Screwdriver

Born Dalton Lindo on 4 April 1966 in St. James Parish, Jamaica, West Indies, the future artist drew early motivation from the dancehall singers Pinchers, Pliers, Spanner Banner and Tenor Saw, adopting the stage name Screwdriver. During the mid-1980s he relocated to Kingston and encountered Beres Hammond, whose guidance strengthened his resolve to pursue music professionally. He launched his recording career in 1986 with the successful singles ‘We Rule’, ‘Soundboy Killa’, ‘Family Counsellor’ and ‘Here I Come’. In 1989 ‘No Mama’ reached the top of the Jamaican charts, spreading widely across the Caribbean and prompting numerous DJs to copy its chorus. Capitalizing on that breakthrough, Screwdriver performed across America and Canada, eventually making his home in Florida, USA. Subsequent releases included ‘Reggae On Broadway’, ‘Learning The Ways Of Love’, ‘Roots And Culture’, ‘Teach Dem’ and ‘HIV’. By 1995 the sounds of his adopted region prompted him to fuse R&B and hip-hop elements with Jamaican dancehall rhythms, a hybrid showcased on the Ikus label release Calling Calling, issued from Miami. The set contained ‘She Too Young’, ‘African Woman’, ‘Got To Be Love’ and ‘Selassie Live’, while ‘Teach Dem’ received a fresh hip-hop/reggae-style remix.