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| Henry "Junjo" Lawes | |
|---|---|
| Name | Henry "Junjo" Lawes |
| Birth date | 1949 |
| Birth place | Kingston, Jamaica |
| Death date | 1999 |
| Occupation | Record producer, sound engineer, label owner |
| Years active | 1970s–1999 |
| Labels | Volcano Records, Jah Guidance, Uncle T |
Henry "Junjo" Lawes was a Jamaican record producer and label owner who became a central figure in 1970s and 1980s reggae and dancehall. He is best known for his role in developing the careers of leading reggae artists and for shaping the sound of roots reggae, dub, and early dancehall through collaborations with prominent musicians, engineers, and studios. His work intertwined with major figures and institutions across Jamaican music scenes.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Lawes grew up amid the cultural milieu that produced Bob Marley, Toots Hibbert, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Coxsone Dodd. He experienced the influence of sound system culture exemplified by Tommy McCook, Duke Reid, Sir Coxsone and Count Machuki, and his early listening included records from labels such as Studio One, Treasure Isle, Kingston Studio, and Upsetter Records. Radio broadcasts from RJR and Radio Jamaica and nearby clubs where artists like Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, and Marcia Griffiths performed shaped his tastes. Lawes absorbed production styles associated with engineers like Errol Brown, Sylvan Morris, and Prince Jammy, and he was influenced by arrangers such as Tommy McCook, Bobby Ellis, and Gladstone Anderson.
Lawes started working in Kingston studios and with sound systems in the mid-1970s, soon establishing labels such as Volcano Records and Jah Guidance. He built partnerships with studio owners and engineers at Channel One Studios, Harry J's Studio, and Tuff Gong, leading to releases that competed with outputs from Island Records, VP Records, and Greensleeves Records. Lawes' production house employed rhythm sections including musicians affiliated with The Wailers, The Upsetters, Soul Syndicate, and Studio One All Stars. His ascent coincided with the international growth of reggae fostered by festivals and promoters like Rock against Racism, Notting Hill Carnival, Reggae Sunsplash, and labels such as Matumbi and Chris Blackwell's enterprises.
Lawes produced recordings for a wide range of artists including Yellowman, Barrington Levy, Eek-A-Mouse, Gregory Isaacs, and Michael Prophet. He worked with vocal groups and duos connected to The Heptones, The Abyssinians, The Congos, and solo performers like Big Youth, Prince Far I, I-Roy, Johnny Clarke, and Jah Thomas. Instrumentalists and session bands he used included members of Sly and Robbie, The Roots Radics, The Revolutionaries, The Skatalites, and horn players associated with The Wailers Band and Lee "Scratch" Perry's crews. Producers and engineers he engaged or competed with included King Tubby, Scientist, Mikey Dread, Phillip "Fatis" Burrell, and Bunny Lee.
Lawes fostered creative approaches to rhythm and remixing, emphasizing riddim production that connected to the practices of King Tubby and Errol Thompson. His sessions explored remixing and deejay toasting inspired by U-Roy, I-Roy, and Big Youth, and he utilized studio technologies paralleling those used at Channel One Studios and Studio One. Lawes promoted the use of minimalist arrangements that foregrounded bass and drum patterns similar to work by Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Stephan "Touter" Ellis, and Lloyd Parks. His production aesthetic influenced later dub and dancehall producers connected to Bunny Wailer, Elephant Man, Shabba Ranks, and international acts on labels like Greensleeves Records and VP Records.
Lawes' career included disputes common in the Jamaican music industry involving copyright, royalties, and ownership, akin to conflicts surrounding figures such as Lee "Scratch" Perry and Coxsone Dodd. He faced allegations and legal entanglements that drew parallels with cases involving Bunny Lee and Joe Gibbs over rights to masters and royalties. In the 1990s his personal and legal troubles intersected with law enforcement and judicial proceedings within Jamaica's criminal justice context, reminiscent of publicity around other high-profile musicians and producers like Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel. These controversies affected relationships with artists, labels, and distributors such as Island Records and VP Records.
In later years Lawes saw his catalog remain influential in reissues and compilations distributed by international labels including Greensleeves Records, VP Records, Blood and Fire, and archival projects connected to Soul Jazz Records. His death in 1999 drew coverage alongside obituaries of peers such as Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby in music press outlets that followed the histories of reggae and dub revival movements. Posthumous reappraisals positioned his productions as formative in the careers of artists on compilations curated by Rolling Stone, MOJO, and specialized compilations by Rhino Records and archival producers associated with David Katz. His work continues to be cited in studies of Jamaican popular music alongside scholarship by authors like Clifford Reasoning and institutions such as The Jamaica Music Museum and academic programs at University of the West Indies.
Category:Jamaican record producers Category:1949 births Category:1999 deaths