Kaya Riddim – Unknown Label

Released in 1971, Kaya is a Lee Scratch Perry-produced roots cut from the Unknown Label camp, with the kind of warm, smoky feel Perry was shaping in that era. The set brings together Big Joe’s World Wide Kaya, Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Kaya from both 1971 and 1978, plus The Wailers’ Kaya Version and the later Sin Semilla Kaya Dub with The Upsetters, which gives the release a nice line between vocal tune, version, and dub. It’s a strong snapshot of Perry’s early-’70s studio approach, and the Marley connection is especially notable because the title song would later reappear in a new form on Bob Marley and The Wailers’ 1978 Kaya album.