Looking back at one of the queens of Lovers Rock.

Steve McQueen’s 2020 film Small Axe: Lovers Rock brought the beloved UK-born reggae sub-genre to a new generation of listeners in the United States and across the globe. Set during a single evening at a house party in 1980s West London, the film captured the essence of DIY sound system culture featuring iconic tracks from Janet Kay, Louisa Mark, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Augustus Pablo. Today, to continue in the timeless celebration of the joyful sound of Lovers Rock, we’re highlighting one of the slightly lesser known, but equally great, artists from this era.

Carol Vieira Simms, better known as Kofi, first came to prominence as a member of the trio Brown Sugar, which also featured Caron Wheeler (later of Soul II Soul) and Pauline Catlin. Modeled after the American black girl groups of the 1960s like The Supremes, The Crystals, The Ronettes and The Chantels, Brown Sugar first began as a duo before Kofi was discovered through a local newspaper article and completed the trio at just fourteen-years-old. Shortly after, Brown Sugar was recruited by Dennis Harris, John Kpiaye and Dennis Bovell to be the debut act on their new label Lovers Rock. Named after a song by roots reggae legend Augustus Pablo, the label aimed to present a new sound: soulful, dance-friendly, conscious love songs that heavily featured female voices (at a time when reggae was largely a male-dominated genre). The label would achieve immediate success, and “Lovers Rock” would quickly become the adopted name for this new and uniquely black British sound.

Brown Sugar’s debut release “I’m in Love With a Dreadlocks” topped the charts in 1977. While not the first lovers rock song, the track pioneered a sub-genre that came to be known as “conscious lovers,” which appealed to fans of both the Chicago and Philly Soul-inspired rocksteady genre as well as the male-dominated Rastafarian roots reggae. The group’s second single “Black Pride” was released not long after and became an anthem within the black community, spreading the message of loving every part of your being. Kofi would later cover and re-work both songs with modern production on her solo albums.

After a decade of success with Brown Sugar, Kofi would go on to launch a solo career with the help of second-generation UK reggae producer Mad Professor. A pioneer of digital-reggae production, Mad Professor was instrumental in bringing reggae music into the digital age by incorporating synthesizers, drum machines, and digital effects into the traditional sounds. Kofi’s three albums for Mad Professor’s iconic Ariwa Sounds label remain some of our favorites from the digital lovers rock era.

Just listen to Kofi’s hit song “Didn’t I” from her debut album Black… With Sugar which grooves along to a complex, but incredibly swinging drum machine pattern that somehow achieves the rare feat of sounding both heavy and smooth, at the same time. The bassline, perfectly played by Kofi herself, bounces along over the downbeats of the groove with just a few notes, sounding almost half-time in comparison to the syncopated drum pattern. Of course, the soaring and incredibly catchy synthesizer melody is just fantastic as well and provides the perfect complement for Kofi’s elegant vocals. The track, along with her re-working of “Black Pride,” would earn Kofi the title of “Best Female Vocalist” at the 1988 British Reggae Industry Awards.

Another favorite “Losing Time for Love” from Kofi’s 1994 album Friday’s Child, showcases the singer’s delicately sweet delivery. Compared to her contemporaries like Janet Kay, Louisa Mark, and Sandra Cross, Kofi’s vocals rely much less on power and range, instead focusing on the right tone and a certain smoothness that would sit perfectly in the mix versus cut through. In that way, she reminds us a bit of Sade Adu, who is quite conservative with her range but always delivers with elegance.

We’ve included only a few tracks in this feature, but we highly recommend diving into all three of Kofi’s albums on Ariwa for deeper listening! Also, check out this video from 2011 of Kofi rehearsing “I’m in Love with a Dreadlocks” for the Gala Awards Show. She’s clearly still got it !!