Tony McKay
| Exuma | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey |
| Born |
February 18, 1942 Cat Island, Bahamas |
| Died | January 15, 1997 (aged 54) Nassau, Bahamas |
| Genres |
Freak Folk Calypso Reggae African Folk |
| Instruments |
Vocals Acoustic guitar, cowbells & whistles |
| Years active | 1962–97 |
| Labels |
Mercury Buddah Kama Sutra ROIR |
| Associated acts | Tony McKay and the Islanders |
Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, who recorded as Exuma (18 February 1942 – 15 January 1997), was a Bahamian musician, known for his almost unclassifiable music: a strong mixture of carnival, junkanoo, calypso and ballad. In his early days in New York's Greenwich Village, Tony McKay (his self-given name) performed in small clubs and bars. Later, along with his then-partner and lifelong friend, Sally O'Brien, and several musician friends, he launched EXUMA - a seven-person group that toured and recorded albums, starting with Exuma: The Obeah Man in 1970 and ending with Rude Boy in 1986. His songs invoke influences from calypso, junkanoo, reggae, African music and folk music with his lyrics dealing heavily with Obeah. His backing band known only as the Junk Band has included names such as Sally O'Brien, Bogie, Lord Wellington, Villy, Mildred Vaney, Frankie Gearing, Diana Claudia Bunea, and his good friend Peppy Castro.
After growing up on Cat Island, Tony McKay moved to New York City at the age of 17 to study architecture. However, he did not complete his studies and soon entered the music industry in a group called Tony McKay and the Islanders. In New York's 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene McKay often found himself performing with such greats as Bob Dylan, Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, and Barbra Streisand among others.
He soon gained the attention of Blues Magoos manager Bob Wyld. Wyld brought McKay to Mercury Records and convinced them to sign him. In 1970 McKay, now redubbed Exuma, released the albums Exuma and Exuma II. From those albums he released the singles "Exuma, The Obeah Man", "Junkanoo", "Damn Fool", and "Zandoo". Exuma also garnered recognition for his song "You Don't Know What's Going On", which was featured on the soundtrack to John G. Avilsen's 1970 film Joe starring Peter Boyle, Susan Sarandon, and Dennis Patrick.
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