The Nation (Nairobi)
May 21, 2006
by Fred Orido
Nairobi
Jamaican reggae trio Israel Vibration will be in Nairobi for the annual Reggae Summerfest. The threesome, Skeleton (Cecil Spence), Apple Gabriel (Albert Craig) and Lascelle Bulgin (Wiss), are expected to fly in for the festival, scheduled for September 7.
Members of Israel Vibration group on stage entertaining fans in one of their many live shows. The group will grace this year's Reggae Summerfest in Nairobi. "The event, organised by Showbiz Promotions and Shashamane International, has in the past brought in reggae greats from Jamaica."
The event, organised by Showbiz Promotions and Shashamane International, has in the past brought in reggae greats from Jamaica including Joseph Hill of the Mighty Culture group, Gregory Isaacs and Glen Washington who graced it in 2004.
Speaking exclusively to Lifestyle , events promoter Evans Ombajo promised better organisation and security during the shows. "Insecurity has been a major issue, but this time around, we have invested heavily in ensuring security is tight," he said.
Mr Ombajo said that they settled for Israel Vibration after many reggae fans voted for the trio in a poll conducted by Shashamane International over the past one year.
Members of the group overcame adversity, illness and poverty to become one of the finest roots groups in Jamaica's history. All three had been afflicted by polio and first became acquainted, albeit briefly, at Kingston's Mona Rehabilitation Clinic.
Singing sensation
Of the trio, Bulgin appeared least likely to emerge a singing sensation. He spent much of his childhood at a variety of rehabilitation centres. In his teenage, he began working for a tailor. In contrast, Craig initially did seem destined for a musical career and for a while attended the famed music school - Alpha Cottage School.
However, he found the tough discipline and rigid atmosphere oppressive and ran away at 14 into a life of homelessness and poverty.
After an equally bright start, Spence's life also took a severe down-turn. Before his teenage, he played xylophone in a youth band with whom he appeared on national television. Although physically disabled, he was a gifted athlete. In his teenage, he was selected for the Jamaican Wheelchair Basketball team.
But his conversion to Rastafarianism put an end to all that in 1969. He was dropped from the team and returned to Kingston where bumped into Craig soon after. As fate would have it, the pair established contact with Bulgin.
Before their union, the three teens had all individually converted to Rastafarianism. Their shared faith and childhood experiences helped them forge a strong friendship. Leaving behind their old lives, the trio spent most of their time together, busking for money around Kingston.
They spent the next six years singing for their suppers and by 1975, Israel Vibration was a vocal force to reckon with. However, their initial attempt at recording was abortive as the one track they did, the Ernest Hookim-produced Bad Intention, was never released. The following year, an answer to their prayers came through members of the Rastafarian religious group, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, who agreed to finance a single by the trio.
The group recorded the single Why Worry and a new version of Bad Intention for its flip. The group's exquisite dread sound and militant cultural themes made an instant impression and the three found themselves on stage curtain-raising for the likes of Bob Marley and Dennis Brown.
Stunning proportions
In 1977, Israel Vibration began work on their follow-up, The Same Song, with producer Tommy Cowan. By the time they were done, the group had another hit song and a debut album of stunning proportions, which was titled after the single.
The trio's deeply devotional songs, cultural themes, inspirational lyrics, and original take on the roots style had struck a chord with reggae fans around the world. Thus, it was a surprising decision that Israel Vibration recorded their next album, 1981's Why You So Craven, with legendary dancehall producer Junjo Lawes.
After the cross-over success, the three attempted solo careers but only Bulgin made it to a recording studio. His Mr Sunshine album paired him with the Freedom Fighters Band.
In 1987, the three decided they were stronger together than apart. They reunited and approached the RAS label. Although label head Doctor Dread had shown no interest in their solo efforts, he was enthusiastic about their reunion and quickly signed them to RAS.
The trio settled down for the long haul, and although their sound was no longer on the scene's cutting edge, they continued putting out strong sets.
In 1996, the group released their first single in years, the infectious Feeling Irie, taken from their new album Free to Move.
Israel Vibrations' career shows no signs of slowing and the group has firmly carved a secure niche out of what once seemed an impenetrable surface. Their popularity seems assured and they remain a vibrant live act and an all time intriguing studio group.
Original posting location: http://allafrica.com/stories/200605220250.html
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
The Best Coffee in the World!
Head to Jamaica's Blue Mountains
We seem to be awash with coffee and coffee shops. Has the world gone coffee crazy?
Well, we all seem to be hooked on the brown brew because coffee is now the world's most popular drink and coffee beans are the second most traded commodity.
What's the first?
Petroleum - and compared to the problems they are having in that industry any worries about our growing caffeine consumption seem as mild as a skinny latte.
Coffee
Ian Fleming's favourite: Blue Mountain coffee
Agreed, but how do I find my way through this flood of cappuccinos, frappuccinos and espresso macchiatos? You could start by travelling to taste what some connoisseurs consider to be the world's finest coffee - Jamaican Blue Mountain.
Really, and who are these connoisseurs?
Well, the writer Ian Fleming for one. He may have been biased because he had a house in Jamaica, but Blue Mountain was his favourite coffee and, like so many of his personal preferences, it became James Bond's choice too.
Great, a trip to the Caribbean to try 007's favourite brew. Lead on.
Once in Jamaica the first step is to head for the hills, as it is only the coffee grown above 3,000ft on the steep slopes at the eastern end of the island that is classified as true Blue Mountain.
And where should I stay?
The best place is Strawberry Hill - an elegant, plantation-style hilltop hideaway that makes a perfect base for coffee expeditions.
A hotel I presume?
Yes, 12 Georgian cottages to be exact and a lot more besides. It was once the home of Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records. It's where Bob Marley convalesced after being shot and where U2 relaxed in between recording sessions and saving the planet.
Sounds like a cool place?
In more senses than one, because it is usually 10 degrees cooler than downtown Kingston, which makes it so a great place to ease yourself into tropical Jamaica. You particularly appreciate the setting when you wake up early from your night flight and realise where the name comes from.
What, Strawberry Hill?
No, the Blue Mountains. The low morning sunlight gives the slopes a warm blue hue that's quite a sight from your bedroom veranda. Then, with the hummingbirds darting and the swallowtails swooping, its over to the terrace of the main house for your first taste of the legendary coffee.
Is it as good as Bond promises?
Well, sitting at a table with freshly pressed linen, drinking from white china while listening to warm reggae with the whole of Kingston laid out before you, it is hard not to enjoy a cup.
So what does it taste like?
It's surprisingly mild and sweet with a heavy aroma - perhaps even a little too subtle for modern Europeans, who are used to the mule kick of the Robusta bean (Blue Mountain coffee is pure Arabica). It has been called the tea drinker's coffee and you can see why it appealed to early English settlers.
Indeedy. Now, after my early morning dip in the infinity pool, is there any other coffee business to enjoy?
There are coffee candles on sale in the hotel shop, pork loin with Blue Mountain Coffee glaze to try in the restaurant, and there is even talk of a coffee scrub in the Aveda spa. But your best bet is to arrange a trip to the source of the hotel's fresh morning brew by booking a taxi to take you to Twyman's coffee farm.
The home of our Grail Trail coffee I presume?
Yes, the Twyman family runs a single-estate coffee plantation another thousand feet up into the mountains. A few years ago, after a tough legal battle, the Twyman's Old Tavern Estate won the right to sell its coffee under the Blue Mountain name. It now produces its own high-quality product, which is unashamedly aimed at the gourmet market.
And are visitors encouraged?
Alex and Dorothy Twyman offer good old-fashioned hospitality for all the coffee pilgrims who make the trek to their simple mountain shack. They make a great double act with Mrs Twyman as the roaster and Mr Twyman the raconteur, guiding visitors through the process of coffee production on their estate.
Do you learn anything?
Not half. You come away with a sensory understanding of how the intoxicating scent of the coffee is released from unpromising green beans. Then there is the child-like wonder of actually seeing coffee growing on a bush. With the tremendous views of the valleys below (when mists clear) and Alex's boundless enthusiasm for his land, his product and his family, it's a real treat.
An expensive excursion?
You are not charged a penny, because they know that their bespoke retail business relies on word of mouth and the tours are the best form of advertising. Of course, they do sell their coffee at the end of the visit and it would be remiss not to come away with a bag or two. There is a choice of freshly roasted styles that you can buy in half-pound bags for £8.
Isn't that rather steep for coffee?
Alex describes it as "bloody expensive" but feels that the high-quality maintenance that goes into the slow growing, hand-picked and sorted beans demands it. It's certainly cheaper than the bags of ground coffee sold at resorts and tourist shops around the island and considerably less than the Fortnum & Mason price of £20 for half a pound.
So how should I prepare my precious beans?
Everybody has a preferred method and should grind the beans accordingly, says Alex. However he does lay down a few strict rules to get the best from his Blue Mountain coffee:
# Always use the purest of water, even bottled water if necessary. One of the reasons the coffee he serves on his estate tastes so good is because of the fresh mountain water he collects from just outside his door.
# Serve in china rather than paper or plastic cups and make sure it's white so you can see if the coffee's muddy.
# Stale coffee tastes bad no matter where it comes from, so always grind your beans fresh for each new round of drinks. Remember to store your bag of beans away from direct light and heat. Vacuum sealing isn't a good idea because the beans need to breathe - all Twyman's coffee is packed in bags with a one-way valve so that the CO2 can come out and no oxygen can get in.
# Serve the coffee piping hot and don't ever pollute the beautiful brew with that dreadful stuff, cow's milk. Of course, the true Jamaican style is coffee served with condensed milk and perhaps even a splash of the island's other national treasure - overproof rum. Try it, it's a fine combination, just don't let Alex catch you and remember to call Dorothy for a fresh roast when you've drunk your quota.
Going there
A perfect time to visit the Blue Mountains is April, when the air is filled with the delicate perfume of coffee blossom. For a more traditional coffee tour that's within walking distance of Strawberry Hill, try Craighton Estate and Great House. They offer a lecture, coffee tasting and a tour around the gardens that lasts about one hour for £8.50 per person (001 876 929 8490). "It can rain in a heartbeat" in Jamaica, especially up at Twyman's, where the mist can come in the time it takes to stir sugar into your coffee.
Take a waterproof and remember to phone ahead to check on conditions.
ContactsTo arrange a personal tour of Alex Twyman's Old Tavern Blue Mountain Coffee Estate, telephone 001 876 399 1222 (www.exportjamaica.org/oldtavern). Note that the Twymans don't cater for large groups.
For reservations at Strawberry Hill, contact 00800 688 76781, www.islandoutpost.com./strawberry_hill. For more information about the Blue Mountains and trips in and around Jamaica, contact the Jamaica Tourist Board (020 7225 9090), or see www.visitjamaica.com. Air Jamaica (020 8570 7999, www.airjamaica.com) offers daily return flights from London to Kingston and Montego Bay from £450, including taxes.
We seem to be awash with coffee and coffee shops. Has the world gone coffee crazy?
Well, we all seem to be hooked on the brown brew because coffee is now the world's most popular drink and coffee beans are the second most traded commodity.
What's the first?
Petroleum - and compared to the problems they are having in that industry any worries about our growing caffeine consumption seem as mild as a skinny latte.
Coffee
Ian Fleming's favourite: Blue Mountain coffee
Agreed, but how do I find my way through this flood of cappuccinos, frappuccinos and espresso macchiatos? You could start by travelling to taste what some connoisseurs consider to be the world's finest coffee - Jamaican Blue Mountain.
Really, and who are these connoisseurs?
Well, the writer Ian Fleming for one. He may have been biased because he had a house in Jamaica, but Blue Mountain was his favourite coffee and, like so many of his personal preferences, it became James Bond's choice too.
Great, a trip to the Caribbean to try 007's favourite brew. Lead on.
Once in Jamaica the first step is to head for the hills, as it is only the coffee grown above 3,000ft on the steep slopes at the eastern end of the island that is classified as true Blue Mountain.
And where should I stay?
The best place is Strawberry Hill - an elegant, plantation-style hilltop hideaway that makes a perfect base for coffee expeditions.
A hotel I presume?
Yes, 12 Georgian cottages to be exact and a lot more besides. It was once the home of Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records. It's where Bob Marley convalesced after being shot and where U2 relaxed in between recording sessions and saving the planet.
Sounds like a cool place?
In more senses than one, because it is usually 10 degrees cooler than downtown Kingston, which makes it so a great place to ease yourself into tropical Jamaica. You particularly appreciate the setting when you wake up early from your night flight and realise where the name comes from.
What, Strawberry Hill?
No, the Blue Mountains. The low morning sunlight gives the slopes a warm blue hue that's quite a sight from your bedroom veranda. Then, with the hummingbirds darting and the swallowtails swooping, its over to the terrace of the main house for your first taste of the legendary coffee.
Is it as good as Bond promises?
Well, sitting at a table with freshly pressed linen, drinking from white china while listening to warm reggae with the whole of Kingston laid out before you, it is hard not to enjoy a cup.
So what does it taste like?
It's surprisingly mild and sweet with a heavy aroma - perhaps even a little too subtle for modern Europeans, who are used to the mule kick of the Robusta bean (Blue Mountain coffee is pure Arabica). It has been called the tea drinker's coffee and you can see why it appealed to early English settlers.
Indeedy. Now, after my early morning dip in the infinity pool, is there any other coffee business to enjoy?
There are coffee candles on sale in the hotel shop, pork loin with Blue Mountain Coffee glaze to try in the restaurant, and there is even talk of a coffee scrub in the Aveda spa. But your best bet is to arrange a trip to the source of the hotel's fresh morning brew by booking a taxi to take you to Twyman's coffee farm.
The home of our Grail Trail coffee I presume?
Yes, the Twyman family runs a single-estate coffee plantation another thousand feet up into the mountains. A few years ago, after a tough legal battle, the Twyman's Old Tavern Estate won the right to sell its coffee under the Blue Mountain name. It now produces its own high-quality product, which is unashamedly aimed at the gourmet market.
And are visitors encouraged?
Alex and Dorothy Twyman offer good old-fashioned hospitality for all the coffee pilgrims who make the trek to their simple mountain shack. They make a great double act with Mrs Twyman as the roaster and Mr Twyman the raconteur, guiding visitors through the process of coffee production on their estate.
Do you learn anything?
Not half. You come away with a sensory understanding of how the intoxicating scent of the coffee is released from unpromising green beans. Then there is the child-like wonder of actually seeing coffee growing on a bush. With the tremendous views of the valleys below (when mists clear) and Alex's boundless enthusiasm for his land, his product and his family, it's a real treat.
An expensive excursion?
You are not charged a penny, because they know that their bespoke retail business relies on word of mouth and the tours are the best form of advertising. Of course, they do sell their coffee at the end of the visit and it would be remiss not to come away with a bag or two. There is a choice of freshly roasted styles that you can buy in half-pound bags for £8.
Isn't that rather steep for coffee?
Alex describes it as "bloody expensive" but feels that the high-quality maintenance that goes into the slow growing, hand-picked and sorted beans demands it. It's certainly cheaper than the bags of ground coffee sold at resorts and tourist shops around the island and considerably less than the Fortnum & Mason price of £20 for half a pound.
So how should I prepare my precious beans?
Everybody has a preferred method and should grind the beans accordingly, says Alex. However he does lay down a few strict rules to get the best from his Blue Mountain coffee:
# Always use the purest of water, even bottled water if necessary. One of the reasons the coffee he serves on his estate tastes so good is because of the fresh mountain water he collects from just outside his door.
# Serve in china rather than paper or plastic cups and make sure it's white so you can see if the coffee's muddy.
# Stale coffee tastes bad no matter where it comes from, so always grind your beans fresh for each new round of drinks. Remember to store your bag of beans away from direct light and heat. Vacuum sealing isn't a good idea because the beans need to breathe - all Twyman's coffee is packed in bags with a one-way valve so that the CO2 can come out and no oxygen can get in.
# Serve the coffee piping hot and don't ever pollute the beautiful brew with that dreadful stuff, cow's milk. Of course, the true Jamaican style is coffee served with condensed milk and perhaps even a splash of the island's other national treasure - overproof rum. Try it, it's a fine combination, just don't let Alex catch you and remember to call Dorothy for a fresh roast when you've drunk your quota.
Going there
A perfect time to visit the Blue Mountains is April, when the air is filled with the delicate perfume of coffee blossom. For a more traditional coffee tour that's within walking distance of Strawberry Hill, try Craighton Estate and Great House. They offer a lecture, coffee tasting and a tour around the gardens that lasts about one hour for £8.50 per person (001 876 929 8490). "It can rain in a heartbeat" in Jamaica, especially up at Twyman's, where the mist can come in the time it takes to stir sugar into your coffee.
Take a waterproof and remember to phone ahead to check on conditions.
ContactsTo arrange a personal tour of Alex Twyman's Old Tavern Blue Mountain Coffee Estate, telephone 001 876 399 1222 (www.exportjamaica.org/oldtavern). Note that the Twymans don't cater for large groups.
For reservations at Strawberry Hill, contact 00800 688 76781, www.islandoutpost.com./strawberry_hill. For more information about the Blue Mountains and trips in and around Jamaica, contact the Jamaica Tourist Board (020 7225 9090), or see www.visitjamaica.com. Air Jamaica (020 8570 7999, www.airjamaica.com) offers daily return flights from London to Kingston and Montego Bay from £450, including taxes.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Ziggy Marley Pledges "Love" on New Album
By Wes Orshoski
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Ziggy Marley has just finished work on his second solo record, "Love Is My Religion," a disc of groove-laden songs touching on the most universal of emotions.
"It's all about love and all aspects of love," the reggae scion told Billboard.com. "The title track is about love between a man and a woman. It just means, 'Hey baby, I'm all love."'
Marley's first album since his marriage about a year ago, "Love is My Religion" is also his second disc apart from longtime backing group the Melody Makers. He plays most of the instruments on the disc, most of which was recorded at his home studio in Jamaica.
As the eldest son of Bob Marley, he has been in the spotlight since he was a toddler, and he says the new album reflects his three decades in music. "It's my best, because I've taken all that experience and I've learned so much, and I kind of understand where I want the music to be," he said.
"Right now, I want to groove more. I want to be onstage and be able to groove throughout the whole album. In the past, I was very artsy, and I did a lot of artistic things, which was just for me. But that should have been just for me," he added, laughing. "Now, I'm grooving for everybody."
Marley says the record will most likely be released in July via his Tuff Gong Worldwide label. He's currently in negotiations for a distributor. "Nobody owns my stuff. I own it," he said. "So what I did was form a new Tuff Gong, which is like Tuff Gong without any attachments to any other labels."
Now 37, one year older than his father at the time of his death from cancer in 1981, Marley is excited to gain new footing in the business world. After recording for Virgin and Elektra with the Melody Makers, and releasing his 2003 solo debut via Private Music, he's now a free agent.
"This is the best time, in terms of owning your own masters," he said. "This was a dream of my father. I'm actually fulfilling what he wanted. Right now, I feel like I'm doing for him what he wanted to do. After 'Uprising,' his last album for Island Records, he was going to do his own thing."
In 2003, the Marley family discovered a box of Bob's previously unreleased recordings and may eventually release them on an album. The first unheard song, "Slogans," featured a guitar overdub from
Eric Clapton, appeared on last year's singles collection "Africa Unite."
Marley says a second tune, "Real Good Time," will boast drumming from the Police's
Stewart Copeland, but he did not reveal a planned release date. "We'll wait for the right time," he said.
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Ziggy Marley has just finished work on his second solo record, "Love Is My Religion," a disc of groove-laden songs touching on the most universal of emotions.
"It's all about love and all aspects of love," the reggae scion told Billboard.com. "The title track is about love between a man and a woman. It just means, 'Hey baby, I'm all love."'
Marley's first album since his marriage about a year ago, "Love is My Religion" is also his second disc apart from longtime backing group the Melody Makers. He plays most of the instruments on the disc, most of which was recorded at his home studio in Jamaica.
As the eldest son of Bob Marley, he has been in the spotlight since he was a toddler, and he says the new album reflects his three decades in music. "It's my best, because I've taken all that experience and I've learned so much, and I kind of understand where I want the music to be," he said.
"Right now, I want to groove more. I want to be onstage and be able to groove throughout the whole album. In the past, I was very artsy, and I did a lot of artistic things, which was just for me. But that should have been just for me," he added, laughing. "Now, I'm grooving for everybody."
Marley says the record will most likely be released in July via his Tuff Gong Worldwide label. He's currently in negotiations for a distributor. "Nobody owns my stuff. I own it," he said. "So what I did was form a new Tuff Gong, which is like Tuff Gong without any attachments to any other labels."
Now 37, one year older than his father at the time of his death from cancer in 1981, Marley is excited to gain new footing in the business world. After recording for Virgin and Elektra with the Melody Makers, and releasing his 2003 solo debut via Private Music, he's now a free agent.
"This is the best time, in terms of owning your own masters," he said. "This was a dream of my father. I'm actually fulfilling what he wanted. Right now, I feel like I'm doing for him what he wanted to do. After 'Uprising,' his last album for Island Records, he was going to do his own thing."
In 2003, the Marley family discovered a box of Bob's previously unreleased recordings and may eventually release them on an album. The first unheard song, "Slogans," featured a guitar overdub from
Eric Clapton, appeared on last year's singles collection "Africa Unite."
Marley says a second tune, "Real Good Time," will boast drumming from the Police's
Stewart Copeland, but he did not reveal a planned release date. "We'll wait for the right time," he said.
Where There's Smoke
Christopher J. Farley
Last weekend, I was invited to speak at the annual Houston International Festival in Texas. This year's Ifest focused on my native country of Jamaica. After a panel that featured my new book, Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley, a teenager in a Johnny Cash t-shirt came up to me and said he very much appreciated my talk.
"I didn't realize how deep Bob Marley was," the teen said. "I thought he was just a stoner."
I don't smoke and I don't drink. But I know from research that I did on my book, and from the conduct of the potheads in my high school shop class (they were particularly bad and dangerous when it came to spot-welding), that it's sometimes tough for folks who smoke lots of marijuana to be taken seriously. That's true whether you're Bob Marley or a medical researcher with an Ivy League degree.
In fact, serious pot-smokers got dealt a serious blow by the U.S. government just a few days ago. On April 20, in a move that was sharply criticized by many researchers and physicians, the U.S Food and Drug Administration issued a statement that read, in part, that the agency did "not support the use of smoked marijuana for medical purposes." The statement also claimed that several Department of Health and Human Services agencies had "concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States."
Marley might have wondered what the FDA had been smoking.
The reggae star was the most famous advocate of medical marijuana use. As a believer in Rastafari, a school of religious thought born in Jamaica, Marley saw marijuana as a sacrament. He also saw it as medicine for the body and the body politic. Time and again he called ganja "the healing of the nation." Marley argued that "Herb is not a drug. Herb is a plant that grow. And God made it so that mankind can take it."
Perry Henzell, the director of the classic film "The Harder They Come," once pointed out that the reggae star's decision to embrace a religious faction that featured ganja as a sacrament may have been the canniest move of his career.
Henzell was right. But Rastas don't just smoke ganja just to get high. Well, of course they like getting high, but there's a lot of thought that goes into it, or at least much more thought than the potheads used to show in my shop class.
Rasta teachings hold that the Bible once read that King Solomon's robes were made from hemp and that the original Hebrews used wisdom weed as incense. Rastas cite several biblical passages to back up their position. For example, Exodus 10:12 declares: "Eat every herb of the land."
It says "eat" and not "smoke" but for Rastas, that's close enough.
Rastas have paid dearly for their choice of sacrament.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Rasta musicians were routinely targeted by Jamaican cops. Bob Marley and his bandmates Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer would all spend time in Jamaican prisons for marijuana offenses. Toots Hibberts of the Maytals spent two years in jail for marijuana possession, nearly derailing his career. He later wrote the hit song "54-46 (That's My Number)" about the experience.
The FDA's recent statement asserted that "there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful."
Marley and his Rasta brethren had their own "sound" evidence that it was not.
Marley was arguably the greatest creative force the music world has ever seen. His songs, decades after they were first written, are anthems in Jamaica, South Africa, Japan -- and Houston, Texas. Ganja didn't seem to have a negative impact on his creativity.
Critics, however, have a powerful counterargument. Marley died of cancer at the age of 36. It's impossible to say with certainty whether his near-constant ganja smoking played any role. But it would be tempting for some to argue that it did.
Marley's life, like all lives, may have faded like smoke from a spliff. But his music lingers. The art that he made was more than a temporary buzz. It is serious stuff. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT "BEFORE THE LEGEND", CLICK THE AMAZON LINK...
Original post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-j-farley/where-theres-smoke_b_19810.html
Last weekend, I was invited to speak at the annual Houston International Festival in Texas. This year's Ifest focused on my native country of Jamaica. After a panel that featured my new book, Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley, a teenager in a Johnny Cash t-shirt came up to me and said he very much appreciated my talk.
"I didn't realize how deep Bob Marley was," the teen said. "I thought he was just a stoner."
I don't smoke and I don't drink. But I know from research that I did on my book, and from the conduct of the potheads in my high school shop class (they were particularly bad and dangerous when it came to spot-welding), that it's sometimes tough for folks who smoke lots of marijuana to be taken seriously. That's true whether you're Bob Marley or a medical researcher with an Ivy League degree.
In fact, serious pot-smokers got dealt a serious blow by the U.S. government just a few days ago. On April 20, in a move that was sharply criticized by many researchers and physicians, the U.S Food and Drug Administration issued a statement that read, in part, that the agency did "not support the use of smoked marijuana for medical purposes." The statement also claimed that several Department of Health and Human Services agencies had "concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States."
Marley might have wondered what the FDA had been smoking.
The reggae star was the most famous advocate of medical marijuana use. As a believer in Rastafari, a school of religious thought born in Jamaica, Marley saw marijuana as a sacrament. He also saw it as medicine for the body and the body politic. Time and again he called ganja "the healing of the nation." Marley argued that "Herb is not a drug. Herb is a plant that grow. And God made it so that mankind can take it."
Perry Henzell, the director of the classic film "The Harder They Come," once pointed out that the reggae star's decision to embrace a religious faction that featured ganja as a sacrament may have been the canniest move of his career.
Henzell was right. But Rastas don't just smoke ganja just to get high. Well, of course they like getting high, but there's a lot of thought that goes into it, or at least much more thought than the potheads used to show in my shop class.
Rasta teachings hold that the Bible once read that King Solomon's robes were made from hemp and that the original Hebrews used wisdom weed as incense. Rastas cite several biblical passages to back up their position. For example, Exodus 10:12 declares: "Eat every herb of the land."
It says "eat" and not "smoke" but for Rastas, that's close enough.
Rastas have paid dearly for their choice of sacrament.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Rasta musicians were routinely targeted by Jamaican cops. Bob Marley and his bandmates Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer would all spend time in Jamaican prisons for marijuana offenses. Toots Hibberts of the Maytals spent two years in jail for marijuana possession, nearly derailing his career. He later wrote the hit song "54-46 (That's My Number)" about the experience.
The FDA's recent statement asserted that "there is currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful."
Marley and his Rasta brethren had their own "sound" evidence that it was not.
Marley was arguably the greatest creative force the music world has ever seen. His songs, decades after they were first written, are anthems in Jamaica, South Africa, Japan -- and Houston, Texas. Ganja didn't seem to have a negative impact on his creativity.
Critics, however, have a powerful counterargument. Marley died of cancer at the age of 36. It's impossible to say with certainty whether his near-constant ganja smoking played any role. But it would be tempting for some to argue that it did.
Marley's life, like all lives, may have faded like smoke from a spliff. But his music lingers. The art that he made was more than a temporary buzz. It is serious stuff. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT "BEFORE THE LEGEND", CLICK THE AMAZON LINK...
Original post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-j-farley/where-theres-smoke_b_19810.html
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Vote Bob Marley in 2008!
Article by Christopher J. Farley
New Bob Marley Book: Before the Legend
This week, the New York Times published a story reporting that folk-rocker Neil Young was set to release a new politically-charged album that was "overtly partisan."
Pearl Jam, the Seattle-based rock band, just came out with a single, "World Wide Suicide," that seems to be critical of President Bush's handling of the Iraq War.
In recent years, a number of country singers have released songs praising the president and the troops and the conduct of the war.
Politics has returned to music. It never really left, but the Iraq War has put it on the radio, on the charts and in the mainstream media.
It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a war to raise the voices of political songwriters.
So it's a good time to look back at the greatest political singer-songwriter in music history: Bob Marley. May 11th is the 25th anniversary of the reggae singer's death.
Like a great politician, Marley transcended politics. In many ways he was like Barack Obama with a guitar. And dreadlocks. And a spliff.
Well, maybe he wasn't that much like Obama, but you get what I'm going for here.
Marley could have toured the red states and the blue states. He could have toured the magenta states too, if they had them.
It's hard to find people that hate Bob Marley.
I once did an interview with Bob Dylan and the subject of Marley and his songwriting came up. Dylan told me "Bob Marley's music isn't political. Bob Marley's music is universal."
And, of course, the other Bob was right. Dylan did write "Like a Rolling Stone," after all, so he knows a little something about songcraft.
Marley's genius is like that of William Faulkner or James Joyce: he made the local into the universal.
Marley is also a lot more fun to dance to than Faulkner or Joyce.
I once saw an interview in which someone referred to Canada as the Bob Marley of countries. In other words, the speaker was using Marley as symbol for something innocuous, inoffensive, and easy-going.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
They have a word they use in Jamaica, "Irie." It means many things, but it also means that things are doing alright. How you doing? Irie, mon.
Marley found the perfect blend of ire and irie.
Many of his songs--"Babylon System," "Get Up Stand Up," "War," "Rat Race"--are filled with incendiary lyrics.
Just Google them, you'll see.
If you're Googling them in China, I'd be careful.
Many of today's partisan singers, on either side of the issues, miss the main point of political songwriting.
Marley's most political songs are so convincing, so charming, and so righteous, they seem to have no politics at all. They draw you in with their warm grooves, and the sweet melodies make the angry lyrics go down easy.
Great political songwriting shouldn't just enrage--it should enchant.
Marley's music continues to cast a spell over partisans of every stripe.
Christopher John Farley is the author of the new biography "Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley."
Plan to provide genuine alternative sources of energy.
Five cornerstones of John Kerry's 2020 Energy Plan to provide genuine alternative sources of energy.
INCENTIVIZING RENEWABLE ENERGY
More than 20 states have implemented market-based Renewable Energy Portfolio programs that require utilities to gradually increase the portion of electricity produced from renewable resources such as wind, biomass, geothermal, and solar energy. We should build on that success at the national level. Tell your Senators to enact a nationwide Renewable Portfolio Standard so that 20% of our energy comes from renewable sources by 2020. A study by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that implementing this policy would save $26.6 billion and that commercial and industrial customers would be the biggest winners.
PROMOTING BIO-ENERGY
We have the ability to transform our transportation sector from one that fuels our addiction to one that drives us toward a sustainable future. The President should build on that demand and fuel new production opportunities by supporting a mandate that agriculture will provide 20% of the total energy consumed in the United States by 2020.
INVESTING IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY
In addition to developing new sources of energy, we must make better use of available energy. New technological advances in appliances, energy grid systems, and buildings can boost productivity, create jobs, improve the reliability and safety of the energy infrastructure, and make dramatic inroads in reducing air pollution. Congress should enact energy efficiency measures to decrease energy use by 20% by 2020.-
PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUPER-EFFICIENT VEHICLES
Financial incentives and grants for consumers and for industries that are retooling plants to promote the manufacturing and purchase of hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of gas and electric power to sharply increase efficiency. Twenty percent of all passenger cars and trucks on the road should be high-efficiency, low emissions hybrids by 2020.
SETTING AMERICA FREE FROM MIDDLE EAST OIL
Today, America spends more than $500,000 per minute on foreign oil or $30 million per hour. We paid more than $42 billion for Persian Gulf imports alone in 2005. It is bad enough that these dollars will not help grow our domestic economy - - it is even worse when you consider their impact on our national security. Congress should act to eliminate America's oil imports from the Middle East by 2020.
Burning Spear takes Reggae to the People
Jamaican-born artist plays Orange Peel
By Carol Mallett-Rifkin
CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT
published: April 14, 2006 6:00 am
"I don't mind" is an expression that Grammy-winning reggae star Burning Spear says a lot in his beautiful sing-song Jamaican voice. It doesn't mean he doesn't care - political activism and songs with a message are at the core of his music. Many fans who flock to hear his music and words weren't even born when Spear began taking Jamaican reggae sounds around the world in the early 1970s. Rock to his reggae next Thursday at The Orange Peel as the legendary artist brings his large band and danceable presence to the stage.
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"Everything I do is based upon a social aspect," Spear said. "People can be people amongst people with no jealousy, anger or greed. I see this as a very important thing for people to know."
Originally born Winston Rodney in the parish of St. Anne's in Jamaica, he's from the same region that produced reggae superstars Bob Marley and the Wailers. "I met him (Marley), that was in 1969; he is from the same parts I am, too," said Spear. "He lived in the countryside, and I lived down in the town. I went to his area and bumped into Bob. He directed me to Studio One and I went and recorded there."
On Marley's recommendation, Spear recorded his first two classic albums at Studio One, "Burning Spear" and "Rocking Time" and went on to record "Marcus Garvey," "Man in the Hills" and "Garvey's Ghost" on Island Records in the '70s, establishing himself internationally.
A string of hits followed, including the Grammy-winning "Calling Rastafari", "Rasta Business", "The World Should Know" and more.
He wears his politics in his name and music. Spear is passionate about clearing the name of Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican native (also from St. Anne's Parrish) he feels was wrongly treated in both the U.S. and Jamaica.
"He came to America in the '20s and was there for the African-American people and did a lot of good things for them. At some time, it went wrong and people turned on him. He wanted to show African-American people that they could function as a nation. I think the Jamaican government should set his record free and clear his name," Spear said.
The term Burning Spear is a reference to Jomo Kenyatta, a political activist who championed for a free and democratic Kenya and went on to become that country's first president. Spear adopted it as a band name and then his name.
"I don't mind which you call me," he said.
For close to 20 years, Spear has been living in Queens, N.Y., with his wife and partner Sonia Rodney, creating the Burning Spear record label. Their 2003 "Free Man" was Grammy nominated and their newest release, "Our Music", builds on Spear's tradition of promoting peace and harmony to a danceable groove.
"Well, it's nine of us on stage, we have three guitars, drums, keyboard, a horn section and myself. I'm playing a lot of percussion," said Spear, who says lately his favorite instrument is congas. "They are all young people. It is good to have a lot of young people around you. It's like a family on the road, we're rockin'." Every ticket holder to this show will receive a commemorative Burning Spear at The Orange Peel poster.
With more than 35 years on the road behind him, he is not ready to retire any time soon.
"You have to condition your mind and body to keep it going, be serious about it," said Spear. "I want to continue until the time is right. I am working on my documentary telling the true story about Burning Spear. A lot of people haven't gotten it right. I'm Burning Spear, and I'm telling the story."
By Carol Mallett-Rifkin
CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT
published: April 14, 2006 6:00 am
"I don't mind" is an expression that Grammy-winning reggae star Burning Spear says a lot in his beautiful sing-song Jamaican voice. It doesn't mean he doesn't care - political activism and songs with a message are at the core of his music. Many fans who flock to hear his music and words weren't even born when Spear began taking Jamaican reggae sounds around the world in the early 1970s. Rock to his reggae next Thursday at The Orange Peel as the legendary artist brings his large band and danceable presence to the stage.
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"Everything I do is based upon a social aspect," Spear said. "People can be people amongst people with no jealousy, anger or greed. I see this as a very important thing for people to know."
Originally born Winston Rodney in the parish of St. Anne's in Jamaica, he's from the same region that produced reggae superstars Bob Marley and the Wailers. "I met him (Marley), that was in 1969; he is from the same parts I am, too," said Spear. "He lived in the countryside, and I lived down in the town. I went to his area and bumped into Bob. He directed me to Studio One and I went and recorded there."
On Marley's recommendation, Spear recorded his first two classic albums at Studio One, "Burning Spear" and "Rocking Time" and went on to record "Marcus Garvey," "Man in the Hills" and "Garvey's Ghost" on Island Records in the '70s, establishing himself internationally.
A string of hits followed, including the Grammy-winning "Calling Rastafari", "Rasta Business", "The World Should Know" and more.
He wears his politics in his name and music. Spear is passionate about clearing the name of Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican native (also from St. Anne's Parrish) he feels was wrongly treated in both the U.S. and Jamaica.
"He came to America in the '20s and was there for the African-American people and did a lot of good things for them. At some time, it went wrong and people turned on him. He wanted to show African-American people that they could function as a nation. I think the Jamaican government should set his record free and clear his name," Spear said.
The term Burning Spear is a reference to Jomo Kenyatta, a political activist who championed for a free and democratic Kenya and went on to become that country's first president. Spear adopted it as a band name and then his name.
"I don't mind which you call me," he said.
For close to 20 years, Spear has been living in Queens, N.Y., with his wife and partner Sonia Rodney, creating the Burning Spear record label. Their 2003 "Free Man" was Grammy nominated and their newest release, "Our Music", builds on Spear's tradition of promoting peace and harmony to a danceable groove.
"Well, it's nine of us on stage, we have three guitars, drums, keyboard, a horn section and myself. I'm playing a lot of percussion," said Spear, who says lately his favorite instrument is congas. "They are all young people. It is good to have a lot of young people around you. It's like a family on the road, we're rockin'." Every ticket holder to this show will receive a commemorative Burning Spear at The Orange Peel poster.
With more than 35 years on the road behind him, he is not ready to retire any time soon.
"You have to condition your mind and body to keep it going, be serious about it," said Spear. "I want to continue until the time is right. I am working on my documentary telling the true story about Burning Spear. A lot of people haven't gotten it right. I'm Burning Spear, and I'm telling the story."
Friday, April 07, 2006
Jimmy Cliff's Musical Travels the Hard Road from Film to Stage
By Louise Jury, Arts Correspondent
Published: 07 April 2006
The soundtrack to the cult 1972 film The Harder They Come propelled the young Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff to worldwide fame, and brought reggae to mainstream audiences.
Last night the 61-year-old singer, who helped Bob Marley record his first song, was the guest of honour at the premiere of a new stage version of the film, at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London.
The show has been adapted by Perry Henzell, the director of the original film, who also attended. Rolan Bell, a young British-born actor of Jamaican descent in only his second professional role, is the new star of a production that has attracted enormous advance bookings, and will play through the summer. It includes many of the best-known songs from the highly influential film soundtrack, including "Many Rivers to Cross" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want", after Cliff and his record label agreed to grant the rights.
Cliff, who played the lead role of Ivanhoe Martin in the original film, said: "I'm pleased to see it happening in London, it's the right place for it."
The story of a country boy who goes to seek his fortune in Kingston, but is exploited and finds himself on the wrong side of the law, the film was a landmark event in Jamaica. On its release in Britain, there was little interest, but a review by the jazz musician George Melly helped it find an audience. It went on to open in America.
"It was the vehicle that propelled me to international stardom. I was known as a singer songwriter before that, but people did not know me as an actor," Cliff said. "It showed the world where the music I contributed to create was coming from. It opened the gates for Jamaican music, internationally."
The soundtrack to the cult 1972 film The Harder They Come propelled the young Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff to worldwide fame, and brought reggae to mainstream audiences.
Last night the 61-year-old singer, who helped Bob Marley record his first song, was the guest of honour at the premiere of a new stage version of the film, at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London.
The show has been adapted by Perry Henzell, the director of the original film, who also attended. Rolan Bell, a young British-born actor of Jamaican descent in only his second professional role, is the new star of a production that has attracted enormous advance bookings, and will play through the summer. It includes many of the best-known songs from the highly influential film soundtrack, including "Many Rivers to Cross" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want", after Cliff and his record label agreed to grant the rights.
Cliff, who played the lead role of Ivanhoe Martin in the original film, said: "I'm pleased to see it happening in London, it's the right place for it."
The story of a country boy who goes to seek his fortune in Kingston, but is exploited and finds himself on the wrong side of the law, the film was a landmark event in Jamaica. On its release in Britain, there was little interest, but a review by the jazz musician George Melly helped it find an audience. It went on to open in America.
"It was the vehicle that propelled me to international stardom. I was known as a singer songwriter before that, but people did not know me as an actor," Cliff said. "It showed the world where the music I contributed to create was coming from. It opened the gates for Jamaican music, internationally."
Published: 07 April 2006
The soundtrack to the cult 1972 film The Harder They Come propelled the young Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff to worldwide fame, and brought reggae to mainstream audiences.
Last night the 61-year-old singer, who helped Bob Marley record his first song, was the guest of honour at the premiere of a new stage version of the film, at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London.
The show has been adapted by Perry Henzell, the director of the original film, who also attended. Rolan Bell, a young British-born actor of Jamaican descent in only his second professional role, is the new star of a production that has attracted enormous advance bookings, and will play through the summer. It includes many of the best-known songs from the highly influential film soundtrack, including "Many Rivers to Cross" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want", after Cliff and his record label agreed to grant the rights.
Cliff, who played the lead role of Ivanhoe Martin in the original film, said: "I'm pleased to see it happening in London, it's the right place for it."
The story of a country boy who goes to seek his fortune in Kingston, but is exploited and finds himself on the wrong side of the law, the film was a landmark event in Jamaica. On its release in Britain, there was little interest, but a review by the jazz musician George Melly helped it find an audience. It went on to open in America.
"It was the vehicle that propelled me to international stardom. I was known as a singer songwriter before that, but people did not know me as an actor," Cliff said. "It showed the world where the music I contributed to create was coming from. It opened the gates for Jamaican music, internationally."
The soundtrack to the cult 1972 film The Harder They Come propelled the young Jamaican musician Jimmy Cliff to worldwide fame, and brought reggae to mainstream audiences.
Last night the 61-year-old singer, who helped Bob Marley record his first song, was the guest of honour at the premiere of a new stage version of the film, at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, London.
The show has been adapted by Perry Henzell, the director of the original film, who also attended. Rolan Bell, a young British-born actor of Jamaican descent in only his second professional role, is the new star of a production that has attracted enormous advance bookings, and will play through the summer. It includes many of the best-known songs from the highly influential film soundtrack, including "Many Rivers to Cross" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want", after Cliff and his record label agreed to grant the rights.
Cliff, who played the lead role of Ivanhoe Martin in the original film, said: "I'm pleased to see it happening in London, it's the right place for it."
The story of a country boy who goes to seek his fortune in Kingston, but is exploited and finds himself on the wrong side of the law, the film was a landmark event in Jamaica. On its release in Britain, there was little interest, but a review by the jazz musician George Melly helped it find an audience. It went on to open in America.
"It was the vehicle that propelled me to international stardom. I was known as a singer songwriter before that, but people did not know me as an actor," Cliff said. "It showed the world where the music I contributed to create was coming from. It opened the gates for Jamaican music, internationally."
Ras Alan Connects Appalachia, Jamaica
By Jedd Ferris
CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT
published: April 7, 2006 6:00 am
Ras Alan’s artistic vision revolves around the simplicity of rural life. That’s why he sees the connection between his native Blue Ridge Mountains and the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. For more than two decades he’s used his appreciation of both cultures to continually cultivate his creation of Appalachian Reggae.
Once a musician devoted to old-time and swing jazz, Alan — who grew up in Burke County and now lives just over the state line in Greene County, Tenn. — traveled to Jamaica in 1985 to attend the famed Reggae Sunsplash Festival. It was that trip and the many thereafter to the far reaches of the island’s hills that solidified his musical future.
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“I was raised a Southern Baptist playing gospel and bluegrass,” Alan said. “When I really started checking out Bob Marley, Burning Spear and the Itals, I noticed the biblical words of the Rastafari were similar to what I was raised on. There was a similar passion in the music, and I was instantly attracted to it.”
Alan also saw similarities in rhythm, noticing the chop on the mandolin reminded him of the Stratocaster’s role in island music’s steady pulse.
“I discovered listening to fiddle tunes with a pumping upright bass on someone’s front porch had the same effect as a reggae show.”
As a result, Alan’s been able to blend vintage country and Appalachian folk with the steady grooves of Jamaican ska and roots reggae. Despite seemingly obvious culture clashes, the songwriter’s personal ability to correlate the two genres makes the music breathe with authenticity.
With his homemade acoustic guitar and steady percussive foot box, he revives the dusty mountain ancestry of the Carter Family while bringing a modern context to the soulful social outcry of the Marley message.
“The main connection between Appalachia and Jamaica is the people,” Alan said. “It’s large families that help each other and have had to be creative to sustain and entertain themselves.”
Alan’s work has resonated at home as well. In 2003, he was a breakout performer at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., playing in front of a crowd of tens of thousands. He recorded all of his 10 sets at the event and recently combed through tracks for the live album “Folklife,” which is set for a May release.
The self-proclaimed “Dreadneck” tunesmith also received national attention recently by appearing on a spot of Country Music Television’s “Small Town Secrets” with fellow songwriters Jim Lauderdale and Wayne Henderson.
Jedd Ferris writes about music for the Citizen-Times. E-mail him at jeddferris@gmail.com.
CITIZEN-TIMES CORRESPONDENT
published: April 7, 2006 6:00 am
Ras Alan’s artistic vision revolves around the simplicity of rural life. That’s why he sees the connection between his native Blue Ridge Mountains and the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. For more than two decades he’s used his appreciation of both cultures to continually cultivate his creation of Appalachian Reggae.
Once a musician devoted to old-time and swing jazz, Alan — who grew up in Burke County and now lives just over the state line in Greene County, Tenn. — traveled to Jamaica in 1985 to attend the famed Reggae Sunsplash Festival. It was that trip and the many thereafter to the far reaches of the island’s hills that solidified his musical future.
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“I was raised a Southern Baptist playing gospel and bluegrass,” Alan said. “When I really started checking out Bob Marley, Burning Spear and the Itals, I noticed the biblical words of the Rastafari were similar to what I was raised on. There was a similar passion in the music, and I was instantly attracted to it.”
Alan also saw similarities in rhythm, noticing the chop on the mandolin reminded him of the Stratocaster’s role in island music’s steady pulse.
“I discovered listening to fiddle tunes with a pumping upright bass on someone’s front porch had the same effect as a reggae show.”
As a result, Alan’s been able to blend vintage country and Appalachian folk with the steady grooves of Jamaican ska and roots reggae. Despite seemingly obvious culture clashes, the songwriter’s personal ability to correlate the two genres makes the music breathe with authenticity.
With his homemade acoustic guitar and steady percussive foot box, he revives the dusty mountain ancestry of the Carter Family while bringing a modern context to the soulful social outcry of the Marley message.
“The main connection between Appalachia and Jamaica is the people,” Alan said. “It’s large families that help each other and have had to be creative to sustain and entertain themselves.”
Alan’s work has resonated at home as well. In 2003, he was a breakout performer at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., playing in front of a crowd of tens of thousands. He recorded all of his 10 sets at the event and recently combed through tracks for the live album “Folklife,” which is set for a May release.
The self-proclaimed “Dreadneck” tunesmith also received national attention recently by appearing on a spot of Country Music Television’s “Small Town Secrets” with fellow songwriters Jim Lauderdale and Wayne Henderson.
Jedd Ferris writes about music for the Citizen-Times. E-mail him at jeddferris@gmail.com.
Monday, April 03, 2006
BEFORE THE LEGEND: The Rise of Bob Marley
Bob Marley was a superstar, a musical prophet who brought the unique sounds of reggae, of Jamaica, to the entire globe—to hear his music was to experience the heartbeat, the very breath of a people. His musical style helped to obscure the color line in the music industry at a time when music was often classified within the strict confines of race. BEFORE THE LEGEND: The Rise of Bob Marley (Amistad/HarperCollins; ISBN: 0-06-053991-7; May 2006; $21.95), by acclaimed journalist Christopher John Farley goes beyond the myth to reveal Marley’s private side drawing on interviews from those closest to Marley and information that has not been previously published.
Farley takes the reader on a journey from Bob Marley’s birth in the impoverished town of Nine Miles to his early days as a struggling, talented, determined, and spiritually gifted artist, to the making of his debut album Catch a Fire. BEFORE THE LEGEND features new interviews with bandmate Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley's close family members, including his wife Rita, his mother Cedella, and his children. The book also contains the first-ever published interviews with some of Marley's "white" family members and uncovers fresh information about the reggae great's family history, including the revelation that Marley's father, believed to be white, was actually a person of color. In this first major biography of Bob Marley in more than 20 years, we see Marley as never before: in music, in love, in life, and finally on his wild ride to worldwide acceptance and adoration.
Christopher John Farley, an editor at The Wall Street Journal, is a former Time magazine senior editor and chief music critic who has interviewed a host of major recording stars over his award-winning career, including Bob Dylan, U2, REM, Aretha Franklin, Jay-Z, Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Hill, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Ziggy Marley, Shakira, Beyonce, Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige and many others. He is the author of several music books, including the national bestseller Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. He is the co-author, along with Peter Guralnick and Robert Santelli, of Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues.
Farley takes the reader on a journey from Bob Marley’s birth in the impoverished town of Nine Miles to his early days as a struggling, talented, determined, and spiritually gifted artist, to the making of his debut album Catch a Fire. BEFORE THE LEGEND features new interviews with bandmate Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley's close family members, including his wife Rita, his mother Cedella, and his children. The book also contains the first-ever published interviews with some of Marley's "white" family members and uncovers fresh information about the reggae great's family history, including the revelation that Marley's father, believed to be white, was actually a person of color. In this first major biography of Bob Marley in more than 20 years, we see Marley as never before: in music, in love, in life, and finally on his wild ride to worldwide acceptance and adoration.
Christopher John Farley, an editor at The Wall Street Journal, is a former Time magazine senior editor and chief music critic who has interviewed a host of major recording stars over his award-winning career, including Bob Dylan, U2, REM, Aretha Franklin, Jay-Z, Joni Mitchell, Lauryn Hill, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Ziggy Marley, Shakira, Beyonce, Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige and many others. He is the author of several music books, including the national bestseller Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. He is the co-author, along with Peter Guralnick and Robert Santelli, of Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues.
Blackwell's Palm Pics collars Jamaican 'Dogs'
By Gregg Goldstein Tue Mar 7, 5:27 AM ET
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Reggae music kingpin Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures has chased down all worldwide rights to "Sun Dogs," a documentary following the Jamaican Dogsled Team, sponsored by singer
Jimmy Buffett and his company Margaritaville.
The feature follows the canine crew from their native country to the 2006 U.K. championships in Scotland. Currently in production, the film paints a portrait of the human support team that champions the dogs, from Buffett to Devon Anderson, known as Jamaica's "Dr. Dolittle." It also chronicles the trials of stray dogs whose only chance at survival is getting off the country's tough streets and onto the team.
"We saw the footage and thought it was an incredible story that has a lot of humor," Blackwell said in a statement with David Koh, the firm's head of acquisitions and production. "It's the ultimate underdog story with a fierce Jamaican attitude -- a mix of 'Cool Runnings,' 'The Bad News Bears' and 'Dr. Dolittle."'
Palm Pictures, which is financing the project, plans a theatrical release late this year, followed by a DVD and CD soundtrack release on the company's Palm label. Blackwell founded Island Records, which introduced the world to Bob Marley.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Reggae music kingpin Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures has chased down all worldwide rights to "Sun Dogs," a documentary following the Jamaican Dogsled Team, sponsored by singer
Jimmy Buffett and his company Margaritaville.
The feature follows the canine crew from their native country to the 2006 U.K. championships in Scotland. Currently in production, the film paints a portrait of the human support team that champions the dogs, from Buffett to Devon Anderson, known as Jamaica's "Dr. Dolittle." It also chronicles the trials of stray dogs whose only chance at survival is getting off the country's tough streets and onto the team.
"We saw the footage and thought it was an incredible story that has a lot of humor," Blackwell said in a statement with David Koh, the firm's head of acquisitions and production. "It's the ultimate underdog story with a fierce Jamaican attitude -- a mix of 'Cool Runnings,' 'The Bad News Bears' and 'Dr. Dolittle."'
Palm Pictures, which is financing the project, plans a theatrical release late this year, followed by a DVD and CD soundtrack release on the company's Palm label. Blackwell founded Island Records, which introduced the world to Bob Marley.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Friday, March 17, 2006
Court Trial Underway in Britain
I am owed £60 million in royalties, wails Bob Marley's bassistBy Hugh Davies
(Filed for Daily Telegraph: 17/03/2006)
A musician in Bob Marley's band, the Wailers, launched a £60 million royalties lawsuit in the High Court yesterday claiming that, had he lived, the reggae star would have taken care of him financially as he had always done when they toured the world together.
Aston Barrett, known as "family man" because of his penchant for domesticity (he has 52 children), gave a broad smile in the witness box, telling Mr Justice Lewison: "Bob took care of the business; I took care of the music."
Barrett, a former member of the Jamaican band the Upsetters, who had a British hit the late 1960s with Return of Django, was hired by Marley for his distinctive bass sound and his expertise in obtaining international success.
Sitting in a court chair, he demonstrated how he handled the music with a technique called "shuffle bubble", playing an imaginary organ, and singing "eeh, oh, eeh".
With his dreadlocks twisted into a pony tail and his hearing impaired - "Too much music" - Barrett told of his years with Marley in concerts with acts such as James Brown, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Taj Mahal in London, San Francisco and Jamaica before the singer died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.
Listening intently was Marley's elegant widow, Rita, who with seven of her children and five record companies are resisting the lawsuit.
Barrett, now in his 60s, insisted that Marley had promised members of the band equal shares of the royalties from hit albums, including Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibration and Babylon by Bus.
He said he so trusted Marley that he urged him in a telephone call between Jamaica and America to sign a contract on his behalf.
The case is set against the murky background of Jamaican reggae, where its rastafarian performers, with their unintelligible patois and belief in the divinity of Haile Selassie, the late Ethiopian emperor, face murder, dubious contracts and drug disputes, with fortunes being made from their work.
Stephen Bate, counsel for Barrett, recalled tension in Kingston in 1976, when the music was identified with politics, and Marley, his wife and manager Don Taylor had been shot and wounded during political unrest in Jamaica.
He said that Barrett's father disappeared in 1985. He was found "with his body dismembered - he had been decapitated". Two years later, Barrett's brother, Carlton, the Wailers' original drummer, was "shot and killed".
Mr Bate said: "Aston Barrett and his brother literally created the sound of the Wailers, though not for a minute to detract from the extraordinary songwriting ability of Mr Marley. It was the Barretts' unique sound which brought the Wailers international success. The Barretts were the bedrock of the music."
Universal-Island Records Ltd and the Marley family say that Barrett surrendered his right to further royalties in 1994, giving up all claims in return for a payment of several hundred thousand dollars.
"He said he would always take care of us," Barrett told the court.
Mr Bate said that, when Marley died, his client and brother were left "desperately short of money" but, he added, the brothers' financial problems began after Rita Marley became the administrator of the estate. They felt they had been paid only a proportion of what they were owed, but they had no option but to sign an agreement."
The case continues.
(Filed for Daily Telegraph: 17/03/2006)
A musician in Bob Marley's band, the Wailers, launched a £60 million royalties lawsuit in the High Court yesterday claiming that, had he lived, the reggae star would have taken care of him financially as he had always done when they toured the world together.
Aston Barrett, known as "family man" because of his penchant for domesticity (he has 52 children), gave a broad smile in the witness box, telling Mr Justice Lewison: "Bob took care of the business; I took care of the music."
Barrett, a former member of the Jamaican band the Upsetters, who had a British hit the late 1960s with Return of Django, was hired by Marley for his distinctive bass sound and his expertise in obtaining international success.
Sitting in a court chair, he demonstrated how he handled the music with a technique called "shuffle bubble", playing an imaginary organ, and singing "eeh, oh, eeh".
With his dreadlocks twisted into a pony tail and his hearing impaired - "Too much music" - Barrett told of his years with Marley in concerts with acts such as James Brown, Lee "Scratch" Perry and Taj Mahal in London, San Francisco and Jamaica before the singer died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 36.
Listening intently was Marley's elegant widow, Rita, who with seven of her children and five record companies are resisting the lawsuit.
Barrett, now in his 60s, insisted that Marley had promised members of the band equal shares of the royalties from hit albums, including Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibration and Babylon by Bus.
He said he so trusted Marley that he urged him in a telephone call between Jamaica and America to sign a contract on his behalf.
The case is set against the murky background of Jamaican reggae, where its rastafarian performers, with their unintelligible patois and belief in the divinity of Haile Selassie, the late Ethiopian emperor, face murder, dubious contracts and drug disputes, with fortunes being made from their work.
Stephen Bate, counsel for Barrett, recalled tension in Kingston in 1976, when the music was identified with politics, and Marley, his wife and manager Don Taylor had been shot and wounded during political unrest in Jamaica.
He said that Barrett's father disappeared in 1985. He was found "with his body dismembered - he had been decapitated". Two years later, Barrett's brother, Carlton, the Wailers' original drummer, was "shot and killed".
Mr Bate said: "Aston Barrett and his brother literally created the sound of the Wailers, though not for a minute to detract from the extraordinary songwriting ability of Mr Marley. It was the Barretts' unique sound which brought the Wailers international success. The Barretts were the bedrock of the music."
Universal-Island Records Ltd and the Marley family say that Barrett surrendered his right to further royalties in 1994, giving up all claims in return for a payment of several hundred thousand dollars.
"He said he would always take care of us," Barrett told the court.
Mr Bate said that, when Marley died, his client and brother were left "desperately short of money" but, he added, the brothers' financial problems began after Rita Marley became the administrator of the estate. They felt they had been paid only a proportion of what they were owed, but they had no option but to sign an agreement."
The case continues.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Court Move for Bob Marley Royalties
The Press Association Thursday March 16, 08:34 AM
Bob Marley's bass player Aston Barrett is beginning a High Court battle for a multi-million pound slice of the late Reggae legend's royalties.
Aston is one of several musicians who worked with the Jamaican star and who have been involved in courtroom claims since Marley died without making a will in 1981.
There was a settlement in 1994 between various members of Marley's backing band, the Wailers, and record companies after years of litigation in Jamaica, America and Britain.
But now Aston, on behalf of himself and his drummer brother Carlton, who was murdered in 1986, is claiming a partnership agreement with Marley, copyright in six songs and royalties from recording contracts in 1974 and 1975.
These were the years when singer-songwriter Marley recorded some of his greatest albums which still have worldwide appeal.
Aston went ahead with the action after the High Court refused an application by Universal-Island Records and UMG Recordings in 2003 to have the claim struck out as an abuse of process of the courts or because the musician had already accepted a settlement.
The bass player, now in his 60s and father to 52 children, could receive a payment of up to £60 million if successful.
Bob Marley's bass player Aston Barrett is beginning a High Court battle for a multi-million pound slice of the late Reggae legend's royalties.
Aston is one of several musicians who worked with the Jamaican star and who have been involved in courtroom claims since Marley died without making a will in 1981.
There was a settlement in 1994 between various members of Marley's backing band, the Wailers, and record companies after years of litigation in Jamaica, America and Britain.
But now Aston, on behalf of himself and his drummer brother Carlton, who was murdered in 1986, is claiming a partnership agreement with Marley, copyright in six songs and royalties from recording contracts in 1974 and 1975.
These were the years when singer-songwriter Marley recorded some of his greatest albums which still have worldwide appeal.
Aston went ahead with the action after the High Court refused an application by Universal-Island Records and UMG Recordings in 2003 to have the claim struck out as an abuse of process of the courts or because the musician had already accepted a settlement.
The bass player, now in his 60s and father to 52 children, could receive a payment of up to £60 million if successful.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Jammin' away winter in Jamaica
This Caribbean island offers visitors a blend of the familiar and exotic
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/26/06
BY SUSAN REIGLER
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
While it looks relatively small on a global map, the Caribbean is a richly diverse area, culturally and geographically.
From tiny islands to the coastal countries of Central America, escapes there can be urban or ecological.
If you must choose just one Caribbean destination for a quick winter getaway, the 4,400-square-mile island country of Jamaica could be just the place.
Thanks to such exports as jerk chicken, Blue Mountain coffee and reggae music, U.S. visitors will find a few familiar features in this otherwise exotic destination.
Because of Jamaica's history as a British colony (the Brits captured it from Spain in 1654 and were in charge until autonomy was granted in 1947), the official language of the country is English, peppered with patois catch phrases such as "No problem, mon."
But be prepared for the rough-and-tumble of the cities. Hustlers and drug dealers often approach tourists. Therefore, many first-time visitors opt for resort stays.
Kingston
Jamaica's capital is a city of about 700,000. It's a good base of operation if your stay is limited and you want to experience the country's history, cuisine and night life, with a sprinkling of beach activities.
Reggae fans should check out the Bob Marley Museum, situated in a red brick house that served as the Tuff Gong recording studio. It's Kingston's most visited tourist attraction.
Another popular attraction is Devon House, an 1881 mansion furnished with period antiques that provides a glimpse into the island's colonial history. Two of the city's better restaurants, the Grog Shoppe and Norma's on the Terrace, are inside a former carriage house and in the courtyard.
Venture across Kingston Harbor to Port Royal for a tour of a now-sleepy backwater that was once the pirate capital and later the center of British naval authority in the Caribbean.
Montego Bay
MoBay, as it's known locally, is Jamaica's second-largest city (population 120,000) and its resort capital. From budget-conscious tourist hotels to private, upscale resorts, there are accommodations for all size bank accounts.
Downtown has a collection of late-18th- and early 19th-century stone and timber buildings, with the cobblestone-paved Sam Sharpe Square as a focal point.
For recreation, there are several beaches, including Doctor's Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach. Both are home to food courts, cafes, changing areas and facilities for water sports. Reggae parties are regularly scheduled. Three championship golf courses — Half Moon Golf Club, SuperClubs Golf Club and Tryall Club — are just east of Montego Bay near Ironshore.
Guided tours of Montego Bay Marine Park, which stretches along the coast for almost six miles, include coral reefs and mangrove islands. Waterfowl residents include pelicans, egrets and herons, while the tea-colored water is home to barracuda and tarpon.
Restaurants tend to stay open into the wee hours, with music blaring and drinks flowing. The famous Pork Pit features open-air munching on jerk chicken and pork on picnic tables.
Negril
Negril, with a population of 4,000, is at the western tip of Jamaica. It has the reputation of being the most laid-back city on the island. There are nude beaches here. But in recent years, it also has developed a notable ecotourism industry.
This is due, in large part, to the Great Morass, a dense mangrove swamp that is a refuge for rare animals and plants including crocodiles.
Negril also is famous for its nightly reggae concerts. Big-name bands perform at MXIII and Roots Bamboo.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/26/06
BY SUSAN REIGLER
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
While it looks relatively small on a global map, the Caribbean is a richly diverse area, culturally and geographically.
From tiny islands to the coastal countries of Central America, escapes there can be urban or ecological.
If you must choose just one Caribbean destination for a quick winter getaway, the 4,400-square-mile island country of Jamaica could be just the place.
Thanks to such exports as jerk chicken, Blue Mountain coffee and reggae music, U.S. visitors will find a few familiar features in this otherwise exotic destination.
Because of Jamaica's history as a British colony (the Brits captured it from Spain in 1654 and were in charge until autonomy was granted in 1947), the official language of the country is English, peppered with patois catch phrases such as "No problem, mon."
But be prepared for the rough-and-tumble of the cities. Hustlers and drug dealers often approach tourists. Therefore, many first-time visitors opt for resort stays.
Kingston
Jamaica's capital is a city of about 700,000. It's a good base of operation if your stay is limited and you want to experience the country's history, cuisine and night life, with a sprinkling of beach activities.
Reggae fans should check out the Bob Marley Museum, situated in a red brick house that served as the Tuff Gong recording studio. It's Kingston's most visited tourist attraction.
Another popular attraction is Devon House, an 1881 mansion furnished with period antiques that provides a glimpse into the island's colonial history. Two of the city's better restaurants, the Grog Shoppe and Norma's on the Terrace, are inside a former carriage house and in the courtyard.
Venture across Kingston Harbor to Port Royal for a tour of a now-sleepy backwater that was once the pirate capital and later the center of British naval authority in the Caribbean.
Montego Bay
MoBay, as it's known locally, is Jamaica's second-largest city (population 120,000) and its resort capital. From budget-conscious tourist hotels to private, upscale resorts, there are accommodations for all size bank accounts.
Downtown has a collection of late-18th- and early 19th-century stone and timber buildings, with the cobblestone-paved Sam Sharpe Square as a focal point.
For recreation, there are several beaches, including Doctor's Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach. Both are home to food courts, cafes, changing areas and facilities for water sports. Reggae parties are regularly scheduled. Three championship golf courses — Half Moon Golf Club, SuperClubs Golf Club and Tryall Club — are just east of Montego Bay near Ironshore.
Guided tours of Montego Bay Marine Park, which stretches along the coast for almost six miles, include coral reefs and mangrove islands. Waterfowl residents include pelicans, egrets and herons, while the tea-colored water is home to barracuda and tarpon.
Restaurants tend to stay open into the wee hours, with music blaring and drinks flowing. The famous Pork Pit features open-air munching on jerk chicken and pork on picnic tables.
Negril
Negril, with a population of 4,000, is at the western tip of Jamaica. It has the reputation of being the most laid-back city on the island. There are nude beaches here. But in recent years, it also has developed a notable ecotourism industry.
This is due, in large part, to the Great Morass, a dense mangrove swamp that is a refuge for rare animals and plants including crocodiles.
Negril also is famous for its nightly reggae concerts. Big-name bands perform at MXIII and Roots Bamboo.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Family of reggae legend marks 13th Marley Fest in Miami
Marley's family: 'We celebrate our lives through him'
BY EVELYN McDONNELL
emcdonnell@MiamiHerald.com
For 13 years, the family of the late music legend Bob Marley has been the defining feature of Miami's annual funky reggae party, the Marley Fest. But beyond their formidable legacy, the mother and sons of the Third World's first superstar hadn't necessarily earned their headlining status. Until now.
Saturday's Marley Fest at Bayfront Park has been named Jam Rock after the breakthrough success of Damian ''Jr. Gong'' Marley's second album, the Grammy-winning, gold-certified Welcome to Jamrock. Robert Nesta's youngest son set a record for most first-week sales by a reggae album (86,000) when Jamrock debuted on Billboard's Top 10 in September. Those sales were propelled by the success of the title track, a gritty anthem about poverty and violence in Jamaica.
Brother Stephen ''Ragga'' Marley, who coproduced the crossover hit, says it was just a matter of time before the Marley name reentered the charts.
''If the people get the music, it will have that success,'' he said over the phone from the Lion's Den, the Marleys' studio in South Miami. ``That was the problem: getting music to people in that mainstream. We make the music good.''
The Marleys have become a growing cooperative cottage industry over the last decade. Damian, Stephen, Julian and Ky-Mani -- all of whom perform Saturday -- have steadily released albums and toured, often working together through their Ghetto Youth label. Damian's '01 release Halfway Tree won a Grammy for best reggae album. Two weeks ago, Jamrock won two Grammys: for best reggae and best urban/alternative performance.
''It has a lot to do with momentum,'' Stephen says. ``His last record never do so well, but in streets it gain a lot of respect. Through that, everyone was looking for this record. The song was perfect for that. It's important in the lyrics, yet the beat was heavy, a hard beat. The people in the club appreciate that.''
Jamrock broke through in part because it fit in with the thundering sounds of hip-hop and reggaeton (both of which genres have their roots in reggae). But in a sense, the sons were following the mix-it-up spirit of their father, who brought the message music of Jamaica to a rock audience in the '70s.
''You still have people who just want to have a good time, who don't want to hear something too serious,'' Stephen says. ``Then you have people who love brain food. If you can, give them the best of both.''
BUILDING ON SUCCESS
The other siblings are hoping to build on their brother's success. Stephen is finishing up his own CD, which he describes as ''the next page of the book.'' Albums by Julian and Ky-Mani are in the works.
The clan, including Marley matriarch Cedella Marley Booker, will share the stage at Bayfront Park, as they do at every Marley Fest. 'These festive things that have to do with our father, they're more in a celebrating vibe. We don't say we're going to do a concert. We do it together, more than, `This is Damian, this is Steve.' We celebrate our life through him.''
Earlier this month, the Marley siblings and others performed in Ghana for the second annual Africa Unite concert. Last year's, in Ethiopia, marked the 60th anniversary of Bob's birth. Bob's widow, Rita, plans to make them an annual event in different African countries.
This year sees a more somber marker: the 25th anniversary of Bob Marley's death from cancer at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami (the artist stopped here after falling too ill to fly on his way from treatment in Germany to Jamaica). He was 36. Stephen says there are no plans to commemorate his passing: ``We're addressing the life.''
The festival is an important date in the Marleys' calendar, their chance to give back to a city that has been the family's base in the United States since Cedella moved here in '78.
''This city is our second home, after Jamaica,'' Stephen says. ``This is one of the only places we come. Miami is our family. People love our father here. We give back to them.''
`WE ALL ARE ONE'
The third son of Bob Marley says the family is not letting the success of one sibling disrupt the harmony of a clan who do not all share the same blood lines, yet have banded together. (Bob had 10 children by eight women, and adopted two children of Rita's as his own). Damian is not letting fame go to his head, Stephen says.
``We're getting treated properly. We talk about these things. We make sure we know.''
But thanks to Jamrock, this year's Marley Fest, which as usual includes a food drive, should be a bigger celebration than ever.
BY EVELYN McDONNELL
emcdonnell@MiamiHerald.com
For 13 years, the family of the late music legend Bob Marley has been the defining feature of Miami's annual funky reggae party, the Marley Fest. But beyond their formidable legacy, the mother and sons of the Third World's first superstar hadn't necessarily earned their headlining status. Until now.
Saturday's Marley Fest at Bayfront Park has been named Jam Rock after the breakthrough success of Damian ''Jr. Gong'' Marley's second album, the Grammy-winning, gold-certified Welcome to Jamrock. Robert Nesta's youngest son set a record for most first-week sales by a reggae album (86,000) when Jamrock debuted on Billboard's Top 10 in September. Those sales were propelled by the success of the title track, a gritty anthem about poverty and violence in Jamaica.
Brother Stephen ''Ragga'' Marley, who coproduced the crossover hit, says it was just a matter of time before the Marley name reentered the charts.
''If the people get the music, it will have that success,'' he said over the phone from the Lion's Den, the Marleys' studio in South Miami. ``That was the problem: getting music to people in that mainstream. We make the music good.''
The Marleys have become a growing cooperative cottage industry over the last decade. Damian, Stephen, Julian and Ky-Mani -- all of whom perform Saturday -- have steadily released albums and toured, often working together through their Ghetto Youth label. Damian's '01 release Halfway Tree won a Grammy for best reggae album. Two weeks ago, Jamrock won two Grammys: for best reggae and best urban/alternative performance.
''It has a lot to do with momentum,'' Stephen says. ``His last record never do so well, but in streets it gain a lot of respect. Through that, everyone was looking for this record. The song was perfect for that. It's important in the lyrics, yet the beat was heavy, a hard beat. The people in the club appreciate that.''
Jamrock broke through in part because it fit in with the thundering sounds of hip-hop and reggaeton (both of which genres have their roots in reggae). But in a sense, the sons were following the mix-it-up spirit of their father, who brought the message music of Jamaica to a rock audience in the '70s.
''You still have people who just want to have a good time, who don't want to hear something too serious,'' Stephen says. ``Then you have people who love brain food. If you can, give them the best of both.''
BUILDING ON SUCCESS
The other siblings are hoping to build on their brother's success. Stephen is finishing up his own CD, which he describes as ''the next page of the book.'' Albums by Julian and Ky-Mani are in the works.
The clan, including Marley matriarch Cedella Marley Booker, will share the stage at Bayfront Park, as they do at every Marley Fest. 'These festive things that have to do with our father, they're more in a celebrating vibe. We don't say we're going to do a concert. We do it together, more than, `This is Damian, this is Steve.' We celebrate our life through him.''
Earlier this month, the Marley siblings and others performed in Ghana for the second annual Africa Unite concert. Last year's, in Ethiopia, marked the 60th anniversary of Bob's birth. Bob's widow, Rita, plans to make them an annual event in different African countries.
This year sees a more somber marker: the 25th anniversary of Bob Marley's death from cancer at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Miami (the artist stopped here after falling too ill to fly on his way from treatment in Germany to Jamaica). He was 36. Stephen says there are no plans to commemorate his passing: ``We're addressing the life.''
The festival is an important date in the Marleys' calendar, their chance to give back to a city that has been the family's base in the United States since Cedella moved here in '78.
''This city is our second home, after Jamaica,'' Stephen says. ``This is one of the only places we come. Miami is our family. People love our father here. We give back to them.''
`WE ALL ARE ONE'
The third son of Bob Marley says the family is not letting the success of one sibling disrupt the harmony of a clan who do not all share the same blood lines, yet have banded together. (Bob had 10 children by eight women, and adopted two children of Rita's as his own). Damian is not letting fame go to his head, Stephen says.
``We're getting treated properly. We talk about these things. We make sure we know.''
But thanks to Jamrock, this year's Marley Fest, which as usual includes a food drive, should be a bigger celebration than ever.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Reggae's Universal Groove
RAGGA MUFFINS FESTIVAL DEMONSTRATES MUSIC'S GLOBAL SCOPE
By Andrew Gilbert
Special to the Mercury News
At a concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last month, Gilberto Gil decided to tap into a universal groove.
The Tropicalia hero has written literally dozens of hits; now he serves as Brazil's minister of culture. But instead of focusing on homegrown songs, Gil played a set of Bob Marley classics. Within minutes, the audience packed into the Morro da Urca theater was moving to ``Positive Vibration,'' and then we all joined in on the refrain of ``No Woman, No Cry.''
The concert was a powerful reminder that reggae is a global force, and more than a quarter-century after his death at the age of 36, Marley is the music's international icon. That's exactly the point of the annual Ragga Muffins Festival, which rolls into the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium tonight, and up to San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.
While the headliner at tonight's show is Jamaica's ``Cool Ruler'' star Gregory Isaacs, the program includes an array of reggae talent, such as the United Kingdom's Misty in Roots, German-born roots-reggae vocalist Gentleman and Santa Cruz's Soul Majestic.
``Bob Marley may be the most internationally recognized person and musician in the world,'' says Moss Jacobs, producer of the four-city Ragga Muffins tour. ``It's not a surprise that across Europe, Africa and Japan, reggae is homegrown music. Gentleman is huge in Europe. Misty in Roots are legendary in the U.K. For us, it's fun to be able to expose Americans to the music's international scope.''
No Ragga Muffins artist better captures the infinitely malleable nature of reggae than 26-year-old Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jew from West Chester, Pa., whose hit ``King Without a Crown'' has crossed over from alternative radio stations to mainstream outlets such as Live 105. Blending phrases of Yiddish and Hebrew with his English lyrics, Matisyahu delivers his verses in a sing-song rasta roots style that often gives way to dexterous beat-boxing and an Ashkenazi cantorial wail.
As unlikely as Matisyahu might seem, he brings a spiritual consciousness to his music that's ``completely harmonious with the essential nature of reggae,'' Jacobs says. ``That's one reason why reggae appeals to all shapes and colors. It's a stimulating, spiritually charged form of music that reaches across age, color and economic strata.''
Another element in reggae's widespread appeal can be found in Marley's enduring, defiant call for social justice. That's the message that first caught the attention of Michael Franti, who performs with his group Spearhead on Saturday at the Bill Graham Civic. The San Francisco program also features Matisyahu, Gregory Isaacs, Gentleman, Misty in Roots, Dezarie and Marley's former band the Wailers.
Franti vividly recalls the first time he heard Marley's music on the radio, as a 13-year-old in 1980. The song was ``Coming in From the Cold'' from the classic album ``Uprising,'' and the anti-war message imprinted itself deeply on his consciousness.
`` `Would you let the system/ Make you kill your brother man?' '' Franti says, quoting from the lyric. ``I was so moved by that.''
While Franti (who also headlines the ``Santa Cruz Dayz'' show Friday at that city's Civic Auditorium, on a triple bill with guitarist Keller Williams and the female percussion ensemble Goddess Funk) has been a leader among politically engaged progressive musicians since he co-founded the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in the early 1990s, he has also found inspiration in Marley's romantic side.
``He wasn't afraid to write songs about how much he loved his girlfriend and put them next to songs about standing up and fighting,'' Franti says. ``I think that's the single most important thing I've taken from Marley. I want to write about the full rainbow of human emotions, not just anger and politics.''
Like Jacobs, Franti sees Marley as the era's transcendent musical figure, an artist whose message has reached every corner of the globe. More than charisma, love and justice, he credits Marley's irresistibly loping groove as the ultimate source of his appeal.
``In America we're taught that Elvis is the king of rock, and the Beatles are the princes,'' Franti says. ``But as you travel the world, it's Bob Marley who's the icon of popular music. You can dance to every song; that's the thing that made his music so universal.''
By Andrew Gilbert
Special to the Mercury News
At a concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last month, Gilberto Gil decided to tap into a universal groove.
The Tropicalia hero has written literally dozens of hits; now he serves as Brazil's minister of culture. But instead of focusing on homegrown songs, Gil played a set of Bob Marley classics. Within minutes, the audience packed into the Morro da Urca theater was moving to ``Positive Vibration,'' and then we all joined in on the refrain of ``No Woman, No Cry.''
The concert was a powerful reminder that reggae is a global force, and more than a quarter-century after his death at the age of 36, Marley is the music's international icon. That's exactly the point of the annual Ragga Muffins Festival, which rolls into the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium tonight, and up to San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Saturday afternoon.
While the headliner at tonight's show is Jamaica's ``Cool Ruler'' star Gregory Isaacs, the program includes an array of reggae talent, such as the United Kingdom's Misty in Roots, German-born roots-reggae vocalist Gentleman and Santa Cruz's Soul Majestic.
``Bob Marley may be the most internationally recognized person and musician in the world,'' says Moss Jacobs, producer of the four-city Ragga Muffins tour. ``It's not a surprise that across Europe, Africa and Japan, reggae is homegrown music. Gentleman is huge in Europe. Misty in Roots are legendary in the U.K. For us, it's fun to be able to expose Americans to the music's international scope.''
No Ragga Muffins artist better captures the infinitely malleable nature of reggae than 26-year-old Matisyahu, a Hasidic Jew from West Chester, Pa., whose hit ``King Without a Crown'' has crossed over from alternative radio stations to mainstream outlets such as Live 105. Blending phrases of Yiddish and Hebrew with his English lyrics, Matisyahu delivers his verses in a sing-song rasta roots style that often gives way to dexterous beat-boxing and an Ashkenazi cantorial wail.
As unlikely as Matisyahu might seem, he brings a spiritual consciousness to his music that's ``completely harmonious with the essential nature of reggae,'' Jacobs says. ``That's one reason why reggae appeals to all shapes and colors. It's a stimulating, spiritually charged form of music that reaches across age, color and economic strata.''
Another element in reggae's widespread appeal can be found in Marley's enduring, defiant call for social justice. That's the message that first caught the attention of Michael Franti, who performs with his group Spearhead on Saturday at the Bill Graham Civic. The San Francisco program also features Matisyahu, Gregory Isaacs, Gentleman, Misty in Roots, Dezarie and Marley's former band the Wailers.
Franti vividly recalls the first time he heard Marley's music on the radio, as a 13-year-old in 1980. The song was ``Coming in From the Cold'' from the classic album ``Uprising,'' and the anti-war message imprinted itself deeply on his consciousness.
`` `Would you let the system/ Make you kill your brother man?' '' Franti says, quoting from the lyric. ``I was so moved by that.''
While Franti (who also headlines the ``Santa Cruz Dayz'' show Friday at that city's Civic Auditorium, on a triple bill with guitarist Keller Williams and the female percussion ensemble Goddess Funk) has been a leader among politically engaged progressive musicians since he co-founded the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in the early 1990s, he has also found inspiration in Marley's romantic side.
``He wasn't afraid to write songs about how much he loved his girlfriend and put them next to songs about standing up and fighting,'' Franti says. ``I think that's the single most important thing I've taken from Marley. I want to write about the full rainbow of human emotions, not just anger and politics.''
Like Jacobs, Franti sees Marley as the era's transcendent musical figure, an artist whose message has reached every corner of the globe. More than charisma, love and justice, he credits Marley's irresistibly loping groove as the ultimate source of his appeal.
``In America we're taught that Elvis is the king of rock, and the Beatles are the princes,'' Franti says. ``But as you travel the world, it's Bob Marley who's the icon of popular music. You can dance to every song; that's the thing that made his music so universal.''
Sunday, February 12, 2006
‘Weed for All’ at Marley’s Birthday Bash
Bob Marley Day Bash
If the police had attempted to push the full force of the law, a good number of crowds who turned up last Sunday to celebrate the 61st birthday of Bob Marley at the Trade Fair would have been arrested and charged for their association with ‘weed’- as active or passive smokers.
The crowd most of them in Rastafarian colours of red, yellow, green and black and wearing dreadlocks of all shapes and sizes, sang, danced and smoked marijuana in ecstasy.
For those who do not smoke the stuff, but love reggae music, as well as the law enforcement agencies there appeared to have a ‘memorandum of understanding’ that every one suffered the joys of the ‘food for the brain’ for the period that the programme lasted.
The aroma of the drug pervaded the whole area and patrons who did not know how it felt to be high may have experienced it first hand.
Thick smoke from the numerous puffs from several mouths hung overheard especially when the lights were thrown on the large crowd and that was enough to let one know the extent of smoking that was going on at the concert.
For all that ‘ getting high’ there were no awkward incidents of note of peace and love. The mega star band backed Ghana’s Batman who thrilled the large crowd who just loved him for his presentation and stagecraft.
It was beautiful, refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable and the crowd sang, yelled and danced to the pulsating music of the reggae treats from Steel Pulse, Dean Frazier and C Sharp, Tamlins, Chaka Demus and Pliers as well as the I Threes.
The Marley brothers were the toast of the crowd as they took turns to sing songs from their father’s repertoire of thought provoking and inspiring reggae songs.
The concert, dubbed Africa Unite was organised by the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation as part of activities arranged to celebrate the late Bob Marley’s 61st birthday and to rekindle the vision and aspirations of the reggae legend.
The Ghana version was the fourth held worldwide to celebrate reggae star’s birthdays.
The other three were held in Jamaica, Florida and Ethiopia.
If the police had attempted to push the full force of the law, a good number of crowds who turned up last Sunday to celebrate the 61st birthday of Bob Marley at the Trade Fair would have been arrested and charged for their association with ‘weed’- as active or passive smokers.
The crowd most of them in Rastafarian colours of red, yellow, green and black and wearing dreadlocks of all shapes and sizes, sang, danced and smoked marijuana in ecstasy.
For those who do not smoke the stuff, but love reggae music, as well as the law enforcement agencies there appeared to have a ‘memorandum of understanding’ that every one suffered the joys of the ‘food for the brain’ for the period that the programme lasted.
The aroma of the drug pervaded the whole area and patrons who did not know how it felt to be high may have experienced it first hand.
Thick smoke from the numerous puffs from several mouths hung overheard especially when the lights were thrown on the large crowd and that was enough to let one know the extent of smoking that was going on at the concert.
For all that ‘ getting high’ there were no awkward incidents of note of peace and love. The mega star band backed Ghana’s Batman who thrilled the large crowd who just loved him for his presentation and stagecraft.
It was beautiful, refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable and the crowd sang, yelled and danced to the pulsating music of the reggae treats from Steel Pulse, Dean Frazier and C Sharp, Tamlins, Chaka Demus and Pliers as well as the I Threes.
The Marley brothers were the toast of the crowd as they took turns to sing songs from their father’s repertoire of thought provoking and inspiring reggae songs.
The concert, dubbed Africa Unite was organised by the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation as part of activities arranged to celebrate the late Bob Marley’s 61st birthday and to rekindle the vision and aspirations of the reggae legend.
The Ghana version was the fourth held worldwide to celebrate reggae star’s birthdays.
The other three were held in Jamaica, Florida and Ethiopia.
Jamaican Honour for Marley Home
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - The house where Bob Marley once lived has been designated a protected national heritage site by the Jamaican government.
An official ceremony to mark the designation took place Tuesday at the home, now a museum that showcases the recording studio Marley built as well as memorabilia that once belonged to the reggae superstar.
"This ensures that for future generations nothing will be changed without the consent of the National Heritage Trust. It will always look as it did when Bob was here," Jacqueline Lynch-Stewart, manager at the museum, said Wednesday.
A plaque marking the occasion was unveiled by Marley's daughter Stephanie and government officials. It bears the words, "One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain," taken from the singer's hit song Trenchtown Rock.
Marley, who died in 1981 at age 36, is widely credited with introducing reggae music to an international audience in the 1970s.
He was born in rural St. Ann parish, but spent much of his formative years in the Kingston ghetto of Trench Town. He moved to the upscale house once owned by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell in the early 1970s.
Marley rarely lived in the wooden house after he was shot there during rehearsals for a concert in December 1976.
Lynch-Stewart says 20,000 people annually visit the museum, which opened in May 1986.
An official ceremony to mark the designation took place Tuesday at the home, now a museum that showcases the recording studio Marley built as well as memorabilia that once belonged to the reggae superstar.
"This ensures that for future generations nothing will be changed without the consent of the National Heritage Trust. It will always look as it did when Bob was here," Jacqueline Lynch-Stewart, manager at the museum, said Wednesday.
A plaque marking the occasion was unveiled by Marley's daughter Stephanie and government officials. It bears the words, "One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain," taken from the singer's hit song Trenchtown Rock.
Marley, who died in 1981 at age 36, is widely credited with introducing reggae music to an international audience in the 1970s.
He was born in rural St. Ann parish, but spent much of his formative years in the Kingston ghetto of Trench Town. He moved to the upscale house once owned by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell in the early 1970s.
Marley rarely lived in the wooden house after he was shot there during rehearsals for a concert in December 1976.
Lynch-Stewart says 20,000 people annually visit the museum, which opened in May 1986.
Jamaica, Mon - Caribbean Escape
For food, nature, wildlife, warm up to Jamaica
By Susan Reigler
sreigler@courier-journal.com
C-J Travel Writer
Surely the most alluring phrase to pop into one's mind in the middle of winter is "Caribbean getaway." The reality of gray days, winter-weather alerts and heating-bill sticker shock is pushed aside by visions of sun-dappled beaches, impossibly blue sea and sky, and rum-laced drinks in tall glasses.
While it looks relatively small on a global map, the Caribbean is a richly diverse area, both culturally and geographically. From tiny islands to the coastal countries of Central America, escapes there can be urban or ecological.
If you must choose just one Caribbean destination for a quick winter getaway, the 4,400-square-mile island country of Jamaica may be just the place.
Thanks to such Jamaican exports as jerk chicken, Blue Mountain coffee and reggae music, the first-time American visitor will find a few familiar features in this otherwise exotic destination.
And because of Jamaica's history as a British colony (the Brits captured it from Spain in 1654 and were in charge until autonomy was granted in 1947), the official language of the country is English -- peppered with patois catchphrases such as "No problem, mon."
But do be prepared for the rough-and-tumble of the cities. Hustlers and drug dealers often approach tourists. Therefore, many first-time visitors opt for resort stays.
Kingston
Jamaica's capital is a city of about 700,000. It's a good base of operation if your stay is limited and you want to experience the country's history, cuisine and night life, with a sprinkling of beach activities.
Reggae fans should check out the Bob Marley Museum, in a red brick house that served as the Tuff Gong recording studio. (It's Kingston's most visited tourist attraction.) Hourlong tours close with a short film about Marley's last days.
Another popular attraction is Devon House, an 1881 mansion furnished with period antiques that provides a glimpse into the island's colonial history. Two of the city's better restaurants, the Grog Shoppe and Norma's on the Terrace, are located in a former carriage house and in the courtyard.
The Grog Shoppe is famous for Sunday brunch and dishes up fare such as roast suckling pig with rice and peas. Domestic and imported beers are on tap. Norma's is at its most atmospheric at dinner, when lighting is provided by a multitude of candles, and starters such as red pea bisque are followed by jerk specialties.
Venture across Kingston Harbor to Port Royal for a tour of a now-sleepy backwater that was once the pirate capital and later the center of British naval authority in the Caribbean. A walking tour includes Fort Charles and other historic sites.
Lime Cay, 15 minutes by boat from Port Royal, is an uninhabited island with white sand beaches. Bring your snorkeling gear and a picnic.
For a more land-based experience of Jamaica's natural beauty, visit the 200,000-acre Blue Mountains-John Crow National Park, about an hour by car from the capital. A hike up Blue Mountain Peak (the island's highest at 7,402 feet) winds through coffee plantations and banana groves and into dense, bird-filled woodlands.
Montego Bay
MoBay, as it's known locally, is Jamaica's second-largest city (population 120,000) and its resort capital. From budget-conscious tourist hotels to private, upscale resorts, there are accommodations for all size bank accounts.
Downtown has a collection of late-18th- and early-19th-century stone and timber buildings, with the cobblestone-paved Sam Sharpe Square as a focal point.
The square is named in honor of the slave who, in December 1831, urged his fellow slaves to passive revolt. The Christmas Rebellion turned violent, however, with several plantations burned and more than 1,000 slaves killed. But the revolt led to British Parliament's passing the Abolition Bill in 1834.
For recreation, there are several beaches, including Doctor's Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach. Both have food courts, cafes, changing areas and facilities for water sports. Reggae parties are regularly scheduled. Three championship golf courses -- Half Moon Golf Club, SuperClubs Golf Club and Tryall Club -- are just east of Montego Bay near Ironshore.
Guided tours of Montego Bay Marine Park, which stretches along the coast for almost six miles, include coral reefs and mangrove islands. Waterfowl include pelicans, egrets and herons, while the tea-colored water is home to barracuda and tarpon. (Game fishing is another activity.)
Restaurants tend to stay open into the wee hours, with music blaring and drinks flowing. The famous Pork Pit features open-air munching on jerk chicken and pork on picnic tables tucked beneath shade trees. At the upper end of the dining scale is the Houseboat Grill, a floating restaurant featuring Caribbean fusion fare.
Negril
Negril, population 4,000, is located at the western tip of Jamaica. It has the reputation of being the most laid-back city on the island. (There are nude beaches here.) But it has also, in recent years, developed a notable ecotourism industry.
This is due in large part to the Great Morass (is that a great name or what?), a dense mangrove swamp that is a refuge for rare animals and plants including crocodiles, red- footed coots, butterfly ginger and pancake lilies.
The Royal Palm Reserve, within the Great Morass, features a boardwalk that snakes through the swamp well above the jaws of hungry crocs, and a 44-foot-tall observation tower.
For those with an interest in wildlife of another sort, Negril is famous for its nightly reggae concerts. The big-name bands perform at MXIII and Roots Bamboo. Don't bother trying to find a written schedule. Concerts tend to be advertised by announcements from megaphone-equipped cars that circulate through the city's streets.
By Susan Reigler
sreigler@courier-journal.com
C-J Travel Writer
Surely the most alluring phrase to pop into one's mind in the middle of winter is "Caribbean getaway." The reality of gray days, winter-weather alerts and heating-bill sticker shock is pushed aside by visions of sun-dappled beaches, impossibly blue sea and sky, and rum-laced drinks in tall glasses.
While it looks relatively small on a global map, the Caribbean is a richly diverse area, both culturally and geographically. From tiny islands to the coastal countries of Central America, escapes there can be urban or ecological.
If you must choose just one Caribbean destination for a quick winter getaway, the 4,400-square-mile island country of Jamaica may be just the place.
Thanks to such Jamaican exports as jerk chicken, Blue Mountain coffee and reggae music, the first-time American visitor will find a few familiar features in this otherwise exotic destination.
And because of Jamaica's history as a British colony (the Brits captured it from Spain in 1654 and were in charge until autonomy was granted in 1947), the official language of the country is English -- peppered with patois catchphrases such as "No problem, mon."
But do be prepared for the rough-and-tumble of the cities. Hustlers and drug dealers often approach tourists. Therefore, many first-time visitors opt for resort stays.
Kingston
Jamaica's capital is a city of about 700,000. It's a good base of operation if your stay is limited and you want to experience the country's history, cuisine and night life, with a sprinkling of beach activities.
Reggae fans should check out the Bob Marley Museum, in a red brick house that served as the Tuff Gong recording studio. (It's Kingston's most visited tourist attraction.) Hourlong tours close with a short film about Marley's last days.
Another popular attraction is Devon House, an 1881 mansion furnished with period antiques that provides a glimpse into the island's colonial history. Two of the city's better restaurants, the Grog Shoppe and Norma's on the Terrace, are located in a former carriage house and in the courtyard.
The Grog Shoppe is famous for Sunday brunch and dishes up fare such as roast suckling pig with rice and peas. Domestic and imported beers are on tap. Norma's is at its most atmospheric at dinner, when lighting is provided by a multitude of candles, and starters such as red pea bisque are followed by jerk specialties.
Venture across Kingston Harbor to Port Royal for a tour of a now-sleepy backwater that was once the pirate capital and later the center of British naval authority in the Caribbean. A walking tour includes Fort Charles and other historic sites.
Lime Cay, 15 minutes by boat from Port Royal, is an uninhabited island with white sand beaches. Bring your snorkeling gear and a picnic.
For a more land-based experience of Jamaica's natural beauty, visit the 200,000-acre Blue Mountains-John Crow National Park, about an hour by car from the capital. A hike up Blue Mountain Peak (the island's highest at 7,402 feet) winds through coffee plantations and banana groves and into dense, bird-filled woodlands.
Montego Bay
MoBay, as it's known locally, is Jamaica's second-largest city (population 120,000) and its resort capital. From budget-conscious tourist hotels to private, upscale resorts, there are accommodations for all size bank accounts.
Downtown has a collection of late-18th- and early-19th-century stone and timber buildings, with the cobblestone-paved Sam Sharpe Square as a focal point.
The square is named in honor of the slave who, in December 1831, urged his fellow slaves to passive revolt. The Christmas Rebellion turned violent, however, with several plantations burned and more than 1,000 slaves killed. But the revolt led to British Parliament's passing the Abolition Bill in 1834.
For recreation, there are several beaches, including Doctor's Cave Beach and Walter Fletcher Beach. Both have food courts, cafes, changing areas and facilities for water sports. Reggae parties are regularly scheduled. Three championship golf courses -- Half Moon Golf Club, SuperClubs Golf Club and Tryall Club -- are just east of Montego Bay near Ironshore.
Guided tours of Montego Bay Marine Park, which stretches along the coast for almost six miles, include coral reefs and mangrove islands. Waterfowl include pelicans, egrets and herons, while the tea-colored water is home to barracuda and tarpon. (Game fishing is another activity.)
Restaurants tend to stay open into the wee hours, with music blaring and drinks flowing. The famous Pork Pit features open-air munching on jerk chicken and pork on picnic tables tucked beneath shade trees. At the upper end of the dining scale is the Houseboat Grill, a floating restaurant featuring Caribbean fusion fare.
Negril
Negril, population 4,000, is located at the western tip of Jamaica. It has the reputation of being the most laid-back city on the island. (There are nude beaches here.) But it has also, in recent years, developed a notable ecotourism industry.
This is due in large part to the Great Morass (is that a great name or what?), a dense mangrove swamp that is a refuge for rare animals and plants including crocodiles, red- footed coots, butterfly ginger and pancake lilies.
The Royal Palm Reserve, within the Great Morass, features a boardwalk that snakes through the swamp well above the jaws of hungry crocs, and a 44-foot-tall observation tower.
For those with an interest in wildlife of another sort, Negril is famous for its nightly reggae concerts. The big-name bands perform at MXIII and Roots Bamboo. Don't bother trying to find a written schedule. Concerts tend to be advertised by announcements from megaphone-equipped cars that circulate through the city's streets.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Reggae legend Big Youth is finally visiting Australia
Big Voice
February 3, 2006
By Kate Welsman
MORE than 30 years ago, when Bob Marley first graced the stage with his conscious style and accessible lyrics, there was another artist who was tearing up Jamaica with his deejay approach.
Born Manley Augustus Buchanen, he has been known for most of his career simply as Big Youth. Next week marks the first time the elder statesman of reggae has visited Australia.
Big Youth's place in music history has been assured through his pioneering Jamaican deejaying that changed the sound of reggae in which producers left space for chatting over the music.
As rival sound systems competed for the freshest sounds, Big Youth, who has worked with all the big producers such as Prince Buster and Lee "Scratch" Perry, rose to rival Marley in popularity.
From his first single, S 90 Skank, produced in 1972 by the then unknown Keith Hudson, about the cult Japanese motor bike and the dangers of riding it too fast, to his latest album Musicology, he has remained a compelling, vigorous presence.
Big Youth's career has been a series of firsts: the first to record the I Threes, the first to experiment with mixing chatting and singing, and, as legend has it, the first to sport dreadlocks on stage and album covers at a time when it was illegal to do so.
Then there's the matter of his teeth, which are embedded with red, green and gold jewels.
Speaking from Kingston, Big Youth extols the value of his "spiritual message" in apocalyptic terms.
"Righteousness must prevail!" he thunders. "People are seeking righteousness in these times of difficulty. There is too much war and not enough care in the world.
"On my shows and the new album I am returning people to roots to look beyond the devastation."
In a voice that falls somewhere between a purr and a growl he expresses contempt for slackness, or gangsterism in dance hall, a style he believes is only a fad in the history of Jamaican music.
"A generation of indiscipline has taken over, they who ignore righteousness and roots, but people continue to find inspiration from my music and words. I talk about their difficulties and problems and they take strength from that."
Over music that has continued to challenge bland sensibilities and simple pop melodies, Big Youth, the former mechanic, is coming to deliver. We'd better be ready to receive.
Big Youth and Third World play the Prince Bandroom, St Kilda, supported by Heartical HiFi and Ranking Yoni, on Wednesday.
February 3, 2006
By Kate Welsman
MORE than 30 years ago, when Bob Marley first graced the stage with his conscious style and accessible lyrics, there was another artist who was tearing up Jamaica with his deejay approach.
Born Manley Augustus Buchanen, he has been known for most of his career simply as Big Youth. Next week marks the first time the elder statesman of reggae has visited Australia.
Big Youth's place in music history has been assured through his pioneering Jamaican deejaying that changed the sound of reggae in which producers left space for chatting over the music.
As rival sound systems competed for the freshest sounds, Big Youth, who has worked with all the big producers such as Prince Buster and Lee "Scratch" Perry, rose to rival Marley in popularity.
From his first single, S 90 Skank, produced in 1972 by the then unknown Keith Hudson, about the cult Japanese motor bike and the dangers of riding it too fast, to his latest album Musicology, he has remained a compelling, vigorous presence.
Big Youth's career has been a series of firsts: the first to record the I Threes, the first to experiment with mixing chatting and singing, and, as legend has it, the first to sport dreadlocks on stage and album covers at a time when it was illegal to do so.
Then there's the matter of his teeth, which are embedded with red, green and gold jewels.
Speaking from Kingston, Big Youth extols the value of his "spiritual message" in apocalyptic terms.
"Righteousness must prevail!" he thunders. "People are seeking righteousness in these times of difficulty. There is too much war and not enough care in the world.
"On my shows and the new album I am returning people to roots to look beyond the devastation."
In a voice that falls somewhere between a purr and a growl he expresses contempt for slackness, or gangsterism in dance hall, a style he believes is only a fad in the history of Jamaican music.
"A generation of indiscipline has taken over, they who ignore righteousness and roots, but people continue to find inspiration from my music and words. I talk about their difficulties and problems and they take strength from that."
Over music that has continued to challenge bland sensibilities and simple pop melodies, Big Youth, the former mechanic, is coming to deliver. We'd better be ready to receive.
Big Youth and Third World play the Prince Bandroom, St Kilda, supported by Heartical HiFi and Ranking Yoni, on Wednesday.
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