ENTITY · PERSON (ARTIST, SELECTOR, PRODUCER…)

Leslie Kong

Well supported

Leslie Kong (1933-1971) was a Chinese-Jamaican producer who ran the Beverley's shop and record label on Orange Street, Kingston. Encouraged by a young Jimmy Cliff in 1961, he launched Beverley's and recorded Bob Marley's first singles ("Judge Not," "One Cup of Coffee") in 1962. Known for polished, accessible productions, he scored major international hits with Desmond Dekker ("Israelites," "007 Shanty Town"), the Pioneers, the Melodians and Toots and the Maytals before his death from a heart attack in 1971.

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At a glance

Type: Person (artist, selector, producer…) →
Era: Ska and independence-era culture →
Confidence: Well supported
Sources: Wikipedia; The Reggae Museum.

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Footage

Leslie Kong, Jamaican record producer, 1933-1971

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · documents

A short life of the producer who first took Jamaican records into the British charts.

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Recordings

Tougher Than Tough: Leslie Kong & Beverley's Rocksteady Years, 1966-68

YOUTUBE · rights discovery only · documents

A survey of the Beverley's rocksteady sides, in sequence.

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In stories

Story · ProbableThe record men: Chinese-Jamaican producers

From ska instrumentals to modern dancehall, a cluster of Chinese-Jamaican entrepreneurs ran the shops, studios and labels at the centre of the music.