This is very interesting topic.Im from an island of the caribbean where the slavery end very late in the 20 century.Even so the population have blacks but not from africa(only decendants).We love reggae and have african blood & indian Blood.Our reggae bands localy are compose of white musicans & white singres (not all).Internationnaly we have Roots Natty (white)this band i dont like much & record in Jamaica.Cultura Profectica also record in Tuff Gong studio(mostly white).The thing is that even if our skin is more white than black we have african blood & culture.Our reggae is very good in fact.
I wouldn't imagin that Martin Campbell is white(very good reggae).Also Groundation band nowadays is one of the best bands of reggae worldwide.I know white man can do reggae!!
White artists recording reggae in JA
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Jahbadra
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:41 am
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
Well, er didn't Bob say 'the colour of a mans skin is as significant as the colour of his eyes'? I think So. The biggest selling reggae album ever is by one Serge Gainsbourg ( Legend being a compilation). Fact quoted by Sly Dunbar. And Slave Driver by BMW with all its overdubs and every thing else still has one of the hardest basslines. I agree with Leggo, it can certainly hold up in any company. I can't stand these fools that bang on about sufferah's music; i.e if you don't listen to anything but then your'e not 'keeping it real'. And you know what? most of 'em are white! enjoy the music I say.
Ites
Ites
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Jahbadra
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:41 am
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
Well, er didn't Bob say 'the colour of a mans skin is as significant as the colour of his eyes'? I think So. The biggest selling reggae album ever is by one Serge Gainsbourg ( Legend being a compilation). Fact quoted by Sly Dunbar. And Slave Driver by BMW with all its overdubs and every thing else still has one of the hardest basslines. I agree with Leggo, it can certainly hold up in any company. I can't stand these fools that bang on about sufferah's music; i.e if you don't listen to anything but then your'e not 'keeping it real'. And you know what? most of 'em are white! enjoy the music I say.
Ites
Ites
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Jahbadra
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:41 am
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
Well, er didn't Bob say 'the colour of a mans skin is as significant as the colour of his eyes'? I think So. The biggest selling reggae album ever is by one Serge Gainsbourg (Legend being a compilation). Fact quoted by Sly Dunbar. And Slave Driver by BMW with all its overdubs and every thing else still has one of the hardest basslines. I agree with Leggo, it can certainly hold up in any company. I can't stand these fools that bang on about sufferah's music; i.e if you don't listen to anything but then your'e not 'keeping it real'. And you know what? most of 'em are white! enjoy the music I say.
Ites
Ites
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Jahbadra
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:41 am
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
Whoops Sorry! don't know what happened there!
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kalcidis
- Posts: 1952
- Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:24 am
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
I find it interesting that some people that only rate reggae done by black Jamaicans easily forget the Chinese keyplayers such as the Hookims. For me some of the stuff coming from the chiney dem (as they say) is the creme de la creme of reggae.
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Version Control
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
Anyone can take a reggae style rhythm and turn it into a decent tune or a shocker, whether they be black or white.
But what most of us here mean by 'reggae' is the roots style of the mid-late 1970s, when around 99% of the world's output came from an area of a square mile or so in Kingston. At that time, reggae wasn't just a lilting rhythm - it involved social, political and religious themes that were unique to that time and place.
And if 95% or so of the people in that area were black (with perhaps just a few white & oriental elements in the mix) then yes - reggae always will rightly be associated with the names and images of the black artists who performed in its golden era.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that a black man who lives in London or New York today will automatically make a better reggae artist than someone who is white, solely on account of his skin colour.
IMHO of course!
VC
But what most of us here mean by 'reggae' is the roots style of the mid-late 1970s, when around 99% of the world's output came from an area of a square mile or so in Kingston. At that time, reggae wasn't just a lilting rhythm - it involved social, political and religious themes that were unique to that time and place.
And if 95% or so of the people in that area were black (with perhaps just a few white & oriental elements in the mix) then yes - reggae always will rightly be associated with the names and images of the black artists who performed in its golden era.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that a black man who lives in London or New York today will automatically make a better reggae artist than someone who is white, solely on account of his skin colour.
IMHO of course!
VC
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daCENSOREDone
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
these words came from emperor haile selassie's mouth.someone wrote:Well, er didn't Bob say 'the colour of a mans skin is as significant as the colour of his eyes'?
do you know HIM?
I have to agree with previous jahglu's post on this topic.
the point is that people who pretend reggae has nothing to do with being black, jamaican and downpressed just lose the most important dimension of this music.
whitemen can play reggae but without that intensity caracterizing what was made in jamaica before young jamaicans wanted to be stars with a lot of money like bob msrley.
fruits taste better when you pick it up from a tree on a hill. it's the same with reggae, anyone can play it anywhere but the best was made in jamaica before chris blackwell brought it to babylon. babylonians wanted reggae to sound like they wanted to and they corrupted it to get more money.
bob marley is overrated... sorry. he was just the product blackwell needed to sell reggae to the world.
it's ok if you like marley and don't know about HIM and His words but please don't pretend to teach us what reggae is and where it comes from.
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Litelet
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:28 am
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
Ive never really understood that anti-Marley thinking... Like if some people who are deeply invested in underground roots reggae couldnt mix with Marley... to prove their "apart" position? or something I dont understand. You may not like his music, but why hate him?...
In my opinion he did a pretty good job. Maybe not the tuffest but some of his chunes like "Satisfy My Soul Jah Jah" really blow my mind. His outernational work was not bad at all with some exceptions (like many) and he kept a straight moral line through all that business and sharks and fishes that were sticking close to him...
And nowadays, most of the people and youth that love the "revival scene" have starten with him, cause he's not only a commercial icon but through his best stuff, you can really discover and dig into your connection with roots reggae music and then go further.
Certainly if you listen only to Marley, you will miss the bigggggest et best part of roots reggae... But those who connect strong to that music and culture, never stop to him only. *Who feels it knows it*...
Imagine that only Jimmy Cliff would have attained an outernational rank... would be by far worst, no?
A Worldwide Reggae Night...
Finally, I really have the impression that a big majority of the 70's artists deeply respect Marley, a good point for him, imo.
In my opinion he did a pretty good job. Maybe not the tuffest but some of his chunes like "Satisfy My Soul Jah Jah" really blow my mind. His outernational work was not bad at all with some exceptions (like many) and he kept a straight moral line through all that business and sharks and fishes that were sticking close to him...
And nowadays, most of the people and youth that love the "revival scene" have starten with him, cause he's not only a commercial icon but through his best stuff, you can really discover and dig into your connection with roots reggae music and then go further.
Certainly if you listen only to Marley, you will miss the bigggggest et best part of roots reggae... But those who connect strong to that music and culture, never stop to him only. *Who feels it knows it*...
Imagine that only Jimmy Cliff would have attained an outernational rank... would be by far worst, no?
A Worldwide Reggae Night...
Finally, I really have the impression that a big majority of the 70's artists deeply respect Marley, a good point for him, imo.
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daCENSOREDone
Re: White artists recording reggae in JA
I respect marley's work too (well not everything), he was a good singer and a good writer.it's not a coincidence if coxsone treated him better than the others.
I just think that he's been used and he was conscious of that. it was difficult for him to live with this contradiction and you can understand why he looked angry at the end. but he tried to make a compromise between his rasta convictions and being a rich pop star. it's pity he got involved in politics
yesterday I listened to the jamaican "catch a fire" album and I really enjoyed 4 o 5 tracks. I recently destroyed my uk copy of this album cos I couldn'stand anymore the way english musicians played these songs. the wailers without peter tosh lost good part of their potential.
I just think that he's been used and he was conscious of that. it was difficult for him to live with this contradiction and you can understand why he looked angry at the end. but he tried to make a compromise between his rasta convictions and being a rich pop star. it's pity he got involved in politics
yesterday I listened to the jamaican "catch a fire" album and I really enjoyed 4 o 5 tracks. I recently destroyed my uk copy of this album cos I couldn'stand anymore the way english musicians played these songs. the wailers without peter tosh lost good part of their potential.