ASWAD - Warrior Charge

Boomp3.com
Artist: Aswad
Track: Warrior Charge (from the film ‘Babylon’)
Label: Island
Catalog#: 12WIP 6646
Format: Vinyl, 12”
Country: UK
Released: 1980
Credits: Birnsley ‘Dan’ Forde – Guitar, Tony ‘Gad’ Robinson – Keyboards & Bass, Angus ‘Drummie Zeb’ Gaye – Drums. Featuring Vin Gordon - Trombone and Michael ‘Bammi’ Rose - Alto Sax. Produced and Arranged by Aswad and M. Campbell.


Aswad (which means ‘black’ in Arabic) were for the best part of a decade, the foremost roots band in Britain. They formed in 1975, in the Westbourne Grove area of West London, where the core members of the band grew up. Although they never broke through to U.S. or Jamaican audiences in quite the same way as Steel Pulse, Aswad have a prolific output totaling more than 21 albums.

Aswad's strongest recordings are probably from the late-70's/ very early 80's when British, militant roots Reggae was in full-swing. Here, Rastafarian and Reggae themes of black nationalism, alienation, displacement and police harassment where given a specific ‘born in the UK’ context and these themes dominated much of their work.

This track, the instrumental ‘Warrior Charge’, is built around the powerful horns section of Rose and Vin Gordon, and I feel, remains Aswad’s most musically powerful track to date (included here in its full 12” glory). Also check out; Steel Pulse, Matumbi, Black Slate, LKJ, and Dennis Bovell.