The Twinkle Brothers

Formed in 1962 in Falmouth, Jamaica, The Twinkle Brothers initially centred on brothers Norman Grant and Ralston Grant before expanding to include several local musicians. The group is part of the long history of Jamaican reggae, with a sound rooted in roots reggae, harmonised vocals, slow rhythms and Rastafari spirituality, while retaining links to dub and, in its early years, to calypso, soul and pop played on the island’s hotel circuit. After winning talent contests, The Twinkle Brothers began recording as early as 1966 and went on to work with several major Jamaican producers, including Leslie Kong, Duke Reid, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Phil Pratt and Bunny Lee. Their first album, Rasta Pon Top, was released in 1975, followed by Love (1977), Praise Jah (1979) and Countrymen (1980). In the early 1980s Norman Grant settled in the United Kingdom and continued the activity under the name The Twinkle Brothers, with numerous releases on the Twinkle label. Since the 1990s The Twinkle Brothers have also developed a regular collaboration with the Polish group Trebunie-Tutki, blending roots reggae with musical traditions from the Tatra mountains.