If not for a determined nun named Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, the world might never have danced to the rhythms of reggae. As director of the music program at what was once called the Alpha Boys’ School in Kingston, Jamaica, Davies was more than a teacher — she was a mentor to generations of young musicians.

From the 1950s onward, her classroom produced a steady stream of talent. Many of her students went on to shape reggae and ska, including members of The Skatalites, Bob Marley and the Wailers, and dancehall pioneer Yellowman. When Sister Ignatius passed away in 2003, her influence did not end. The Alpha Boys’ School evolved into today’s Alpha School of Music, still guiding young Jamaican musicians toward professional careers.

Now, that legacy is at the heart of Higher Education, a richly layered all-star recording led by Boston’s reggae collective, the Naya Rockers. The project unites 10 major figures in reggae, among them Stephen Marley and Fishbone’s Angelo Moore, to celebrate the power of education — whether learned in a classroom or through life experience. A majority of the proceeds will go directly to Alpha.

Story Highlights

• Historic Roots: Alpha nurtured legendary talents like The Skatalites, Bob Marley and the Wailers, and Yellowman.

• The Album: Higher Education features Stephen Marley, Angelo Moore, Sister Nancy, Queen Omega, Clinton Fearon, and more.

• Recording Process: Instrumentals recorded in Iceland; vocals added by artists across the globe.

• Purpose: Supports Alpha School of Music’s modern facilities and programs.

• Song Themes: Youth mentorship, unity, wisdom, and cultural heritage.

• Production Hub: Final mixing at Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston by Stephen Stewart.

The idea was born far from Jamaica. Flóki Studios in Iceland approached the Naya Rockers with a proposal: create music tied to a philanthropic mission. Founder and drummer Nathan Sabanayagam recalls thinking it might be “a crazy idea,” yet the vision took shape quickly.

“We told each artist that signed on to make their track about education and life lessons, something that is meaningful,” Sabanayagam explained.

The approach was unconventional. The rhythm sections were tracked in Iceland, with each vocalist adding their performance later from different locations.

Stephen Stewart, a veteran Jamaican engineer and producer who has worked with the Marleys, mixed the record at Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston while virtually guiding the Iceland sessions.

“Nathan has the patience of Job,” Stewart said with a laugh, recalling the slow but steady process of assembling the record.

The recording team featured Rhode Island keyboardist Cameron Greenlee, a former touring member of The Skatalites, and guitarist Andy Bassford, a fixture of the reggae scene known for both subtlety and explosive energy.

The songs themselves reflect varied interpretations of the education theme. Sister Nancy urges listeners to “Teach the Youth.” Angelo Moore, joined by famed Jamaican harmony group The Tamlins, offers an ode to “Brotherhood.” Trinidadian roots artist Queen Omega delivers “Words of Wisdom” with what Sabanayagam described as “a real gospel energy.”

One track in particular highlights a cultural bridge: the album’s title song features Stephen Marley alongside Ivan Neville of New Orleans’ storied Neville family. Co-producer and Naya Rockers bassist Nate Edgar points to a deep connection between the two musical traditions.

“New Orleans is often considered part of the Caribbean,” Edgar noted. “New Orleans music has influenced Jamaican music for many decades and vice versa, especially through the Neville family.”

Stewart agreed, adding:

“Everyone really brought in their own flavor. It’s like having a meal with many different spices sprinkled on top of it.”

For Sabanayagam, the project is personal. Born to parents from the Philippines and Sri Lanka, he grew up in Pennsylvania and discovered reggae through friends at school. His early path led him to a chemistry degree and a corporate consulting job, but music eventually pulled him away.

Learning directly from legendary drummers such as Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace and Sly Dunbar in Jamaica, Sabanayagam built the Naya Rockers over the past decade into a sought-after backing band for touring Jamaican artists in the Northeast.

One of those artists, Clinton Fearon — a singer-songwriter first known for his work with The Gladiators — opens Higher Education with the warm invitation “Come With Us.” Fearon will join the Naya Rockers for shows in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire; Pembroke, Massachusetts; and Kingstown, Rhode Island, this September.

Meanwhile, Alpha School of Music continues to evolve. Recent upgrades include a computer lab for teaching modern music production to the next generation of Jamaican artists. For Stewart, the school’s importance is undeniable.

“The name ‘Alpha’ plays a very important part in our music history,” he said. “It was where many of the members of the Jamaican industry were able to grow musically. It is the base of our music history and style.”

For the contributors to Higher Education — which also includes dub innovator Mad Professor and rising reggae artist Hector “Roots” Lewis — supporting Alpha means ensuring that future musicians have the same opportunities that reggae’s pioneers once received.

In the end, Higher Education is more than a reggae compilation — it is a bridge between generations, geographies, and genres, rooted in the belief that music and mentorship go hand in hand. By channeling its proceeds to the Alpha School of Music, the project honors the institution that shaped reggae’s earliest legends while investing in its future voices. For Sabanayagam, Stewart, and the artists involved, it is proof that the lessons learned on stage and in the classroom can resonate far beyond Kingston, carrying the sound of Jamaica into the world for decades to come.

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