Laurel Aitken

Lorenzo Aitken, known as Laurel Aitken, was born on 22 April 1927 in Cuba to parents of Cuban and Jamaican descent; he later settled in Jamaica in 1938 and became a singer. Aitken first appeared on record in the late 1950s with mento tunes such as "Nebuchnezer" and "Sweet Chariot"; his 1958 single "Boogie in My Bones" was one of the first Jamaican popular records released in the United Kingdom. After moving to Brixton in 1960, he recorded for Blue Beat, producing fifteen singles before returning to Jamaica in 1963 where he worked with Duke Reid and the Skatalites on tracks like "Zion". He returned to the UK and signed with Pama Records, releasing hits including "Fire in Mi Wire" and "Landlord and Tenants", which broadened his international profile. In the 1980s he relocated to Leicester and continued to record, with "Rudi Got Married" reaching Number 60 on the UK Singles Chart in 1980. Aitken released a series of compilations and studio albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including The Story So Far… (1995) and The High Priest Of Reggae (2009). He died of a heart attack on 17 July 2005; a blue plaque was unveiled at his Leicester home in 2007 to honor his contribution to ska and reggae.

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