Halloween Mix 2007 Track 6 - Bewitching Organ!

You wouldn't know it by following this blog but I've been a fan of vintage pin-up art for nearly as long as I've been a fan of Jamaican music. So I thought this bewitching witch would be great for the next tune in the mix...

As you probably guessed the song is called "Bewitched" and its by the artist known as Johnny Organ, who as you would also probably guess was an organ player. This is an awesome early reggae tune and its taken from the 1970 Winston Riley produced Trojan LP called Come Back Darling by Johnny (Osbourne) and the Sensations. It of course features plenty of witchy background sounds for your enhanced listening pleasure.

Now that we've brought up the topic of witches it would be a perfect time for me to recount another famous Jamaican witch story... I told you about Annie "The White Witch of Rose Hall" Palmer last year now we've got another to thrill and horrify you... seriously it's not that scary so there's no need to worry.

One of the most popular tourist attractions near Montego Bay is a winding three mile river named the Martha Brae. Taking a scenic ride on one of the 30 foot long piloted bamboo rafts has been a "must do" for first time Jamaican visitors for decades. But here's where it gets a little supernatural... Now I'm quoting verbatim from the information placard posted alongside the river itself...

"The legend tells of an old Arawak witch, who lived on the bank of the River Matibereon (which was translated into English and twisted into being pronounced as Martha Brae). Having heard tales of the Arawak gold, Spanish treasure hunters captured the witch to lead them to the treasure. Pretending to comply she led them into a cave, then suddenly disappeared. Frightened, the Spaniards ran out of the cave but the river engulfed them. The witch then changed the course of the river forever..."

...not nearly as juicy as the Annie Palmer story but a witch tale nonetheless.

Track 6