KEELING BECKFORD, THE MAN WHO WEARS MANY HATS

            Keeling Beckford, an artiste, producer and businessman was born in Kingston, Jamaica but grew up in Islington, St Mary. Beckford kicked off his career in the 1960s, when he was a teenager. Virtuoso Beckford is scheduled  to release his remix “Ska Time” sometimes next week. Ska Time is a song which was recorded with the Loud City Band from Oregon six months ago. It is also his fifth new release for 2020. Additionally, Be What You Want was another song he recorded, but in the 1970s. However, it was republished by an Italian Company called Roots Traders.

             Beckford was born on June 13, 1954 and  is an  advocate of the New York City reggae scene even  though it was not too long ago since he transferred his Keeling Music Label recording studio and store to New Jersey.  Fortunately, he has a huge fan base in Europe where vintage reggae is always acknowledged. Apart from Roots Traders, companies such as  Reggae Fever from Switzerland have also republished Beckford’s songs from the 1960s and 1970s. In November, the Keeling label released Try Me: Keeling Beckford The Rocksteady Years, a 13-song album which reflects on his time with producer Enid “Dell” Barnett’s Del Tone Label which produced  “Combination”. Combination was his 1968 breakthrough hit and was released at the tail of the rocksteady craze which became his first chart hit. The song became popular in West Indian circles in the United Kingdom where Beckford retains a cult following.

-T.W