by Howard Campbell
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Political tumult in Jamaica during the mid-1970s inspired many socially-charged songs. War Ina Babylon by Max Romeo perfectly captured the hostilities between supporters of the governing People’s National Party (PNP) and opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
Romeo died in St. Catherine parish, southeastern Jamaica, on April 11 at age 80. He passed away in hospital, reportedly from heart complications.
Produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, War Ina Babylon was released in 1976, and became one of the songs that defined the dreadlocked Romeo. Let The Power Fall, One Step Forward and Chase The Devil, are some of his other seminal songs.
Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s entertainment and culture minister, credits Romeo for helping make reggae globally-accepted.
“His hit songs such as War Inna Babylon, on the album which was perceived to be his best work, Let the Power Fall and Revelation Time were powerful social commentaries. The strength of his voice and his emotive delivery will also long resonate with us,” she said.
Max Romeo was born Max Smith in St. Ann parish, northeastern Jamaica. His music career started in the mid-1960s, and took off in 1968 with Wet Dream, a suggestive song that became a big hit in the United Kingdom.
His music took on a cultural tone when he accepted Rastafari in the early 1970s. That resulted in songs like Let The Power Fall, which the PNP used for its successful 1972 general election campaign.
Like many of his roots-reggae friends, Romeo’s songs from the 1970s earned him a loyal fan base in Europe. He toured there as recently as 2023.
In 2008, he was awarded the Order of Distinction, Jamaica’s sixth-highest honor. Last February, he was inducted into the Reggae Music Hall of Fame in Kingston.
