THE MUSICAL COA-COA BASKET
"One good thing about music, when it hits; you feel no pain."
Music has always played an important role in all our lives, especially Reggae, the music genre first developed in Jamaica, strongly influenced by traditional African, American jazz and old-time rhythm and blues. Reggae owes its direct origins to the progressive development of Ska and Rocksteady in 1960s Jamaica. THE MUSICAL COA-COA BASKET salutes the legendary artists and recording studios from out of Jamaica who have placed reggae on the musical global map.
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HORTENSE ELLIS
(1941–2000)
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Hortense Ellis, younger sister of the "Godfather of Rock Steady" Alton Ellis, a singer who was regarded as Jamaica’s first locally based female singing star.
Hortense Mahalia Ellis was born in Trench Town area of Kingston, Jamaica, on April 18, 1941; to a railway worker and a housewife who sold fruit at the market. One of seven children, Ellis began performing in local talent shows at an early age. In 1959, at age 18, she made a splash with her version of Frankie Lyman's hit, "I'm Not Saying No At All," winning a prize in the process. She recorded several duets with her brother, Alton Ellis, who became a superstar in Jamaican music and worked with several important producers including Ken Lack, Arthur "Duke" Reid, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Lee "Scratch" Perry, but raising her children took precedence over her career.
By 1962, Ellis was touring the Bahamas and Trinidad with producer Byron Lee and his band, the Dragonaires. They became quite popular at local Caribbean holiday shows, including "Christmas Mornings," "Easter Spectacular" and a New Year's show. She was awarded the Silver Cup as "Jamaica's Best Female Vocalist" in 1964, an award she won again five years later.
Inspired by Alton's success, Dodd paired the brother and sister for several duets that became classics, such as "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do." Dodd also produced several "female" versions of Alton's hits for Hortense to record.
In 1971, Ellis married Mikey "Junior" Saunders and worked on new recordings under the name Mahalia Saunders. She had five children in rapid succession, and her priority began to shift from her career to raising her family. While touring was a challenge, she continued to record periodically, working with producer Gussie Clark in the late 1970s on one of her biggest hits, "Unexpected Places."
After divorcing Saunders and living in Miami in the 1980s, Ellis returned to her beloved Jamaica, where she was diagnosed with throat cancer. She died of stomach complications on October 18, 2000, in Kingston, Jamaica, and was survived by eight children.
Hortense Ellis was a singer who always sought to put her total energy into her performances.
Source: © 2015 Biography.com
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DISCOGRAPHY
(Click on each track to listen)
I Am I Love - Hortense Ellis
With All My Heart - Hortense Ellis
Everybody Needs Love - Hortense Ellis
Can I Change My Mind - Hortense Ellis
Hell And Sorrow - Hortense Ellis
I'm Just A Girl - Hortense Ellis
Mark My Words - Hortense Ellis
Melody Life - Hortense Ellis
Secretly - Hortense Ellis
I Shall Sing - Hortense Ellis
I'm Still In Love With You (Boy) - Hortense Ellis
If You Knew - Hortense Ellis
Unexpected Places - Hoertense Ellis
Jah Creation - Hortense Ellis
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