Arguably the first completely female reggae group, Akabu started out in 1981 as African Woman. The group at that time was composed of Vyris Edghill, Valerie Skeete, Madeleine "Jo" Edghill, Paulette "Levi" Coke, Samantha Edghill, Diane "De Bass" White, Caroline Williams, and Shelome "Issachar" Coke. With this lineup, they released their first album, African Woman Abroad. In 1988, they changed their name to Akabu and released their self-titled album. Since then, they have appeared on various compilations and similar projects.