Black Slate

Black Slate is a renowned, international reggae band from the UK.

In 2020, the group featured on a short documentary titled 'Young, Gifted & Black'. The aim of the documentary is to encourage young people to never given up on their plan.

The band comprises Anthony “PureSilk” Brightly (Keyboards), Chris “MusicHouse” Hanson (Lead/Rhythm Guitar) and Desmond “Drummy” Mahoney (Drums/Congo). The group has earned the right to stand amongst the greats in the world of reggae music. Like the female energy that tends and nurtures life, they have developed and nurtured their sound. From a vibe with a unique audio ID that has taken well over forty odd years of research and cultivation, with the help of a group of talented and respected former band members, new members and session musicians who all have played a part in assisting this great seed of musical wealth.

Brightly, backed by a father’s love for recording and producing jazz music, acquired a DNA explosion which ignited his passion for reggae music and the conception of Black Slate.

Hanson was an electrician whose passion for reggae caused him to move in various musical circles until the magic touched him. Eventually he joined forces with other great reggae orientated minds and created the ultimate Black Slate.

Mahoney is an engineer with light feet and an excellent tradesman in his field. He was an even greater dancer on the reggae youth scene. To top it off Desmond was a drummer extraordinaire, with a limitless talent aimed at reggae music. These are the skills he brought to the table with a pure love that created the foundation of Black Slate.

These three members are dedicated to reggae music with such passion, that even with the split of the very successful first Black Slate they never gave up.

Brightly opened several booming reggae night clubs. He also records and produces many different artists plus labels. In addition, Brightly has joint entrepreneurial ventures with Chris, his lifelong friend. Hanson’s electrical skills continued in the music business when he created house music, which gained its own instant fame from cutting dub plates and masters for every genre that required it in the music industry.

Who is Black Slate?

Black Slate was formed in the United Kingdom in 1972 and worked originally as a backing band, members would work with other Jamaican artists like Leroy Smart, The Heptones, Johnny Clarke, Ken Boothe, Dennis Brown, Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Sly & Robbie and Peter Tosh. In 1975 Black Slate became their own group and had a hit in 1976 with the song Sticks Man. The band had other successful songs during this period like Mind Your Motion,Boom Boom and the the massive world wide hit: Amigo.

During this period the Black Slate band would travel on thirty day tours as a support act for artists like Peter Tosh with whom they toured with on several occasions. The tours were all across Europe to Holland, Belgium, Germany, France,...