by Howard Campbell
LOS ANGELES – When singer Vaughn Benjamin died last November, he left behind a vast catalog of songs and albums, as well as un-released music. On September 4, All Hail, a song he did with Ras Teo, was released.
Produced by Roberto Sanchez of Spain, it is distributed by the jahsolidrock company from Munich, Germany.
According to the Los Angeles-based Ras Teo, it is, “Very crucial to pay tribute to one of my favorite artists that ever grace this planet. Vaughn was a true Rastaman and humble person.”
He said he and Benjamin recorded All Hail in December, 2015.
Ras Teo recalls meeting the Antigua-born Benjamin for the first time in LA 16 years ago. Benjamin was with the emerging band Midnite and made an instant impact on him.
According to Ras Teo, their collaboration projects a shared belief.
“All hail is a song for the king that all of us shall hail — Haile Selassie I,” he said.
Because he is a descendant of King Solomon, Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, is considered by many Rastafarians as a Supreme figure.
He died in that country in 1975.
Benjamin died in Port St. Lucie at age 50. He had a prolific career as a singer/songwriter, beginning with Midnite which he and his older brother Ron formed in 1989.
Midnite toured the United States and Europe in relentless fashion similar to roots-reggae acts like Burning Spear and Culture, and built a loyal fan base.
They disbanded in 2015 and reformed without Ron as Akae Bakae, but continued to record and tour with Benjamin as lead singer.
I Grade Records from St. Croix where Benjamin was raised, produced his last album, Mek A Menshun, which was released in July, 2019.
Ras Teo was born Teodik Hartoonian in Uppsala, Sweden but has lived in California since the 1990s. He has recorded seven roots-reggae albums including the Sanchez-produced Ten Thousand Lions, released last year.
