Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

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clydoh
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 12:01 am

Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

Post by clydoh »

I'll be so please to read you about this thank you for replying
rcdupre
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:47 pm

Re: Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

Post by rcdupre »

Jimmy Cliff is a reggae singer ?
Zion Gates
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Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 3:09 pm

Re: Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

Post by Zion Gates »

..i dont get this thread
-Zion Gates
"way down here in babylon fighting my way up to go to Zion"
Papa Ahmz
Posts: 182
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:03 pm

Re: Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

Post by Papa Ahmz »

If you mean that some artists stray from a roots reggae style to attract a wider audience, then yes there are some that do that. For example, Aswad and Inner Circle (post Jacob Miller) went pop in the late 80s.
soulman

Re: Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

Post by soulman »

but, on the other hand, there are also those that sing roots to sell records, but could just as well sing about other stuff if it was something else than roots that was the style of the day, e.g. a great many 70s reggae, or many roots artists of today... who might even sing roots to please white reggae fans.
Youthman Deh

Re: Do you think that reggae singers just to get their dailly bread must sing far from roots ? eg : Jimmy Cliff

Post by Youthman Deh »

If we are speaking generally, roots as a music can mostly be summarized as a theme so that nothing would be left out. Roots music has been sung over pop-ish dibby-dibby rhythms, just as lovers has been over some of the heaviest and deepest. So if we're talking about singers, we have to narrow down our search to those tracks, that feature roots & culture themes lyrics, while giving no demands whatsoever for the rhythms.

Hence, I agree with soulman that some artists make better dunza by singing strictly deep roots vibrations throughout their careers (eg. Burning Spear) while MANY singers are having a hard time trying to make a living with their lovers themes, that are in some cases tailor-made for strictly selling purposes. So one cannot possibly make up any general formula like "this is what reggae artists do when they can't hit it with roots & culture".

Still, this is not to say that some artists haven't done just that. I am absolutely sure that some, if not many, have. But to answer the question, simply some do and some don't. Besides, remember we are talking about sufferer's music here; often it is not enough just to sing lovers or such for a living - in most cases, I'd say, it calls for a dayjob - if not two.
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