Modern Roots Reggae

[JaninaSTAR]

Hi Y'all!!

What a nice discussion. Just to mention dennis brown. I think he did any kind of styles and moods. For example he recorded a digital recorded album for prince jammy in the mid eighties. In the nineties he recorded with musician like bounty killer, buccaneer. But still he was roots musician that everyone in the roots reggae scene took fe serious. Just like gregory also did. But the difference between those two is that dennis was firm in his rasta belief. While gregory took several steps backward from Roots & Culture.

[benjamin]

hi john public,
as promised I listened to Black woman and child. And I'm sorry it didn't change my perception. Yes, Sizzla can do excellent things with his voice, and some songs are inspired by roots. But I was quite disapointed with the music : it's only (or nearly) riddims that already exist. There is no composition, and the sound is digital, the drum, etc. I like te idea of combination between dancehall and roots but I still can't cross the gap.. I won't give up trying, my next trial will be Jah Mason.
Smile natty dread

[John Public]

Ok the sound of "Black Woman & Child" is digital and most of the riddims already exist. But still they are good songs. Jah Mason is not very different to the sound of sizzla and capleton. Did you try Capleton's "Reign Of Fire"? Most of the tunes are with live instruments. Maybe this sounds better to your ears. But of course this is not something you can force.

A few months ago I listened to the Nazarenes Album "Songs Of Life" Did you listen to that one? Actually these two guys are real ethiopians. This will be the next Album I will buy.

[Bellyman]

Hold on for a minute....I think some things have to be made clear in this discussion.
First of all, every artist and I mean from 70s days on has been and is a dancehall artist in Jamaica.
There was and there is no other way to reach the people first.
I am always surprised to the reception outside of Jamaica that the common mind is dividing in 'roots' and 'dancehall'. From Dennis Brown to Gregory from Sugar Minott to Junior Reid and every other singer up to this day, they all are dancehall stars more or less.
What makes the difference, but only nowadays!, are the topics of the songs to be sung. If one is going over all the girls and money and champagne, jus 'blingbling' and 'passapassa', we say that's not roots !? Same singer but next song he's going over 'rasta' and 'firebun' he's roots or what ?

Take Capleton or Sizzla, take Gregory or Dennis, this is not new !!! Only some words have changed but that's a sign of the times.

[benjamin]

first I'll answer John,
I don't think I heard the Capleton you mentionned, but I think I can enjoy it easily with 'true' instruments, ok for this one. I heard the Nazareenes in a shop and I really loved the voices, there was really something in this album, good bass tracks. Well, I didn't buy it, you may think I'm a fanatic, because once again, it sounded too clean, not warm enough. But as far as I remember it was a good album and I think I'll listen to it another time. Cheers--------

Dear Bellyman, you're probably right but I don't think every reggae artist is a dancehall artist. Or maybe if any music spread in public places is considered as dancehall. And there may also be a little confusion when we talk about dancehall. It was implied that we were talking about today's dancehall, not Linval Thompson's for instance. Still I don't like to put so much words on music, as far as we understand each other and what kind of sound we're talking about, there's no need to polemicize. In the same way, when in this topic we talk about Midnite, ok, this is not 'modern roots', the movement you described, but that's historically modern roots, the roots of today, and I think you'd understood it.
Anyway, roots is not only a kind of sound, of lyrics, or a period, it's a vibration, the life principle of reggae in my mind. And surely we can feel it in any form of reggae that has come to life. I only hardly find it in today's ragga or dancehall.

[Dave]

Having started the thread and discussion, I would like to clear up the meaning of the topic title. I intended to discuss new or modern bands that tour and record that have the same message and sound as the mid 70's roots music. I understand other peoples interpretations of modern, though I intended it to mean bands who play their own instruments. As I said, Midnite tours now, and they have captured the roots sound from the era I speak of. Some of these modern dancehall (not like Lindval Thompson style) rap and sing about sex and vanity, rather than respectable and righteous things.
I am glad everyone is posting replies, I just wanted to clear up my topic title "Modern Roots Reggae".
-Dave

[Guido]

Yeah, you meant "contemporary", that was clear enough I suppose

[Rastafari]

Im a hungaryan rastamann and i love pussy youno?
peace and love people

[John Public]

@ Benjamin

I think the Nazarenes Album reminds me sometimes of the "Heart Of The Congos" Album. But of course a kind of Lee Perry Production is missing on that "Songs Of Life" Album. Maybe this is the reason why it sound too clean.

@ Bellyman:

In one way you are right Bellyman. You should not divide the Roots from Dancehall. Both are part of jamaican original music. And I think dancehall is nuttin new. It's not created in the mid 80 like some people say. Judy Mowatt said it once in an interview:" Dancehall was always there. In the 60ies, 70ies but we didn't call it so. Maybe it had a different name. But it was still the same - true Jamaican music" True Words Sister!!! Listen to some Gregory Stuff in the 70ies. Maybe you would call it Lover's Rock or Lover's Style or something. But actually if you look at it, it is dancehall.

But still I would say these are different pair of shoes. If I would mention people like Ras Michael. I guess nobada would say that he is a dancehall artist or part of the dancehall. Not even in Jamaica. Especially in the 70ies where his Songs were full of depth.

[lisa1981]

Hi Y'all!

I also don't believe that roots and dancehall are the same. you can combine them. But still they are not the same. Like John Public said, I still didn't hear any Ras Michael or any Nyabinghy Tune on a Dancehall