling the primacy of Africa, opposing Apartheid, and praising the virtues of marijuana. But his sweet tenor and
Simpson's harmonies soothe the message, and the music has a spare, rhythmic appeal that is distinctive and forward-looking, suggesting a hard, stripped-down direction for
reggae.
Sinsemilla is the sound of performers just finding their voices, and it excited hopes for the development of
Jamaican music as
Bob Marley's leadership was about to falter due to illness. The 2003 reissue contains both sides of
Black Uhuru's August 1980 12" single,
"Sinsemilla (Discomix)," which extends the title track to six and a half minutes, and
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Discomix)," an extended version of an earlier
Jamaican hit. ~ William Ruhlmann
