Roots Archives Forum

I play with a slew of selectors at a weekly dancehall in Norcal.
A rootsman myself, I play music with a message promoting the King and upful livity, awareness and overall heartical heights to nice up the massive.


Why I write is because I find myself burdened by the fact that my colleagues love to play badman tunes that promote wickedness and bad mind works of outequity.

This, as I am sure you know, runs the dance in mosts dances from here to JA and round about the world again..
From the times of Kingdom of Aksum (4th century BC) till now, the badman has been there.. so no new story right?

The folks at the dance dance to it, selectors promote it, youth hear it, see and know that people follow those vibes,

What truly disturbed me was the fact that after everything that the World has gone through, and what we have seen in the past and today in these realities manifest that plague our streets and lives with robbery, rape, killings and war abroad.... ...

that my people at home, my comrades, who are fully conscious and understanding of the lyrics and the consequences they promote, the numerous sufferations that have resulted from badman gangster rudeboy murderous bloodclot theatrics..

my people are promoting and supporting that, spreading and projecting that through their musical selections!!

Maybe for the love of the image or the fact that its whats popular in Jamaica, whether its the fact that its hyphy and gets the people stirred.. or maybe they really do love and live the badman lifestyle, however doubtful what drives such a force in this day
When we have all we need to move forward and promote peace. We all have the tools we need.
What I do know is I hung my head last night in moment of sadness and unease... knowing that my family parades this image, projecting these negative priorities, downward spirals, planting seeds of wicked intent, whoa...
Selassie help us.
These are the times....
Vibes a run red!
Blessed Love, Guidance, and Protection I pray for all of us.
as it was, now, and forever is
in the name of
HisImperialMajesty the MostHighEmperorHaileSelassieI
JAH RASTAFARI
Hold Firm
selah

maybe not a single conscious person comes to dance...

Maybe what your seeing, the people that come to your dances are not conscious because of your bredrins music styles.

Your unlikely to see these conscious people if the tunes that are being played arnt conscious.

Id recommend you do a night, a conscious reggae night, i think you'd be suprised how many people would come to feel that vibe.

Show love, peace and unity and you will recieve it back.

Most of the tunes I play are concious tunes and the audience seem to love them. There's some early dancehall lovers tunes int he mix but I don't deal with slackness or badboy tunes.

So I think Bullit is right, play the right music, get the right crowd.

However, finding venues that DON'T want badboy ragga, slack dancehall and modern 'drum and bass' music (which for me isn't reggae) is very hard here in the UK.

Maybe I am wrong to associate reggae music with an upful message, or an anti sufferation message, or just joyous celebrations of love?

Maybe because alot of people who are dancing wants music to dance to. Not to say "rastafari" to.

Many selectors today play for what i call the biggest "forward".In certain dances conscious music can only play if it is post 1990 as many youths (here in the UK) don't relate to real roots as it is not music of todays fashion,no airplay,no hype etc.

I Remember a dance not so long ago with a famous roots selector from the 70's who shall remain nameless,playing a whole barrage of R'n'B.Nothing wrong with R'n'B but are you playing from the heart or for the "forward"

Bless

Everytime, I step to the decks and I find naturally that I am happily honored to play the tunes that strum my heart mind and soul strings, melodies that uplift and bestill the I in awe and wonderment... irie nicenesses!

Roots or dancehall, 70s or 90s, I select tunes that forward a message that uplifts,
and its easy to do, because there is nuff music out there to be able to mash it up, get the forward, and please the crowd while holding the message and vibe of upful livity..
a conscious positive message...
an irie herb tune....
no matter what the genere...
millions of tunes leave everyone space to play whatever message they choose.
Its like an artist with a canvas, and we paint what we will given supplies by the Most High.

What the fire burns down to is I feel called to spread the conscious and liberating message as delivered by HIM Selassie I in the name of Almighty God.

"Book of Life" by Hugh Mundell comes to mind.
Jah's music is a powerful medicine, bitter or sweet!
Only God truly knows what is right for each and everyone at each and every time, for who we are and where we are at is only for the Almighty to decide.
Im just so thankful and appreciative to be blesesed with such a holy and powerful medicine, and have the responsibility to share that.
Its just so disturbing to me that people would want to spread, promote, endorse, and project such a negative and hateful message.
Wha Gwaan?
Bless

Yes, people want to dance at dances Jah Glu, or should do.

But that doesn't mean the music has to promote the wrong culture. A tune is what we dance to, yes, but the lyrics will permeate people and some people will be influenced by such negative vibes.

And there's lots and lots of 'old skool' reggae that is perfect for dancing. No surprise as dancing has always been at the very heart of Jamaican music - and still is.

And do you think that slackness is "wrong" culture leggo?

I think there is not much consciousness in the dance - its because they think consciousness is boring and no fun, like doing homework.
I have been to dances where there have been early 20 somethings, and they have really liked the old roots music and the whole conscious event.
Its a shame that people at shaka dances are not as conscious as they used to be.

Peace