Natti Love Joys

Husband-and-wife team Tony ‘Jati’ Allen, raised in Kingston, Jamaica, and Sonia ‘Marla’ Abel, from Brixton, London, England, established the Natti Love Joys. Allen began on bass and forged ties with nearby figures Bob Marley, Tyrone Downie and Supercat, while Abel joined her cousin in the teenage lovers rock outfit the Lovejoys. That group scored UK success via the Lloyd Barnes-produced single ‘Sweet Feelings’, the same Bronx studio where Allen and Abel first crossed paths. The pair launched A&A Reggae before regrouping in 1998 under the Natti Love Joys name. They soon collaborated with reggae luminaries Ken Boothe, the Congos and Nadine Sutherland. Their disciplined studio habits led to regular session work at Marley’s Tuff Gong Recording studio in Jamaica, and the Marley link extended when they joined forces with Marcia Griffiths, internationally recognized from her time in the I-Threes. Extensive touring found them opening for Jimmy Cliff, Inner Circle and Steel Pulse, and their services were also enlisted by the Ramones, Joan Jett, Psychedelic Furs and the Clash. In 1998 the duo readied an international debut album, jointly helmed by Marty Stoyer and Allen, that fused melodic warmth with contemporary ragga bite. Their set at Tennessee’s Camp Reggae Festival earned strong notices and stood out during that year’s Labour Day festivities. Surging interest prompted the Wackies label to reissue both earlier Lovejoys collections, Lovers Rock Showcase and Reggae Vibes, in 1999.