10. Dennis Brown, “Love Has Found Its Way”(1982)
As the times were changing, so was the image and the sound of Jamaican music. More importantly, Jamaica still had superstars for the world after the passing of Bob Marley. Dennis Brown was clearly one of them. His album in 1982 took on a slightly new direction, however. Love Has Found Its Way explored more of the R&B side of Dennis Brown, a reasonable move considering the dynamic range of his consistent and soulful voice.
The vast majority of the album was a major change to many because of the impact it had in the musical context. But aside from a number of favorites, such as “Why Baby Why,” it was the title track “Love Has Found Its Way,” a sweet, uptempo disco-flavored R&B love jam that captivated the minds, the hearts, and souls of lovers, club goers, and reggae fans everywhere. “Love Has Found Its Way” was D. Brown’s greatest triumph with the African American audience for the time.
Dennis bounced back to win the hearts of his core reggae-listening audience from all over the world once again with his hits like “Revolution” and “Promised Land” (which made great use of the harmony group Aswad and their timeless 1982 classic “Love Fire.”) Dennis Brown had come to be known as the “Crown Prince of Reggae” and he was already an international reggae icon where it counted most. Even after his death on July 1, 1999 at the age of 42, Dennis Brown remains an international reggae icon, especially with the younger generation. And if you ever step into a discotheque, club, a dancehall, or an outdoor party, the jury of the audience will rule an inevitable verdict – That D. Brown will remain that way.
