Trojan
The Beginning:
On July 28th, 1967, the label Trojan was launched by Island Records, one of the UK's leading independent record companies. Created as a sub-label to showcase the productions of Jamaican producer Arthur "Duke" Reid, Trojan quickly became synonymous with reggae music. The label took its name from Reid's powerful sound system and Jamaican label active at the same time. Despite being short-lived initially, Trojan highlighted some of the finest music from Jamaica during the Rocksteady era. After its demise, Trojan was resurrected and went on to dominate the Jamaican records market in the UK.
In the 60s and 70s, Trojan Records successfully spread Reggae throughout the UK and beyond by licensing Jamaican recordings and producing UK-based acts. The parent company was sold to Allied in the 1970s, who continued releasing records under Trojan Records. In 2001, Sanctuary Records Group Ltd acquired the full catalogue of Trojan Records. Subsequently, Universal Music Group purchased Sanctuary in 2007 and later sold it to BMG in 2013. Since then, BMG has distributed Trojan Records in Europe through PIAS. Reissues on Music On Vinyl since 2017 are handled by Townsend Music.
Trojan continues to be a legendary label that has played a significant role in promoting reggae music worldwide.
