Desmond Dekker


Dekker performing in San Francisco,
California, on 22 April 2005

Background information
Birth name: Desmond Adolphus Dacres
Born: 16 July 1941; Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Died: 25 May 2006 (aged 64); Thornton Heath, London, England
Website: desmonddekker.com

Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earliest international reggae hits with "Israelites" (1968). Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1970).

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Israelites (song)

Released: October 1968

"Israelites" is a song written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong that became a hit for Dekker's group, Desmond Dekker & The Aces, reaching the top of the charts in numerous countries in 1969. Although few could understand all the lyrics, the single was the first UK reggae #1 and among the first to reach the US top ten (peaking at #9). It combined the Rastafarian religion with rude boy concerns, to make what has been described as a "timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries".

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#Israelites #DesmondDekker #ska
Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Israelites (Official Lyrics Video)
2,689,193 views May 7, 2019

Trojan Records Official
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Between 1967 and 1975, Desmond Dekker, Jamaica’s first recording superstar, graced the UK pop charts on no less than 7 occasions.

Desmond Dekker Israelites Reggaae at the BBC
117,797 views Feb 21, 2011

shenery
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