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NOMAD dedicate Just Wandering . . . to the memory of Slimma Levi, who performs on the album. Slimma (real name Leeroy Golding) was an inspiration to all of us, lifting everyone's spirits during the exhausting recording and production schedules at the end of 2003 with his boundless energy and enthusiasm. It was a cruel blow that the music world was robbed of this talented man but our privilege to have worked with him on what turned out to be his very last recording.
Slimma was born in Rose Town, Jamaica in 1960. His family came to Oxford when he was eight. His father, Sonny, brought with him the Jamaican music culture and helped set up Oxford's first reggae sound system - Sonny Downbeat.
The young Leeroy was captivated by these early dance sessions and was soon embraced by a consuming enthusiasm for reggae. In the 90's he helped to put together the Desta Nation Soundsystem - one of the UK's most respected roots reggae sounds - and took the helm as MC. He was also a founder member of Makating who recorded three albums - Makating in 1996, Stone by Stone in 1999 and Strong Enough in 2001. A fourth Makating album is due for release in 2004.
It's always easy to find 'nice' words to eulogise friends that have passed away but few seem to do justice to Slimma's memory. Perhaps his true character was evinced at his funeral when it was said that Slimma was the kind of guy who would stop the traffic in the busy Cowley Road and, oblivious to the sound of screeching brakes, get to the other side in order to give you a big hug. It's a sadder world for Slimma's passing but a happier one for the legacy of music and friendship that he left behind.
