Carlton "Santa" Davis

Carlton Sylvester "Santa" Davis (born 21 November 1953) is a musician from Jamaica, primarily known for his drumming with bands such as Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Aggrovators, Soul Syndicate and Roots Radics. He has worked with reggae artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Big Youth, The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Andrew Tosh, Wailing Souls, Ini Kamoze, Big Mountain, Michael Rose, and Ziggy Marley.

Biography

Davis was born in the Greenwich Farm area of Kingston. He got his "Santa" nickname as a result of a skating accident which left his face swollen and red. At the age of ten he began playing in his local Catholic church marching band, staying with them for the next five years. During his time there he was tutored in the rocksteady beat by Bobby Aitken. At the age of fourteen he joined The Graduates, a nightclub band which also featured Earl "Wire" Lindo (later of The Wailers), Richard Daley (later of Third World, and Earl "Bagga" Walker.

Davis joined his friend George "Fully" Fullwood in the Rhythm Raiders in 1969, the band soon changing name to Soul Syndicate, and was the drummer in Bunny Lee's studio band The Aggrovators in the 1970s, originating the "flying...

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