Chat:Keith Poppin ‘Unsung Hero’ of Jamaica Culture &Kovan Baldwin

“Keith Poppin’s powerful voice and conscious lyrics are complimented by fresh sounding riddims, played by some of Jamaica’s best reggae musicians including Dwight Pinkney, Grub Cooper, Keith Francis, Ansel Collins, Rod Bryan.Keith Smith had dreams of becoming a star. His neighbors in this western Jamaican town included such future legends as Peter Tosh, and Ronnie Davis of the Itals.  Keith’s natural ability and church-honed vocals soon led to him singing back up at Studio One after an afternoon audition with Leroy Sibbles and Coxone Dodd. Keith sang on a few Studio One tracks and even recorded a few with his friends Junior Greene and Winston Neufil as the Robins, credited on some compilations as ‘Winston & Robin.’ Keith was soon performing at venues in town such as the Regal and the elegant Ward Theater, dubbed ‘the Apollo of Jamaica,’ while backed by such notable bands as Inner Circle, Soul Syndicate and the Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. In 1968, he formed his own band, ‘Rocking Horse,’ and began playing at local clubs and festivals. After a string of singles with Rocking Horse, such as ‘Get Together‘ and ‘Hard Time‘ and ‘Righteous Man,’In 1973 released his first solo single ‘Same Thing For Breakfast.’ This roots classic marked the beginning of a long and successful recording career, topping the charts in England and Jamaica and selling over 50,000 records.#kimkardashian #kanye #jamaica #crsradio

Earnest and eruditely apt, Kovan Baldwin, who simply goes by the stage name Kovan, is gearing up to bring integrity back to music’s audible rewards, as this Twin Cities native prepares to deliver R&B to an enterprising destination.