Winston McAnuff marks 20 years of ‘Paris Rockin’

One of the albums that reintroduced him to fans in France was ‘Paris Rockin’, which was released in 2006. It hears the singer working with respected French musicians such as Francis-Xavier ‘Fixi’ Brossard on accordion; M on guitar; K-Millon on bass and drummer Alexis Brossard.

It also features seminal roots-reggae group The Congos on harmonies.

To mark the album’s 20th anniversary, McAnuff is scheduled to embark on a 14-date tour of France, starting November 19 at La Rayonne in Villeurbanne.

He will also do shows in major cities of Bordeaux, Toulouse, Rennes and Lille. The final gig is scheduled for February 19 in the city of Rouen.

McAnuff credits its blend of reggae and French sounds for making ‘Paris Rockin’ popular in France. It also solidified his base in a country that has been receptive to reggae since the 1970s.

“The ‘Paris Rockin’ album opened up a whole different world. It’s done with the accordion, so naturally it attracts a different audience. It was a wonderful experience that crossed different musical borders,” said McAnuff.

‘Paris Rockin’ was released one year after ‘A Drop’, his album with French musician Camille Bazbaz, that was well-received in France.

Executive producers for ‘Paris Rockin’ were Nicolas Maslowski and Roman Germa, two Frenchmen who helped resurrect McAnuff’s career. Their Makasounds label released ‘Diary of The Silent Years’, a 2002 compilation album that contains some of his early songs. That project reintroduced a voice that seemed lost.

“We have a wide fan base in France. This tour, for instance, we are playing some beautiful festivals and venues. It will be all over France,” said McAnuff.

Born in Manchester parish, central Jamaica, McAnuff moved to the capital Kingston as a teenager to attend school. One of his schoolmates at Excelsior High School was keyboardist Franklyn Waul, who became a prolific session and touring musician.

McAnuff first recorded for Derrick Harriott whom he considers his mentor. It was Harriott who produced ‘Pick Hits to Click’, his first album, which came out in 1978.

During that time, McAnuff wrote ‘Malcolm X’, a song made famous by Dennis Brown.

In recent years, Winston McAnuff has recorded and toured as a member of the Inna De Yard group alongside Cedric Myton of The Congos, Kiddus-I and Ken Boothe.

(Photo contributed)