Earl Chinna Smith

Earl Chinna Smith IS music. His amazing career spans over 30 years. Music comes naturally to him, like breathing. He oozes rhythm, harmony, melody and grooviness. He literally breathes new life into every rhythm he touches. When Chinna adds one of his signature guitar riffs to any piece of music, it’s sure to be a hit. In fact, Chinna’s creative sounds can be heard on almost 50% of the Grammy award winning reggae recordings. “All I want to do is play music,” Chinna said in a recent interview. “I’ve been doing it for years, but I’m falling in love with it all over again, every day.”
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Although he is most well known for his work with the legendary Soul Syndicate band and as reggae’s most sought after lead guitarist, his musical credits reach far beyond just guitar playing. He’s composed, written, arranged, engineered, produced and played both rhythm and bass guitar.
There have been several attempts to fuse folksy acoustic guitar with reggae --
but not as successfully as Smith does on his album ‘Inna de Yard’.
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This album is a true marvel in this modern age: totally acoustic with little more than a guitar and an occasional distant drum to support the vocalists. It's even recorded outdoors, which brings new meaning to the title ‘Inna de Yard’ which lends a serene, meditative quality that is a uniquely affecting experience.