[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] “We wont bow to the colonial slave master nor their principle no time at all, that is why we have reggae music. Reggae music don’t only mean seh you sing and dance and put on red, gold and green or nothing like that.. nuttin nu gu soh” SIzzla Kalonji, 2015 [/pullquote]
Reggae music originated in the former slave plantation and Carribean island of Jamaica. To date, it is the only form of popular music that, has a former colony at its center, addresses issues of colonialism and opposes the Euro-centric Babylonian world order, while at the same time enjoying immense popularity all over the world – from Japan and Sweden to Alaska and the Unitied States of America. A lot of reggae music is inspired by Rastafarian religion and utilizes the colours Red, Gold & Green, found in many African flags, as well as the first Indian national flag.
A lot of my early political education came from Hip Hop and Reggae music. It is true that sections of the music can be violently homophobic at times and this is problematic. It’s a contradiction, it’s music from a troubled former colony. However, in my opinion, the regressive elements of parts of the culture do not take away from the radical and uplifting message at the heart of what is now a global movement. In this space, I will curate short play lists over the next months consisting of some of my favorite songs, along with lyrics. Reggae can be hard to understand for the untrained ear because in place of the standard English, which in Jamaica’s well as in India was imposed by its former colonial master, it expresses itself in the street creole of the ghetto, or as its stalwart Buju Banton calls it ‘Outlish’; for we speak out, not in. Bounty Killer referred to this dialect as ‘Ghetto Gramma’. Reggae music has a massive and ever expanding catalogue and many subgenres. From Roots Reggae and Dub to Ska, Rocksteady and modern Dancehall. I will attempt to present a cross section of tracks. Here is the first installment. A word of caution before you press play – bass is the main melodic element in a lot of reggae songs. This music was originally not built for individual consumption over headphones or computer speakers, but for giant sound systems and communal listening sessions where the bass was intended to vibrate people’s bodies and make us dance in unison. A lot of reggae songs that appear gentle at first listen, reveal a militant subtext in the form of strong basslines when played over proper sound systems. Therefore, you are advised to listen to these songs somewhere with bass. As Asian Dub Foundation bassist Dr. Das says, “don’t be part of bass-less society”. If you are interested to know more.. wait for the next installment and in the meantime listen to my radio show every week on www.dubforceradio.com every Wednesday at 10:30 IST. Here are some past shows from the archives
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Chronixx – Capture Land
Chronixx is a rising star, who has been challenging the Reggae scene in the past years. His song ‘Here comes trouble’ crossed over into US pop charts. ‘Capture Land’ was released last year. Listen below for lyrics and radical politics from this young and gifted artist. Chronixx describes the America’s as captured land, in interviews he explained this song and went step further, encouraging people to thief and capture land in their own right. “Why should we pay for it?”
“Capture Land”
And I say Dread and Terrible pon dem
Good god of grace, well I have his mercy
And me say old slave driver
Time is catching up on you
Old slave driver I know your sins dem a haunt you
[Chorus:]
Carry we go home, Carry we go home
And bring we gone a east
Cause man a rasta man
And rasta nuh live pon no capture land
Carry we go home
An mek we settle and seize
Cause man a rasta man
And rasta nuh live pon no capture land
Lord America a capture land
Di whole a Jamaica a capture land
A long time dem wah trick the rasta man
Like dem nuh know say man a real African
Yuh tink me nuh rememba King Ferdinand
And thiefing Columbus have a Golden plan
Dem make a wrong turn and end up in the Caribbean
One rass genocide kill nuff Indian
Lord Fi turn paradise in a plantation
And bring cross one ship load a African
No hear comes the thiefing Queen from England
No she Cromwell and Henry Morgan
Century pon top a century full a sufferation
And after four hundred year mi say no reparation
And now dem wah fi kill we wid the taxation
But a beg you please take me to the mother land
[Chorus]
Watch dem pon di top a di hill
A look inna dem plate how it proper and fill
Because down town have shotta fi kill
Dem tell the tourist say fi stop a Negril
So come mek we start a new chapter
We nah stay pon di land weh dem capture
A me say Africa fi all true rasta
A say go tell di unscrupulous factors say
[Chorus]
Cherry Garden a capture land
Me tell you Shortwood a capture land
Los Angeles dat a capture land
And New York City dat a capture land
East some a di place weh you wah go live sweet
A thiefing land there’s no title fi it
And some a these place weh you want go live nice
A thief dem thief it in the name of Christ
Spanish Town dat a capture land
The whole a Kingston dat a capture land
Remember Portland dat a capture land
And all down a Trinidad dat a Capture land
Barbados dat a capture land
Tell dem Bermuda dat a Capture land
And tell Columbia dat a Capture land
All round a Cuba dat a Capture land
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Bounty Killer – Anytime
Bounty Killer originally hails from the ghetto of Seaview in Kingston. He is an icon of Dancehall culture, churning out consistent hits since the early 90’s. Over the years Bounty Killer has frequently courted controversy and songs of his have been banned from airwaves in Jamaica. Critics have accused Bounty Killer of glorifying gun culture. His lyrics and style can be aggressive and many of his songs indulge in gun-talk. Nevertheless, his uncompromising lyrics have earned him the title “poor people governor’ in Jamaica. ‘Anytime’, released in 1999 was criticized heavily and banned from some radio stations for the line “Anytime, you’re hungry again let them see the 9 (9 mm handgun)”, which was interpreted as a direct call to arms against the state.
Lyrics:
Jack ass, unno nuh tired fi pressure poor people?
Well, Babatunde have a message fi you
You see? Alright
Never let your problems get you down
Gotta stay focused and hold your ground
Though it seems hopeless
There is no progress
Wi still a hustle ’round town
We do what we do so we stay alive
We sell what we sell so we haffi survive
Wi tired a the fuckry and wi fed up from ’bout 95
So, tell them seh anytime
Mi hungry again them a guh si mi nine
Police outta road seh them a fight crime
And holiday a come and mi nuh si the first dime
Tell them seh anytime
The government policies a undermine
Poor people plight that a sure sign
Corruption and war a guh reach it’s prime
So, tell them seh anytime
Mi hungry again them a guh si mi nine
Police outta road seh them a fight crime
And holiday a come and mi nuh si the first dime
Tell them seh anytime
The government policies a undermine
Poor people plight that a sure sign
Corruption and war a guh reach it’s prime
Imagine after mi try my best fi survive the street
Sometimes mi wonder how some people do it
‘Nuff time it burn mi, mamma clean dirty floor
So the kids can eat
Five christmas now mi don’t drink nuh sorrel
Landlord and mamma deh a courthouse a quarrel
Chin a send a cris chrome nine inna a barrel
What you expect me to do
Them ramp with wi future wi take it wid a smile
A we feel the pinch now when everything spoil
Poverty and hunger a nuh easy lifestyle
Wi tired and wi tired, and wi tired
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Burning Spear – days of slavery
Burning Spear is one of the great Rastafarian artists of our times, His songs and stage persona are deeply spiritual while at the same time expressing militant politics. This song from the 1970’s brings back to memory the original black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey.
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Cornel Campbell – my country
This song questions the concept of nation states, of borders and frontiers and restriction to people’s movement on the planet. “Some people say I don’t have the right to say it’s my country.
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Sizzla – No White God
Expect to hear a lot of Sizzla tunes in this column. This man took the reggae world by storm in the 90’s and has consistently churned out conscious music until the present time. Sizzla has some 60 albums under his belt. While some have criticized his prolific output, and no doubt the music he has released is of varying quality. At the best of times, SIzzla songs combine carefully crafted lyrics with raw emotion and a message of total resistance to the present day incarnation of the colonial slave master regime. This song utilizes the instrumental or riddim of Bob Marley’s song One Drop. More on Sizzla in the next installment.
Lyrics:
Intro
Don’t seduce to reduce my knowledge,
because I will always break those barriers and break down bondage
oh Lord God Almighty grant me all privilige
you see I have overcome all the wicked,
them and them false things
Chorus
I have no white god
don’t teach me anything wrong
could the white god save me from white man oppression?
I have no white god it’s just a Black Messiah,
if a white god ah bless you him no bless Sizzla
Verse 1
I want what is rightfully mine
so me nah stay mute
your system is designed to distract me from the truth
but it will come to pass unknown not to the youths
in the process of time we will know the truth
you give we white god to praise in slavery
the doctrine follow on in the black community
the Black Messiah you try to shield with fantasy,
but we nah guh make you destroy the love with luxury
that’s why,
have to go through I have no place in Babylon
as I go they make mi victim of their unjust action oh God
I won’t be conquered in this region oh yes
I have to stand and go strong
Chorus
Verse 2
Ooh mi face contort with anger cause that no right
how could all things good and valuable must be white? cho!
what about the black that did the most in life?
You and you white supremacy want treat me as you…
you change the version of the Bible, who you a trick?
Rememba all who do evil won’t go unpunished
bear your inequity you have no wisdom nor wit
all evilous people shall sink in a abyss
Chorus (x2)
Verse 3
Cause when I and I ah trod its like Moses with the rod
with one strong backative Almighty Father God
He’s the only second party that Sizzla have
fi guide mi through the darkness weh the heathen dodge
there wasn’t any doubt but a voice yah made it shout,
Behold!
Jah Jah youth ah complete the route.
Chorus
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