3 April 2020. Sister Ignatius.
The Alpha Boys school in Kingston--you hear more and more of the place as you read about Reggae music and its connection to Rastafari. All the boys who attended, boarding at Alpha--orphans, youngsters with troubles. Music was prominent in the curriculum--and a number of the Alpha alumni went on to great success. (Don Drummond, Cedrik Im Brooks, Leroy Horsemouth Wallace, many others...).
Behind it all was one diminutive Roman Catholic nun--Sister Ignatius (sometimes pictured playing a saxophone!) who was the central teacher, mentor and inspirer. That's why you see here here with Skatalite trumpet player, Johnny Moore--a Rasta, of course...
An unexpected connection--but you can tell by the close way they're standing that the connection--and the affection--was essential...
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See Sister Ignatius and the Mutt & Jeff sound system she ran under the auspices of Alpha. Also, the presence of such well-versed jazz horn players (Cedrik Im Brooks and others) in the early recordings of the Mystical Revelation of Rastafari with Count Ossie and his drummers... All this in parallel with Jamaican political independence, in 1962--leading to Ska, then Reggae, the new music being fresh and independent as well...
