Matumbi - Duke Records - 1973

A couple of decades ago, I was DJ'ing a roots reggae set in a pub in Tottenham and I placed 'Go Back Home' by Matumbi onto the turntable. Towards the end of this early '70's heavyweight roots reggae song from Matumbi, an old guy sided up to me and said that he liked the tune. Whilst pulling out an equally heavyweight roots reggae 7" single out of the box, and at the same time displaying an extreme multi-tasking bent, I replied; "Yeah, thanks mate, it's a good one". Expecting the guy to disappear after I had placed the next record with a clunk onto the turntable, I realised that my expectation was somewhat misplaced, and he was still hovering around. The guy mumbled something to me whilst I was wrestling with the bass levels on whatever the following heavyweight roots reggae 7" single was, and we competed with several rounds of; "You what?", "Eh" and; "I can't hear you" and a further couple of "Sorry, what was that?". The guy wandered off into the crowd (and yes there WAS a crowd that night) and I continued on DJ'ing only the very best heavyweight roots reggae records. Someone else took over for an hour or so prior to my second session starting early on into the morning. Next thing I knew this guy who had mumbled some words previously, had come over to me and sat down with a bottle of lager for me. I drink cider but was more than happy to sip some lager, taking a fizzy bullet for the cause. In these less hectic surroundings and being quieter (although the nearby pool table was getting 'moody') as this was the other side of the pub to where the two metre speaker stacks were housed, the guy introduced himself as Jah Bunny. I thought I misheard; "Jah Bunny? The guy from Matumbi?" He replied that yes he was, the very same. Suitably humbled due to the confusion of earlier, and the free drink that had been delivered from the man himself, I chat to him about Matumbi, intensely trying to hear every word clearly, something that did not happen earlier on in the evening. We talked R.A.R concerts, Lintern Kwesi Johnson, punk music, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and of course Dennis Bovell, who I had met on the Victoria Line at Finsbury Park and we travelled to Black Horse Road together some years previously as it goes - a lovely guy. Eventually after about thirty minutes, give or take the the odd 'general pub distraction', I asked Jah Bunny whether he was still going to stick around. He replied that, yes, he was. The first record I put on for my second DJ'ing session was the A-side of this Matumbi record, 'Wipe Them Out'. Jah Bunny leading the dance and the singalong chants at the front of house. After taking the Matumbi record off of the turntable, he wished me well with a grin and a thumbs up, and wandered off somewhere. A little later on he came up to say; "See you mate", a greeting that earned my rather predictable reply; "See you mate". Having the Matumbi 7" single near the front of my box, I waved it in front of him, and asked him if he could sign it for me (I knew Jah Bunny was not in Matumbi when this record was released, but I did not have my 'Seven Seals' album with me... so). This extremely rare Matumbi 7" single released on the Duke record label is now adorned with Jah Bunny's scribble, decades prior to these records being sold at enormous prices on Discogs... Damn (the then future) technology! I might have made an extra £30 to any asking price on a clean label copy... Joking aside, it was an absolute pleasure to spend a little time with Jah Bunny during that nights roots reggae session at this pub in Tottenham, and I am glad that he signed my record, cos I ain't selling it! Writing this I have just realised that I never bought Jah Bunny a drink back! Sorry Jah Bunny... I owe you one!

Added 22 Jul 2026