African Descendants Riddim – Coxsone, Studio One

Coxsone Dodd produced this 1971 Studio One cut, with Alton Ellis fronting the title tune African Descendants and the instrumental African Version carrying the same warm, rootsy pulse. The release sits right in Studio One’s early-70s catalogue, where Dodd’s productions often paired strong singers with spare, melodic riddims that kept getting reused in different forms. Alton Ellis brings the kind of smooth, aching delivery that made him one of the label’s most reliable voices, and the package also ties into the era’s back-to-Africa theme, with Roots Man Hi-Fi appearing later on the riddim’s history. It’s a classic Coxsone-era rhythm: lean, earthy, and instantly recognisable from its bassline and vocal phrasing.