Looking back over two decades of playing reggae music, there were two foundation artists whose encouragement and support directly inspired me to keep moving on this road. One was Aston Family Man Barrett, who took the time to listen to and give me feedback on demos I recorded as a teenager, and who loved to reminisce about the Jamaican recording scene in the 1970s. The other was one mr. Joseph Hill, the original lead singer of the group Culture. I first met him at the New England Reggae Festival in Rhode Island when he was looking for a little herb. I was able to make the connection for him, and as we stood and reasoned I played him some of the first recordings from a new group I was working with called 10 Ft. Ganja Plant. Joseph flashed a broad smile from behind his holographic ganja-leaf sunglasses and praised the raw production and the live rhythms, offering kind words of encouragement to a young musician. A couple years later, backstage at the same festival, I heard an interviewer ask Joseph when he planned on retiring from touring. Joseph laughed and replied, When Im dead! That moment was the first thing that came to mind when I heard the sad news of his passing while on tour in Europe a while later. Joseph Hill was a soldier until the end- uncompromising, firm in his message and delivery. I saw him many times over the years, and on some nights he was jovial while on other nights he carried an air of seriousness and dread judgment. And Ive never known anyone else who was such a wealth of wise sayings- for any conversation, Joseph could pull a biblical proverb or clever folk saying out of his hat that summed up his thoughts on the matter perfectly. He was one of a kind, and anyone needing proof of the gravity of his lyrics and message need look no farther than the story of the complete shutdown that occurred in Jamaica on July 7, 1977 in the wake of Two Sevens Clash. I still feel the loss of this humble warrior to this day, and the music of Culture will always hold a special place in my heart. Through many times of despair when I wanted to give up and turn my back on playing music, the memory of that man standing firm and tirelessly doing Jah works gave me inspiration to push onward. And that is why it is such a pleasure for Truth & Rights to open up for Joseph Hills son Kenyatta at Church of Boston next week. Kenyatta finished the tour his father began before his passing, and has been carrying the torch ever since. Were all looking forward to seeing him for the first time, and to hearing the crucial sounds of Culture live again! This is truly a night to give respect to the roots. Heres a rare clip of Culture from a 1970s French documentary to put you on the right track...
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 17:46:50 +0000
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