When it comes to reggae music, there are still a few performers on the road who can boast of having been around since the genre's early days.

Only one of them can rightfully claim to have named the genre.

Toots Hibbert formed The Maytals in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1962 as a ska group. The Maytals had a number of Jamaican hits, but their 1968 Hibbert-penned single "Do the Reggay" propelled "reggae" toward the mainstream.

"People used to call the beat 'boogie beat' and 'blue beat,'" said Hibbert, speaking from a New York tour stop. "I said, 'Let's call it reggae.' People get to understand that I'm the one who invented the word 'reggae.'"

Toots and The Maytals, as the group was eventually known, found broader exposure through their 1972 signing to Island Records, particularly with the inclusion of their music on the soundtrack to "The Harder They Come," a film starring singer Jimmy Cliff.

"Chris Blackwell [Island Records' founder] and some of the people came up with the idea to make a film with Jimmy Cliff," Hibbert said. "Jimmy was singing before me. I was one of the top recording artists in Jamaica, so they had to use some of my songs in it."

By the mid-'70s, Toots and The Maytals seemed destined for the kind of worldwide stardom that ultimately was accorded Bob Marley and The Wailers.

They accepted an opening-slot invitation from The Who for the band's 1975 North American tour, though what seemed like a perfect opportunity to reach out to rock audiences brought mixed results.

"We had a request to work with them. They requested but never advertised it, so the people didn't expect to see us, so we had to get off the stage very fast," Hibbert said and laughed.

The group had not evaded the notice of up-and-coming musicians, however, and thanks to covers over the next few years by groups such as The Clash ("Pressure Drop," recently used in a Nissan commercial) and The Specials ("Monkey Man"), the music of The Maytals rippled out to new audiences.

After disbanding in the early '80s, Toots and The Maytals re-formed a decade later and have been touring and recording ever since.

They received major recognition with their 2005 Grammy for "True Love," an album of rerecorded Maytals classics with assistance from Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and others. They also were nominated for a Grammy for last year's album, "Light Your Light."

"Light your light," said Hibbert, considering a philosophy that's served him for nearly 50 years. "Let your light shine, really. Keep away from the darkness and light your light. It's a good thing -- and good name for an album."

Original Article