Hindu

b. Vilmore Green, c. 1973, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, West Indies. As a youth Green relocated to the north of the island when he joined his mother in Montego Bay. It was at this time that Green became known as Hindu, a reference to his mother’s ancestry. Akin to the DJ brothers Supercat and Junior Cat, Hindu was of mixed African and East Indian descent. On completing his education he found work as a waiter. In his spare time he would frequent the local sound systems where he eventually convinced the operators of his DJ skills. He performed on the Super Love and Electro Force sound systems, where he quickly gained celebrity status. Although primarily a DJ he also performed in the prevalent sing-jay style. The crowd’s reaction to his vocalising prompted Hindu to pursue a singing career. He linked up with the band Red Alert who performed to the tourists on Cornwall Beach in Montego Bay. As the lead singer he nurtured his resonant vocals, which led to recording sessions at Roof International. The release of ‘Every Woman In The World’ surfaced through the X-rated Crew. The song was an early indication of the singer’s potential, which led to a series of dancehall hits. In 1991, Hindu performed at the Reggae Sunsplash Festival in Jamaica resulting in increased notoriety. His renown led to him being invited to accompany Michael Rose, Papa San and Ed ‘Ruffneck’ Robinson on a South American tour. The popularity of reggae in South America led to the singer’s first experience of over-zealous fans. The enthusiasm resulted in the tour organizers being compelled to arrange extra security, particularly in Peru. Session work followed in the USA, where Hindu recorded for Mac D Records. By 1996 the singer had produced a music video, Ichaben, and inspired by Supercat and Kriss Kross he worked alongside rapper Slick Rick. Unfortunately his attempt to emulate the successful combination of reggae with hip-hop failed to win support, and Hindu returned to Jamaica. He diversified into songwriting and enjoyed a modicum of success with the Jamaican crooner A.J. Brown. He continued recording with Barry O’ Hare at Grove Music, which led to a European tour alongside DJ Prezident Brown. By the late 90s he was recording as Indu.