Happy Valentine's Day to all!
The above clip is just one example of the many songs from one of reggae's most popular stars currently, (and my favorite dancehall artist of the year) Mavado. David Constantine Brooks is Reggae music's answer to Tupac. Not since Bounty Killer (Mavado's mentor and fellow "Alliance" member) invited listeners to "Look" and declared that poor people were "Fed Up!", have the struggles of the poor been so wondrously illustrated through the music. Like any artist of his ilk, controversy surrounds him as he is viewed as both a voice of the sufferers and an enabler for violent elements.
This song shows the influence Bounty Killer, and undoubtedly Tupac, had in Mavado's formation as an artist. It is a weird form of an apology; one that doesn't say I'm "gonna do better" but attempts to explain the method behind the madness.
southern religion: it's in your face take it or leave it and accept your decision once you've hit the gates of the afterlife. christianity is what i know best. it makes sense but doesn't fully complete me. coexist. it's a beautiful movement. their insignia makes me smile every time I pass it on the highway.
but this my friends is not a religion post, per se. it is a post in my memoirs of an incredible 4 days of music. religion happened to strike me during this particular 9pm show. matisyahu has emerged within the last 5 years as an incredible touring machine and more importantly a touring machine with a message. as a follower of hasidic judaism, he was not able to perform on the sabbath but was around for an autograph sessions. as his website indicates "matisyahu simply seeks to serve as a conduit for the messages of peace and unity that flow through him, to improve the world the world by sharing his music, and without letting ego or worldly desires interfere in that communication."
his performances are anchored in the reggae themes still prevailing from the bob marley days but small differences in personality reveal themselves in comparison to my experiences with other reggae artists. as much he enjoys sending his message, matisyahu appreciates the skill of each member of his backup band. in the instrumentals of each of the songs, he can usually be found arms crossed engrossed in the certain highlighted solo. as he is giving thanks to the individual performer, the audience realizes that his performance is greater than the sound that the guitar makes, greater than the 10,000 people there singing along, and much greater than themselves. it is about a joining of everyone for the greater beauty of society. cheesy, yes. i apologize for the vague description of grandeur but it is an experience that is felt seldom, if ever at a concert.
the concert finished out with a brand new song with a guest singer (the name completely slipping me). the final song gloriously faded out to a message of peace, love, peace, love. i don't thing there's anything else that needed to be said.
The following day the three amigos met matisyahu, his brother, and his son (about a year old). we were all thoroughly impressed with his genuine smile and gracious time he spent with us. cheers to another great performer and performance.
One of my favorite recurring moments in life is when a song that I heard when I was growing up reenters my life. Often this happens because of a popular rap song's sampling (i.e T.I's usage of that Crystal Waters track a couple years ago) but I want to go back to the spring semester of 2007, when one of my friends brought me a reggae mixtape she bought while in Queens. We listened to it together, reminescing on the first time we heard many of the classics the mixtape contained. When it got to the final two tracks, I froze. I fervently searched for the cd's tracklisting to confirm what I heard. It had been so long since I heard that wondrous voice remind me that "love and hate can never be friends." Admittedly, this is a simple observation, yet it serves as iconic lyric from the Crown Prince of Reggae, Dennis Brown.
