INTERVIEW : TONY TUFF
Interview by : Benoit Georges
Pictures by : Benoit Collin
on Friday, August 04th 2006 - 9 270 views
Better known in Europe as Sugar Minott's partner in the group The African Brothers, Tony Tuff is nonetheless a well-regarded singer in Jamaica, with a string of hits to his name. His visit to France with Soul Syndicate for Ja'Sound 2006 offered a chance to look back with him over a long, rather discreet career.
Reggaefrance / Welcome, Tony Tuff. What were your first steps in music?
Tony Tuff / I was always influenced by dancehall music from a very young age. I used to sneak out and go to the dances at night. That's where I started hanging out with musicians. Whenever I came across someone playing, I would stop and start chatting. Eventually, I ended up going into the studios. That was well before the African Brothers group.
Which studios did you go to?
I went to Prince Buster's studio, Treasure Isle, Studio One, Rupie Edwards's studio or Success... I mostly went there to audition.
How did you meet Sugar Minott, with whom you formed The African Brothers?
Actually, Sugar and I came from the same neighbourhood. I was often at the corner of Delacree Road and Delamar Avenue (a corner better known as Tony Martin Corner, editor's note) playing guitar. You have to understand that Sugar is younger than me. As he knew that corner, he would come and listen to me: he had the same interest in music as me, so the two of us began rehearsing together, until Derrick Howard arrived and we formed The African Brothers. But Sugar and I had already started working together before.
You're in France today with Soul Syndicate. How did you end up working with this band? You didn't live in Greenwich Town...
No, I met them at the very same street corner after they left Greenwich Farm. I got to know some of the musicians and we started rehearsing together. We even performed at Sunsplash with Soul Syndicate but our relationship began near my home, always at that street corner.
Your real golden period goes back to the late 70s and early 80s when you moved from Channel One to Junjo Lawes's Volcano label.
At that time, I was recording at Channel One when I was approached by Junjo Lawes. He was ambitious and contacted me to record for him. We made good songs and big hits. But at the same time, I already had hits at Channel One with the Roots Radics, I had been a musician for a long time. I told you I had worked for Prince Buster and Treasure Isle but I also recorded for them even if it wasn't as a solo artist. I had a brother named Patrick Ally and we recorded at Treasure Isle, as a group.
On the other hand, you also worked with Vivian Jackson (Yabby You).
I met Yabby You by chance in my neighbourhood but not on the same street corner this time. We started working together: as I'm a guitarist, I went to rehearse for Yabby You. Then I also worked on his songs, composing, arranging, adding a word here or there. Finally, I took care of the auditions: I listened to the singers who came forward. For example, I auditioned Michael Prophet, whom I then introduced to Yabby You.
Thanks to that, you were able to go and record in England...
I did a few projects in England, but mainly an album recorded in Island's studios. But that album was never really exploited, for several reasons. First, Island had a lot of other projects, so the album wasn't a priority. We still made that album with King Sound in Island's English studios.
One of your hits from that time, Flat foot hustling, amounts to advice you give to ghetto youth. Can you explain what this tune is about?
At the time, life was hard for ghetto youth and that situation meant many of them turned in the wrong direction. This tune was saying that instead of turning to crime, it was possible to get by planting, fishing or whatever and selling. It was a tune to encourage young people to stay on the right path, a tribute to resourcefulness.
How did you welcome the arrival of digital reggae?
No problem. You have to be flexible to stay dancehall. If times change and you don't change with them, you get forgotten.
At that time, you found yourself recording for Jammy's, among others.
I recorded a lot of songs for him. Some haven't even been released yet. But before he became so important with his own studio, Jammy's worked at Tubby's. I used to record harmonies for him: if he had a song and was missing two or even three harmony parts, I would record them all by myself. That was how I made a little extra money back then because times were hard.
More recently, you appeared on a Zenah Music album as the African Brothers with Sugar Minott. Was it Sugar Minott who contacted you for this project?
Yes, he came to find me in Jamaica with the songs and we recorded them there.
What's your situation today? Do you have any projects?
I recently started a kind of rejuvenation programme because I felt physically diminished. I'm starting to feel better, stronger. I have a new album that I recorded for German producers. It should be out soon and it will be an opportunity for a tour. I feel strong and ready again, I'm back in action!
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