Nathan Sabanayagam

AT THE age of eight, Nathan Sabanayagam got his first taste of reggae when he heard the live Babylon By Bus by Bob Marley and The Wailers and Peter Tosh's Wanted Dread and Alive.

He has been hooked to Jamaican popular music ever since.

Recently, the 32-year-old Phila-dephia native realised one of his dreams by recording and producing Goat Head, a compilation album featuring several veteran reggae musicians he grew up listening.

Singers Johnny Clarke, Errol Dunkley, Frankie Paul and Kiddus are some of the old-school vocalists on Goat Head. Big Youth, one of reggae's most influential deejays, also appears.

Luciano and Mikey General represent roots-reggae's new wave on Goat Head, which is scheduled to be released on an independent record label in early 2007.

"Recording with musicians I grew up listening to is indeed a dream come true," Sabanayagam told The Gleaner recently. "I have been working with many Jamaican artistes in the States but to finally come down to the 'Rock' and record with some of the legends is simply amazing."

Network of Jamaican musicians

Sabanayagam laid all the rhythm tracks in Boston, using musicians from that city. He then brought the tracks to Jamaica and voiced the performers.

"It was not too hard to find the acts. I would meet them at shows and link them", he explained. "I also have a good network of Jamaican musicians in the States and they helped me track down the artistes."

Sabanayagam, whose father is Sri Lankan and mother Filipino, has built his network of Jamaican connections for some time. Being a drummer, he says he has studied the patterns of the great reggae skin beaters including Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace, Sly Dunbar and the late Winston Grennan.

Grennan, who musicologists credit with creating the one-drop beat, was Sabanayagam's mentor. He met the Jamaican in the U.S. city Baltimore, Maryland, while he was attending Loyola College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry.

Later, he played drums and percussion in Grennan's Ska Rocks band.

Sabanayagam, who also holds a bachelor's degree in music synthesis from Boston's Berklee College of Music, performed at the Jazz For Vouch charity show in 2005.

He was recently in Kingston recording with Third World guitarist Stephen 'Cat' Coore and veteran session bassist Chris Meredith.

- H.C.