Tag: Reggae

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Jimmy Cliff, Rivers Crossed Tour

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Musical acts that open for big name performers, to use a Rodney Dangerfield phrase, ‘don’t get no respect.’ That’s mainly because the audience is so anxious for the headliner to take the stage that they mostly ignore the opening act.

I wasn’t paying much attention to the opening act when [simpleazon-link asin=”B00864489G” locale=”us”]Rebirth[/simpleazon-link]’s Rivers Crossed Tour stopped at Howard Theater in the Nation’s Capital a few weekends ago. And even after local reggae music radio host and show MC, Tony Carr, introduced him, I wrote the performer’s name incorrectly. But [simpleazon-link asin=”B004B6MY94″ locale=”us”]Lost Between[/simpleazon-link], a 23-year old acoustic guitarist from Washington State, got my attention.

With a voice that sounded like cigarette smoke had induced its huskiness, Tucker sounded older than his years, especially on his plaintive rendition of [simpleazon-link asin=”B000PHX4VA” locale=”us”]The Police[/simpleazon-link]’s, Roxanne. Tucker performed several of his own songs, including the catchy, Cool Kids, before leaving the stage for the headliner.

Jimmy Cliff, Bongo Man a Come!

Tucker got our attention but the evening belonged to Jimmy Cliff. The reggae master came on stage chanting, Bongo Man a Come, his powerful tenor backed by the syncopated rhythms of the Nyabinghi drums. The enthusiastic crowd of fans young and old, inside the theater seemed to double in size as everyone rose to their feet to chant, to celebrate the Bongo Man, who had finally arrived.

Cliff, whose career spans almost 50 years, was on a cross-country tour to promote his latest album, Rebirth, which won the singer a Grammy award earlier this year. He has also been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of the iconic reggae film, [simpleazon-link asin=”B000BT9966″ locale=”us”]The Harder They Come (DVD + CD)[/simpleazon-link], which exposed him to a new audience and helped take reggae beyond Jamaica’s shores.

Starting with the early days, Cliff led the audience decade by decade through a musical career that included ska, rocksteady, and roots reggae, introducing each song with the back story most people probably didn’t know.

I had no idea, for example, that two different political groups had used his song, You Can Get it if You Really Want. Though he didn’t name names, it wasn’t difficult to find out that he was referring to the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Conservative Party in Britain.

Cliff underscored his clear disregard for politics (his explanation of the meaning of politics, poli-many, tics-a blood sucking animal, brought thunderous applause) before performing his protest song, Vietnam, which he renamed, Afghanistan. 

Cliff got his start with Leslie Kong and acted as Kong’s unofficial A&R manager bringing in singers like Desmond Dekker, who recorded his first hit, Honor Your Father and Your Mother. When Dekker introduced Bob Marley, Cliff got him to cut his first songs, Judge Not and One Cup of Coffee, with Kong’s label, Beverley’s Records.

Of the film, The Harder They Come, Cliff said that producer Perry Henzell convinced him to take the starring role of Ivan by telling him that he was a better actor than a singer. Cliff’s performance was raw and energetic, and the film turned several of the songs, like Many Rivers to Cross, Sitting here in Limbo, and You Can Get it if You Really Want, which the singer wrote, into hits.

Cliff’s penchant for musical experimentation might have made him difficult to package and probably because of that, blockbuster success, like that of a Bob Marley, for example, eluded him. And songs, like Let Your Yeah Be Yeah, that he recorded first became hits for other groups.

Cliff ended his first set, which lasted over an hour, with The Harder They Come but cheers from his adoring fans brought him back to the stage with I Can See Clearly Now, from the movie, Cool Runnings, and You Can Get it if You Really Want. Reggae Nights and Johnny You Too Bad ended the show.

At 65, Cliff performed with the energy and enthusiasm of someone younger. It was my time seeing him in person, and I was not disappointed.

Photo of Jimmy Cliff from Wikimedia.

Soulful Sundays: Judy Mowatt

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Though Judy Mowatt is best known as a member of the I-Threes, Bob Marley’s back up vocalists (Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths were the other two), she is also an accomplished songwriter who enjoyed a separate career as a solo recording artist.

Born Judith Veronica Mowatt in Kingston around 1952, Mowatt sang in a church choir and as a teen, was part of a dance group that toured the Caribbean. Later, she was a member of the trio, The Gaylettes, which had a major hit with the song, Silent River. Mowatt continued recording following the break up of the group and wrote several tracks for Bunny Wailer. However, because of contractual disputes, she used a number of different pseudonyms. Two of her tracks were on The Wailers’ Burnin album.

In 1974, Mowatt had a second hit with a cover of I Shall Sing, a song recorded originally by Miriam Makeba. When she and Rita Marley backed up Marcia Griffiths, they hit it off and a new group, the I-Threes, was born. They joined Bob in 1975 and continued to back him up until his death in 1981. During that time, Mowatt continued to record on her own. Her first solo album, Mellow Mood, was released in 1975. Her second, Black Woman, the first album recorded at Marley’s Tuff Gong studios, is thought to be the best album by a female reggae artist.

Mowatt followed up with Only a Woman and Working Wonders then took over producing her own music. She even founding her own label. In 1985, she became the first female to be nominated for a Grammy in the reggae music category for her album Working Wonders.

Formerly a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, a Rastafarian group, Judy Mowatt converted to Christianity in 1990 and now sings Gospel music.

In 1999, the government of Jamaica awarded her an Order of Distinction for her contribution to reggae music.

Here’s Mowatt’s Many are Called.

 

 

Soulful Sundays: JC Lodge

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Born June Carol Lodge in London, England in 1958 to a Jamaican father and British mother, JC Lodge was taken to Jamaica as a child. She’s probably best known for her international hit, Telephone Love.

JC Lodge, image from the internet
JC Lodge, image from the internet

An accomplished artist and actress, Lodge recorded more than 12 albums. She returned to live in the UK in 2001.

 

 

Soulful Sundays: Phyllis Dillon

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

On this lovely Sunday, I’d like to share two songs from ska and reggae singer, Phyllis Dillon, who made her first recording, Don’t Stay Away, for producer, Duke Reid, in 1967. She was at 19. Dillon did a lot of covers of popular songs from the U.S.

Phyllis Dillon, photo from the Internet
Phyllis Dillon, photo from the Internet

Take a listen to Perfidia and One Life to Live.

Dillon, who was born in St. Catherine in 1948, moved to New York in 1967 and, for a while, would travel back to Jamaica to record. She ended her recording career in 1971 but resumed it twenty years later, touring Japan, Germany and the UK. In 1998, she returned to the studio with former Duke Reid session guitarist, Lynn Taitt, who had discovered her. She continued to perform until she became ill. Dillon died in New York in 2004. She was 56 years old.

Soulful Sundays: Third World

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

I’ve seen Third World perform so many times, I’ve lost count. They are the only act I can say that about. The first time in Washington, DC, my friends and I went to see them and during the intermission, two of us decided to move closer to the stage. Isn’t that where all the cool people hang out?

Reggae band Third World
Reggae band Third World

Well, we were so close that the next day, I could still hear the constant bzzzzz from the speakers. It took a few days for my hearing to get back to normal and I swore I’d never get that close to speakers again – and I haven’t.

The reggae band Third World was formed in 1973 by Michael “Ibo” Cooper (keyboardist) and Stephen “Cat” Coore (guitarist and cellist). With their mix of Rhythm & Blues, classical music and reggae, they still are unlike any other reggae band. They’ve worked and collaborated with The Jackson Five, Bob Marley and the Wailers and Stevie Wonder.

Third World has recorded more than 20 albums and produced several hits, including the two featured today – Try Jah Love, which was written by Stevie Wonder, and (1865) 96 Degrees in the Shade, a song about the 1865 slave rebellion in Morant Bay.

Despite several changes in their lineup – Cat Coore was later joined by “Bunny Rugs” Clarke,  Richard “Ritchie” Daley (bass), Lenworth “Ruption” Williams (drums), Maurice Gregory and Norris Webb (vocals) and a decline in their popularity around the 1980s, the band continues to perform including at this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

Their most recent album, Patriots, features collaborations with Toots Hibbert, Marcia Griffiths, the late Gregory Isaacs, Tarrus Riley, and Stephen and Damian Marley among many others.

The 10 time Grammy nominated reggae band has received numerous awards including the United Nations Peace Medal (1986), the Jamaica Music Industry Award for Best Show Band (1992 and 1996).

Take a listen to another version of (1865) 96 Degrees in the Shade.

 

 

Soulful Sundays – Ernest Ranglin

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

For most people, reggae is Jamaican music. But before there was reggae, there were other types of music, most notably ska. Guitarist Ernest (Ernie) Ranglin is one of the musicians credited with creating ska.

In addition to his involvement with ska, Ranglin created the soundtrack for the Bond film, Dr. No, which was

Jazz Guitarist, Ernest 'Ernie' Ranglin
Jazz Guitarist, Ernest 'Ernie' Ranglin

filmed in Jamaica. Born in Jamaica 79 years ago, Ranglin started playing at an early age after listening to his musician uncles play the ukelele and guitar and practicing with their instruments. His style is a fusion of jazz and reggae. Ranglin’s worked with several musicians and recorded more than thirty albums.

A few years ago, I saw Ranglin perform at Aaron Davis Hall in Harlem. For most of the show, I felt absolutely giddy with excitement, a huge smile plastered on my face. Take  s listen to one of my favorites, Below the Baseline.

 

Enjoy!

 

Bob Marley, 30 Years Later – Larger in Death

Posted on by Marcia Mayne
Marley filmed from left stage door during conc...
Image via Wikipedia

Today marks 30 years since the death of reggae icon, Bob Marley. I remember how shocked I was when I heard the news. I had no idea he had even been sick.

I saw Bob perform once, in Montreal. My boyfriend at the time and I drove from Ottawa for the mid-week concert.

I don’t remember who the opening act was but when Bob finally came onstage, the crowd went wild. Around midnight, we decided to leave. My boyfriend had to work the next morning and we had a two hour drive ahead. (I would never had done that now!) I never got another chance to see Bob perform and always wondered how the show ended. Within a year or so after that show, Bob was dead.

As with some celebrities, Bob has become bigger and more popular in death than in life. More than anything else however, he was instrumental in putting reggae music and Jamaica on the map internationally.

In 1977, when I lived in Barcelona, I went to the student office on some matter that I now can’t recall. I handed over my passport to the gentleman at the office. He looked at it, looked at me and said, Bob Marley. But his English accent was so Spanglified, I didn’t understand. He must have seen the confusion on my face and said it again. Finally, I got it: Bob Marley! We had a good laugh and talked for a good while, in Spanish, about Bob. He even hummed some of his favorite songs.

It was then that I realized that Bob was not just ours, he was also the world’s.

I have many favorite songs but this one, Could You Be loved, has been playing in my head since I woke up this morning so I thought it would be the one to share.

Enjoy!

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What’s your favorite Bob Marley song?

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Soulful Sundays: Tarrus Riley

Posted on by Marcia Mayne

Sundays, for me, are usually lazy days. I putter, lounge, read, snooze and, of course, listen to music. What I listen to depends on my mood. Sometimes, it’s soothing jazz. Other times, it’s music that gets me on my feet – I just love to dance.

For this week’s Soulful Sundays post, I want to share the work of a musician who has become one of my favorites.

I was first introduced to reggae musician, Tarrus Riley a few years ago when I heard his anthem to women, She’s Royal. Then my friend, Sandra, and I attended his performance at the Calabash Literary Festival in Treasure Beach. We enjoyed it so much, we concluded we had to see him again. We did, in New York, a few months later and we weren’t disappointed. I even went back stage to get his autograph – something I never did when I was a teenager!

So here now, is I Sight

Hope you like it as much as I do.

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