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Smiley Culture & Asher Senator ~ Keeping A Dance (On British Tv/c.c.)

Smiley Culture
1980s1963TV AppearanceStudioyoutube

David Victor Emmanuel was born on 10 February 1963 and transitioned on 15 March 2011. He was widely known as DJ Smiley Culture. He joined the ever increasing number of UK based fast chatters. His success led to two of the most critically acclaimed reggae singles of the 1980s. His success, with our featured track, `Cockney Translation' led to the crossover hit `Police Officer' in 1984. Inspired by his success, `Cockney Translation' was reissued and gave Smiley his second chart hit in March 1985. His UK pop chart hits led Polydor to sign him for the the album `Tongue in Cheek', and the accompanying single `Schooltime Chronicle' that also charted albeit breifly in 1986. The major label signing failed to emulate his previous hits in spite of hosting Club Mix and his appearance in the `Absolute Beginners' movie. Here he performs alongside Asher Senator who was christened Peter St Aubyn in Clapham and began deejaying on the Buchanan Sound System along with his sparring partner Smiley Culture. Together they went on to deejay on sounds such as Black Harmony and Frontline before joining Coxsone Outernational and most famously Saxon Studio International in the early to mid 80's. His first single was `Abbreviation Qualificatio' for the Fashion label in 1984. He subsequently appeared on the first LP release from Fashion, highlighting UK based DJs. In 1985 he appeared on the first JA to UK clash album that he shared with Johnny Ringo. The success of which led to further transatlantic compilations. In the late 80's Asher set up his own label Senator Records where he would release his own productions featuring himself, Smiley Culture, Tippa Irie and Joseph Cotton. DISCLAIMER!!! I Do Not Own Song/Songs In This Video, They Belong To It's Respective Owners. Please Support The Artist/Artists By Purchasing Their Album/Songs. THIS VIDEO IS FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED

About Smiley Culture

David Victor Emmanuel, better known as Smiley Culture, was a British reggae singer and DJ known for his "fast chat" style. During a relatively brief period of fame and success, he produced two of the most critically acclaimed reggae singles of the 1980s. He died on 15 March 2011, aged 48, during a police raid on his home. An inquest found that his death was a suicide. Campaigners and his family have expressed scepticism about the official verdict and the police version of events.

More about Smiley Culture→

Added 24 Jul 2026



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