Reggae Legend Lee “Scratch” Perry Returns Home To Jamaica
Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry has ‘come in from the cold’ of Switzerland and is now basking in the sunshine in his island home, Jamaica.
Almost two weeks ago the 84-year-old Reggae legend wailed on Instagram that he desperately needs to return to Jamaica for one of his frequent visits, as the European country where he now resides with his family was extremely frigid, and that he is tired of the COVID-19 lockdowns there.
Lee had said he needed Jamaica’s sunshine and that Switzerland, saying he could not stay there any longer as it was “too cold” and the “energy was not right”. He also said he had not left his since he took the COVID test a month before.
The Heavy Rain artist had also lamented the fact that is Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) which would enable him to travel from Switzerland to Jamaica via Canada, had not yet been approved, part of the reason being that his passport was full.
But on Tuesday evening the music producer took to Instagram to post a triumphant-looking sunset photograph of himself taken on the Negril coastline, showing that he had made it back to the island he has never stopped loving.
He gushed about the treatment he got at the airport in Jamaica where he landed and urged his fans to visit the island as soon as they can.
“Welcome to Jamaica! ❤️💛💚☀️finally!😆,” he wrote. “I was very happy with my flight to Jamaica trough Panama. I could leave the airport completely free and go to a hotel until the next flight. Do I have fans in Panama? I would even be much happier if I did meet some of you.😜 Next time I’ll announce it!?
“Also, I would recommend to everyone who can arrange it to run away from lockdowns and come to paradise Jamaica! It’s great! they don’t stress you at the airport! Music is still everywhere and people are happy. Even 10pm curfew is not that bad when you can go everywhere freely. Masks only in the shops. You couldn’t find a better escape! Sending you much love, sunshine and blessings from my paradise island… love,” he added gleefully.
In December, the Upsetta had announced that he would be returning to Jamaica to, among other things, establish an off-the-grid community, to enable him to get away from what he described as “this Babylon Madness”.
The Grammy awardee who is regarded as one of the most important creative, artistic and musical figures of the second half of the 1900s, is revered across Europe, where he was constantly booked for tours prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Black ark Studio owner, who is a huge fan of Alkaline and Vybz Kartel, produced more than 1000 recordings during his career. These include some of Bob Marley and the Wailers’ best early recordings including the Soul Rebel and Soul Revolution albums as well as the Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror, Jah Live, Punky Reggae Party, and Rastaman Live Up singles.
The Kendal, Hanover native also pioneered beat-making strategies including recording garden implements for beats. He would also bury microphones under trees to get different sounds and blow ganja smoke over tapes and even run the tapes backwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y651C7aNXRc
In December 2019, he released his Heavy Rain album, a 12-track compilation which debuted at number one on the Billboard Reggae Albums Charts.
The compilation was his first number one album in his 60-year career, and also made him a record-holder as the oldest artiste to top the charts.
The I Am A Mad Man also artiste won a Reggae Grammy award in 2002 for the album, Jamaican E.T., and was nominated on four other occasions; in 2014 for Back on the Controls; Revelation in 2010; Repentance in 2008 and The End Of An American Dream in 2007.
He has been sought after by several fashion brands to model their garb in his golden years, among them, Italian fashion house, Gucci for whom he repped last year. In May 2019, he also featured as a model on Adidas Originals’ DON’T ASSUME campaign, and in 2010, collaborated with Supreme on two t-Shirt designs which featured his written word and his original artwork.