Mr. Hibbert recently told Rolling Stone that Mr. Dodd, one of the most influential Jamaican producers of the era, who died in 2004, had sometimes paid Mr. Hibbert for his songs with food. In 1966, the Maytals’ “Bam Bam” won a major national song competition. Its forthright lyrics — “I want you to know that I am the man/Who fight for the right, not for the wrong” — positioned Mr. Hibbert as an assertive voice for social justice. The victory brought the group media attention throughout Jamaica, but shortly after, while returning home from a tour date on the country’s northern coast, Mr. Hibbert was arrested and jailed on the marijuana charge. “Bam Bam” became a reggae standard.

Source: New York Times September 12, 2020 08:15 UTC