Many labels have amazingly deep catalogs. Some have rich histories to go along with those catalogs. Only a very few can also claim to be their own pressing plant. Fewer still can say it's the only one left in the Caribbean. Exactly one can say Bob and Rita Marley made all that happen.
That label is Tuff Gong International, originally founded by Bob and Rita Marley as a recording studio and record shop for their own music and that of fellow independent artists and producers, and eventually christened with Bob Marley's nickname. Bob’s original vision was to give singers and musicians in Jamaica a place to create freely and be treated fairly. Over the decades the label has expanded its focus into distribution, mastering and manufacturing, and today Tuff Gong International remains the oldest independently owned entertainment company in the Caribbean, and is known worldwide as the legendary home of reggae music.
Tapedeck is very pleased to announce our partnership with them in advance of our Android launch, which will comprise a series of celebratory events this month, culminating with an event at Tuff Gong International's Kingston offices on October 1st.
Tuff Gong International’s distribution arm has helped Jamaican and independent music creators reach global audiences while maintaining ownership of their work. From pressing and wholesaling vinyl internationally in the '80s to its current digital distribution services, the company has continued to evolve with the way music is distributed and discovered, so their Tapedeck partnership is just another example of their forward thinking.
In addition to Rita's daughter Sharon Marley, and grandchildren Skip and Soul Rebel Marley, Tuff Gong International artists you can now find in Tapedeck include Tanya Stephens, who spent three years in Sweden making alternative rock for Warner Bros.' Swedish subsidiary before returning to reggae and making her name with Gangsta Blues; dancehall superstar Busy Signal; and the legendary I Three, consisting of Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt – the I Threes were Bob Marley's vocal harmony group.
The label served as an early home for other reggae greats, including Nadine Sutherland, Junior Tucker, Sanchez, and The Melody Makers. In 1993, Bob and Rita’s first-born, Cedella, took over as CEO and began developing a new generation of talent. In the tradition of her parents, Cedella has been a force in both the studio and the boardroom. Through its recording, manufacturing, video production, and distribution arms, there’s no major reggae or dancehall artist of the 90’s that wasn’t touched by Tuff Gong in some capacity.
Tapedeck is honored to help Tuff Gong International continue its history of nurturing local artists and making them global superstars in the digital age.