Roots Archives Forum

See what the boys from Aswad had to say!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1w0E517Wg8

What about you guys?
Who inspires you with their music?

There is no one particular artist, musician, producer or studio that inspires me.

But what really does impress on me is that collectively for over 50 years generations of people involved in the Jamaican music industry has consistently pioneered a music and a scene that has had an impact on people right across the world.

This is no small feat coming from what, in reality, is a poverty stricken small third world country that has suffered its fair share of political and economical unrest.

The fact that so much great and influential music from the creation of Ska - Rocksteady - Roots - Dub - DJ - Dancehall - Ragga has been crafted by mere ghetto people in the face of great adversity and for little gain is what inspires me and goes to show that with a bit of imagination and initiative greatness can be achieved with very little.

Influences on my own recording and music making have been particularly -

Nick Drake
Roy Harper
J.J. Cale
Earth Opera
Massive Attack
to name but a few....

Influences on my own recording are

Gladstone Anderson (piano)and Singing
& Earl Cunningham Singing

moroccan riddims still have a great deal of how I listen to music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnB41ZJYii8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI5Jczc_cGE

Daniel Johnston
Neil Young
King Tubby
no particular reggae band, but Burning Spear, The Gladiators, Congos, Marley, Slim Smith, The Royals, Justin Hinds, etc

Great to hear from all you guys. You're clearly well-versed and clued-up on the good stuff. Roots Archive fans are tastemakers! No word of a lie.