Israel Vibration

Israel Vibration have earned their place in reggae history as one of the most popular and authentic roots reggae acts to emerge from Jamaica. The three original members of Israel Vibration met in unfortunate circumstances, for they were all victims of the polio epidemic that swept through Jamaica in the 1950s. They met and became friends as children during sessions at a polio rehabilitation clinic in their hometown of Kingston. In its original form, the band consisted of vocalists Laselle Bulgin, Cecil Spence, and Albert Craig but became a duo in the late 1990s after the latter left to pursue a solo career. The men are all followers of the Rastafarian faith and their first album The Same Song was released in 1978 with help from funding provided by the Twelve Tribes of Israel, an umbrella organisation that oversees the activities of the Rastafarian movement. During the early days of their career, the band would regularly appear with reggae VIPs such as Dennis Brown and Bob Marley. International recognition came when they met up with the well-known reggae producer Tommy Cowan and recorded album The Same Song, backed by members of Inner Circle, which enjoyed international success along with its dub counterpart Israel Tafari (aka Same Song Dub). The band released their second album, Unconquered People, in 1980 and their third, Why You So Craven, a year later. They relocated to New York in 1982, primarily to seek improved healthcare but also to escape the growing dancehall genre in Jamaica which they believed threatened to overshadow traditional roots music. They split up in the early '80s before reconvening in 1988 to record their fourth album, Strength of My Life. The group put out a steady stream of new music throughout the '90s, until Apple Gabriel quit to pursue a solo career, releasing the album Another Moses in 1999. A new album, Play it Real, arrived in 2015 via Utopia. On March 23rd, 2020, Albert "Apple Gabriel" died due to 'compilation sickness' and Cecil "Skelly" Spence died of lung cancer two years later, on August 26th, 2022.

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