Tribo de Jah

Origin

São Luís, MA

Years active

1986

Genres

reggae, roots reggae

Instruments

vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drums

Biography

Tribo de Jah is a pioneering Brazilian reggae band formed in 1986 in São Luís, Maranhão, by Fauzi Beydoun, a radio host and executive who had recently returned from the Ivory Coast. The city of São Luís later became widely known as the Brazilian Jamaica largely due to the group's efforts in spreading the genre throughout the country. Initially, the band stood out musically because four of its founding members were visually impaired and one had partial vision, having all met as children at the Escola de Cegos do Maranhão where they began making music with old and broken instruments.

Over the decades, the group established an international presence, recording albums abroad such as In Version in Switzerland and Reggae'n Blues in California, where they collaborated with former members of Peter Tosh's backing band. They also released English-language albums targeting global audiences and championed ecological causes, notably with their 2008 Amazon-focused DVD project featuring Jamaican singer Clinton Fearon. Their discography continued to evolve with releases like 2014's Pedra de Salão and 2021's Até que o bem triunfe no final.

Throughout their career, they have heavily influenced the Brazilian reggae scene alongside artists like Gilberto Gil and Cidade Negra, cementing their legacy when they were honored at the Museu do Reggae do Maranhão in 2018. They maintain a strong connection to their roots while continuing to tour and release new media, such as their 2023 documentary about regional tourism in Maranhão.