Tena Stelin

Tena Stelin derives his moniker from Ethiopia’s Amharic tongue, where it signifies ‘greetings’. He launched his recording career in the late 1980s as a UK-based singer affiliated with the Conscious Sounds imprint, scoring an early roots success with ‘Can’t Touch Jah’. Much of the label collective’s output was tracked at the Manasseh studio overseen by sound-system operator Nick Manasseh. The UK roots circuit sustains a devoted cult audience, its releases often appearing on cassette in the same manner as African rather than reggae pressings. In 1990, acknowledged UK roots pioneer DJ Joey Jay commenced legal broadcasts with Nick Manasseh across London once Kiss FM obtained an official licence, granting Stelin and fellow artists such as Devon Russell and Sound Iration wider exposure. The previous year Stelin had cut ‘Give Thanks And Praise’ and ‘King Of Kings Parts One And Two’ alongside Sound Iration. Producer Dougie Wardrop enlisted the Centry session band, whose hits included ‘Stepping Time’ and ‘Thunder Mountain’. Wicked Invention earned enthusiastic reviews, yet the roots revival remained on the horizon in 1990. Buyers of the CD and cassette editions received Sound Iration In Dub as an added bonus. He sustained his visibility through further recordings at Digital B, Easy Street and The Toy Factory with producer Morris Johnson.