Lord Shorty / Ras Shorty I

The story so far.

Lord Shorty and Ras Shorty I are successive performing identities of Garfield Blackman. His repertoire connects the soca experiments of Indrani and Endless Vibrations with later work alongside the Love Circle. In Red Bull Music Academy’s 2016 feature, drummer Michael “Toby” Tobas recalled Shorty seeking more space in calypso arrangements to reach a broader audience. The feature traces Blackman’s move to Piparo, his creation of Jamoo and the 1984 mini-album Jamoo: The Gospel of Soca, credited to Ras Shorty I and his Love Circle. On digital platforms, Indrani’s song page credits Garfield Blackman as songwriter, while Watch out My Children, from the Jamoo Victory edition, credits Ras Shorty I and The Love Circle as performers. These are stages in one artist’s career.