Indisputably the number one rocksteady and reggae vocal trio, the Heptones are the archetype for all Jamaican three-piece male harmony groups. Comprised of Leroy Sibbles, Barry Llewellyn and Earl Morgan, the Heptones worked at Studio One for five years. After their first hit, the somewhat lewd 'Fattie Fattie', they proved unstoppable. Sibbles' voice had superb control, although the other two group members would from time to time also take the lead part. The group's first two albums for Studio One, The Heptones and Heptones on Top, are records that can hardly be equalled. Sibbles had also worked at Studio One as arranger, bassist and part-time A&R man; so when there was an acrimonious split with Coxsone Dodd, it was he who especially felt it. The same line-up recorded the Party Time album for Scratch Perry, which came out on Island overseas. When the record failed to sell significantly, Sibbles left the group for a solo career, basing himself in Canada. He was replaced by Naggo Morris, but this new lineup lacked the magic of the original

Early Reggae Pioneers

Alton Ellis was one of Jamaica's most successful and influential vocalists, especially during the rocksteady era when he recorded copiously for Duke Reid. A strong songwriter, Ellis had a talent for taking American soul tunes and rendering them specifically Jamaican. An early inhabitant of the new housing scheme built in Trench Town, Ellis first recorded in the late 1950s with singer Eddy Perkins as one-half of the duo Alton and Eddy - 'Muriel' was a huge hit for them. Working as Alton Ellis and the Flames, it was a tribute to his colossal talent that he managed the delicate tightrope walk of working for both Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid. Rocksteady amply suited him: it gave singers more space in which to stretch out, as on his big hit simply titled 'Rock Steady' and as heard to the fullest on the Treasure Isle rocksteady album, Mr Soul Of Jamaica. Now deceased, but remains one of the all-time greats of Jamaican music. - ReggaeXplosion

In 1960 Morgan became the only artist ever to fill the places from one to seven on the Jamaican pop chart simultaneously

Desmond Dekker was the first Jamaican singer to feature regularly in the overseas charts. With a Leslie Kong production, his first big hit '007 (Shanty Town)', in the new rocksteady vein, was the finest of all the songs celebrating the arrival of the rude boy. 'Israelites' was an even bigger record, the first truly international Jamaican hit, number nine in the USA in 1969, and a number one in the UK. With his backing group the Aces, Dekker enjoyed twenty number one hits in Jamaica during the mid to late-1960s. Moving to the UK, his fortunes became more erratic.

Duke Vin, the disc jockey, who has died this year 2012 aged 84, ran the first Jamaican-style sound system in Britain.

Ernest Ranglin is a Jamaican guitarist and composer. Best known for his session work at Studio One, Ranglin helped give birth to the ska genre in the late 1950s.

Horace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land"

Jackie Edwards - born in Jamaica, worked with Chris Blackwell in 1959; when Blackwell set up Island Records in London in 1962. He wrote both "Keep On Running" and "Somebody Help Me", they became number one hit singles in the UK for The Spencer Davis Group.

An excellent singer-songwriter, Jimmy Cliff was an international face of reggae music even before Bob Marley. In 1962, at the age of 15, he first emerged as a ska singer, having successes for Leslie Kong with 'King Of Kings' and 'Dearest Beverley'. Brought to the attention of Chris Blackwell, Cliff moved to London where he was groomed as an Island Records solo star. It was 1969 before he hit the UK pop charts, with his self-penned 'Wonderful World, Beautiful People', followed the next year by 'Vietnam'. Other hits included his cover of Cat Stevens' 'Wild World'. But Cliff's career took a quantum leap to iconic status when he starred as Ivan Martin in Perry Henzell's The Harder They Come. Although Chris Blackwell wanted to capitalise on this new recognition, Cliff left Island and signed with EMI. Although the quality of his work has never been in doubt, Jimmy Cliff never took full advantage of the break that The Harder They Come should have brought him. He remains, however, a huge star in France, Africa and South America.

Joe Higgs was a reggae musician from Jamaica. In the late 1950s and 1960s he was part of the duo Higgs and Wilson together with Roy Wilson.

John Holt is one of the all-time greats of Jamaican music, whether as a member of the Paragons, as a performer of lush soul reggae on his 1,000 Volts Of Holt LP series, or recording such reality songs as 'Police In Helicopter' with Junjo Lawes.

King Stitt was a Jamaican pioneer DJ

Born in Cuba in 1927, Laurel Aitken recorded 'Boogie In My Bones' in 1958 for the new Island label started in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell. The record was an early example of what became known as Jamaican 'blues' music - localised variants on the shuffle-boogie R'n'B records coming out of New Orleans, which were the precursors of ska. When ska itself hit, Aitken enjoyed a string of successes, both in Jamaica and England. Moving to the UK, he based himself first in London and then in Leicester, recording scores of songs for Emile Shalett's Blue Beat label, Graeme Goodall's Rio Records, and the Palmer brothers' Nu Beat. Aitken's fan base amongst initially mods and subsequently skinheads assured him of a second crack at his career in the late 1970s with the 2-Tone ska revival. - ReggaeXplosion

Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D., usually known as Prince Buster, and also having the Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica.

Images of Trombonist Rico Rodriguez MBE in Jamaica and London, with his own band and with the Specials - in the early 1960s he was a mainstay of ska sessions; moving to London he played with Georgie Fame; and in 1976 he released Man From Wareika, his masterly album of jazz-reggae. Rico passed away September 2015

The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including "Guns of Navarone".

U-Roy is a Jamaican musician, also known as The Originator.