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The Matador: Lloyd Daley - Sonic Pioneer of Jamaican Music
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About The Matador: Lloyd Daley - Sonic Pioneer Of
(Revised Edition - December, 2020) The Matador is an interplay of memories from Jamaican entrepreneur Lloyd Daley and historical context provided by author Rich Lowe. Mr. Daley built some of the most powerful amplifiers on the island of Jamaica, he worked at The Times Store as a lithographer, he had an electronics repair business, he formed the Matador Sound System, and he was a top-selling music producer. Mr. Daley had to have a rough exterior to survive at the center of the sound system eruption in the mid 1950’s in Jamaica, recording as a producer in the golden eras of Jamaican Boogie-Shuffle, Ska, Rock Steady, and Reggae music. As a producer, Daley had consistency, quality, and was selective. Lloyd Daley recorded artists of the era who have come to be recognized over time: Members of The Skatalites, Dennis Brown, The Gladiators, The Wailing Souls, The Heptones, Little Roy, Freddie McKay, Alton Ellis, The Ethiopians, The Hippy Boys, The Abyssinians, Count Ossie, The Viceroys, and many more. Fellow sound man Prince Jackie commented, "The Matador is a man that never stand for no foolishness." As a sound system owner, Lloyd Daley battled with giants of the day, like King Edwards, Coxson Dodd, Duke Reid, and Bells the President. - Reviews: Chris Blackwell (Island Records) "I read The Matador and really enjoyed it. It’s a valuable book. I saw things that I’ve forgotten because Rich Lowe went way back–way back to the beginning. Back then, nobody collected or documented historical evidence because they were busy making, manufacturing, and selling the music." Chuck Foster (Author of Roots, Rock, Reggae: An Oral History of Reggae Music from Ska to Dancehall, and Radio Announcer on KPFK’s “Reggae Central” program) “This book makes a significant contribution to the history of Jamaican music and is imbued with the flavor of the times it touches on.The author draws on extensive interviews with the late Lloyd Daley and other significant figures in Jamaican music including engineer Graham Goodall, Richard Khouri of Federal Records, Chris Wilson of Heartbeat and various artists and musicians. The charts alone make fascinating reading and include undoubtedly the most complete Matador discography possible – a true rarity for Jamaican music. We could only wish for a book of this depth on each of the many sound system operators, producers and musicians who have contributed to the vast universe of Jamaican music.” David Rodigan (Author, BBC Radio Announcer, and Sound system selector) “The Matador: A fascinating in-depth study of Lloyd Daley, the sound system operator, and record producer. If you’d love to know more about the development of Jamaican sound system culture in the 1950’s and 1960’s in Jamaica, it is essential reading.” Frank Anderson (Eric Deans Orchestra member, trumpet) “What a mighty work. I am reading history. Thanks to this book, many lives are saved, the lost found, the forgotten remembered, and a lot of wrongs righted.” Rey D (Reggae Vibes)“Spanning over 400 pages, this book is brimming with essential facts erased by time, untold anecdotes and memories of rare precision. Let us also underline the pearls of wisdom distilled by L. Daley, major craftsman of the music of his country. Reading the testimonies of his friends, artists and contemporaries, we quickly perceive a captivating atypical character whose nickname ‘Matador’ was not anecdotal. Remember that he was then one of the greatest soundmen on the island, renowned for his overpowering sound systems.”
