Earl "Chinna" Smith

Earl "Chinna" Smith
Joakim Westerlund · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Earl "Chinna" Smith
Birth name	Earl George Smith
Birth date	1945
Birth place	Kingston, Jamaica
Genres	Reggae, Rocksteady, Dub
Occupations	Musician; Record producer
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1960s–present
Associated acts	Roots Radics; The Wailers; Bob Marley; Peter Tosh

Earl "Chinna" Smith Earl "Chinna" Smith is a Jamaican guitarist, producer, and bandleader known for his work in Reggae, Rocksteady, and Dub. He has collaborated with prominent artists and groups such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, and The Wailers, contributing to sessions at studios including Studio One, Channel One Studios, and Tuff Gong. Smith's career spans from the 1960s session scene through roots revival projects and international tours.

Early life and musical influences

Smith was born in Kingston, Jamaica during the postwar era and grew up amid the rise of Ska and Rocksteady alongside peers influenced by sounds from Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, and United States. He absorbed stylistic elements from pioneering figures and institutions such as Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, Duke Reid at Treasure Isle, and session musicians tied to The Skatalites and Alton Ellis. Early exposure to records issued by Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and Jamaican labels shaped his ear for rhythm and tone, while encounters with touring acts and local sound system culture including Sir Coxsone and Lloyd "Matador" Daley informed his approach.

Career beginnings and studio work

Smith emerged in the late 1960s as a sought-after session guitarist at studios like Studio One and Channel One Studios, working with producers such as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Prince Jammy, and Sly Dunbar. He provided instrumental backing for singers and bands including John Holt, Toots Hibbert, Junior Murvin, Yabby You, and Dennis Brown. Smith's studio contributions intersected with rhythm sections and producers tied to Sly and Robbie, Aston "Family Man" Barrett, and engineers from King Tubby's mixing sessions, placing him at the center of dub and roots production practices.

Role in Roots Radics and collaboration with reggae artists

As a member and later leader within the Roots Radics orbit, Smith worked alongside musicians connected to Roots Radics, Ansel Collins, and rhythm teams backing artists such as Gregory Isaacs, Barrington Levy, and Israel Vibration. His guitar accompanied recordings and tours with luminaries including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Burning Spear, and Culture, intersecting with producers and labels such as Chris Blackwell, Island Records, Tuff Gong, and Black Ark Studios. Smith's collaborations extended to roots revivalists and international acts linked to festivals like Reggae Sunsplash and venues associated with Rocksteady Reunions.

Solo projects and band leadership

Smith led ensembles and projects under names including the Mighty Angels and versions of his own band billed internationally, touring regions that connected him with promoters and venues aligned with Reggae Sunsplash, Rototom Sunsplash, and European circuits featuring promoters tied to Island Records distribution. He released solo albums and collaborative records under independent labels and imprints connected to Jamaican producers, working with guest vocalists from crews such as The Heptones, The Ethiopians, and contemporary artists associated with VP Records and Greensleeves Records.

Production, arrangement, and songwriting

Beyond performing, Smith produced, arranged, and wrote material for artists recorded at studios including Tuff Gong, Channel One Studios, and Black Ark Studios. He collaborated with producers and engineers like Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, Scientist, Errol Brown (engineer), and session players tied to The Upsetters and The Revolutionaries. His production work involved arranging horn charts, rhythm patterns, and dub mixes for vocalists resembling Horace Andy, Linval Thompson, and vocal groups connected to the Studio One tradition.

Guitar style and equipment

Smith's guitar style blends fingerpicking, skanking chops, and melodically spare lead lines rooted in Ska and Rocksteady idioms, often employing effects associated with dub practitioners such as King Tubby and Scientist. His tone has been shaped by amplifiers and guitars favored by session players influenced by Fender, Gibson, and effects units similar to those used by musicians in recording sessions at Channel One Studios and Black Ark Studios. Smith's technique references phrasing linked to Caribbean and American guitarists recorded on labels like Studio One and distributed by companies such as Island Records and Trojan Records.

Awards, recognition, and legacy

Smith's contributions have been acknowledged by peers, historians, and institutions chronicling Reggae history, with mentions in retrospectives concerning Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Roots Radics, and the evolution of dub and roots styles associated with King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry. His legacy informs contemporary players and producers working within circles associated with VP Records, Greensleeves Records, and international roots scenes celebrated at festivals like Reggae Sumfest and Rototom Sunsplash. Smith continues to be cited in discographies, documentaries, and scholarly overviews that examine the networks around Studio One, Tuff Gong, and Jamaica's musical diaspora.

Category:Jamaican guitarists Category:Reggae musicians