AESTHETICS OF REGGAE 8 / 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 /04

Posted November 1st. 2006 - by Arnold Bathersfield

Reggae - message music is a dynamic force striking as lighting would, penetrating the fabric of its audience, cutting across politics, race, religion, and culture from its indigenous African roots, emerging from the revivalist movement, Zion and Pocomania; penetrating the North Pole, Pacific Islands, India - Iran, Afghanistan, China, Alaska, and Japan. It is universal and fluid, modernizing various art forms and traditions thus propelling artists to infuse its idioms and phasing into lyrics and creating a milieu of poetry, oral tradition, storytelling and music for television/films -

The "Back Beat". "Nothing Rests: everything moves; everything vibrates." This contemporary masterpiece unfolded and developed from ska, rock steady, blending blues, Caribbean folk music, calypso and rock. The syncopating continues with jazz infusion, dub poetry, rap, raga muffin style, rhythm and blues reggae, hip-hop style, and DJ's Dance Hall style - not necessarily in the given order. The music has moved from previous instrumentation drum, bass, key boards where the guitar and bass are given room to operate, to drum machine, synthesizer, sequencers - to the digital technology and computers.

Bob Marley's "Roots Rock Reggae Festival" was held at the Wolf Trap National Park for the performing arts on Sunday August 8, 2004, featuring "The Marley Brothers"- Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Damien Jr. Gong, Ky-Mani, with guest artists Slightly Stoopid, Toots and the Maytals, and MC and DJ Stone Love. Joan and I attended the Festival, occupying seats one and two in the orchestra Section F, close to the stage, utilizing designated senior citizens ticket prices, which I embraced. DJ and MC Stone Love who is described as the champion of dance hall artists in Jamaica had the "stage" mixing music and demonstrated varied dance steps for the audience - lifting weights, rain drops, which was quite a feat. The band Slightly Stoopid, which is based in Southern California, had great stage presence, but the lyrics got lost in the sound, which was overpowering. Both guitarists were very good vocalists - having range and dexterity. They performed, Hip-Hop and dance hall styling, R & B Reggae, heavy metal and what got my attention was "Bam Bam" Rhythm - white boys staying in line with the New Orleans "second line" or the Bo Diddley beat, which is popular in Blues and Rock "N" Roll. More Power to them because the language of music is universal; it has nothing to do with ethnicity. You dig the complexity! That is why I am writing.

Then there was Toots and the Maytals; and if my memory holds the term,"Reggay" was coined by Toots (Frederick Hibbert) in 1968. His stage presence was invigorating and overwhelming. Commanding his audience, with what I call roots Reggae, the audience was transfixed by revivalism, pocomania and Zion styling (gospel styling) - clapping, swaying, singing, jumping and tapping their feet to renditions such as "Reggae Got Soul", "Never Go Home," "Bam Bam" "Sweet and Dandy", "Who You Are", "Country Road," "True Love Is Hard To Find." Toots's lyrics perfected the "Back Beat" which caused me to reflect on Allen Toussaint and Fats Domino, New Orleans rhythm and blues geniuses. Joan, throughout his performance, was "transfixed in motion"---Shango style. I interjected and reminded her that, that was the revivalist ---of which she is familiar through her research "African Religion in the Caribbean Novel."

Music is a useful and powerful vehicle for communicating spiritualism and traditions of a people, and "Toots" did just that with the audience; he brought out these phenomena within them---the complexity of "Life Forces" "Bam Bam" rhythm. The forerunner spoke humbly and his musical messages created a "way" for the Marley Brothers to accentuate. He reminded his audience that he used to open for their father, Bob Marley.

This was a perfect and natural progression. The brothers illustrated all aspects of the contemporary language of the reggae culture with lyrical substance from roots reggae, jazz infusion, rap/hip-hop style, DJ's Dance Hall style, with no blatant commercial overtone, thus continuing the spiritual vision of their father. They create their own footprints and preserve his as the metamorphosis, and fusion continues. They were well rehearsed and disciplined with evenness and purpose on stage, not dominating each other.

The stage was well shared. How symbolic and humble as they paid tribute by performing some of their legendary father's songs: "Roots Rock Reggae," "Kaya", "Natty Dread", "Exodus" and others. Each one of the brothers could have held the spotlight on his own, but they understood that the mission and message woven in reggae will surpass them because it is more than dedicated artistic monuments.

Jimmy Cliff (James Chambers) who received the Jamaican Order of Merit in November 2003 understood that. He continues to forge his imprint Universally as the "Reggae's world Ambassador". He proposes to conquer the world. I attended his performance on Thursday 12, 2004 at the Funk Box in Baltimore, an intimate unique bar setting - set on two floors with a picturesque dome-look balcony enabling the audience to be within a heartbeat from the artists - what ambience! Jimmy Cliff's performance was magical. He not only electrified but also energized the audience with such precision in movement as he demonstrated professionalism and timing - singing note for note with such lyrical clarity as if he were in a studio with perfect range and versatility - blending soul, rock, pop, rap, DJ's Dance Hall styling, thus illuminating the foundation of reggae.

The band and vocalists that accompanied him were equally perfect attenuating and responding to his every move, using seemingly choreographed hand movements. Cliff, living up to his desired goal to "conquer the world with his talent", continued to raise the ceiling regurgitating endless hits with words of a Rasta Man, tracks from his albums "Black Magic", "Fantastic", "Plastic People", "Over the Border", "Unlimited" and classics, "You Can Get It If You Really Want," "Sitting in Limbo", "Many Rivers to Cross", and sound track, "The harder They Come".

The ingenious Jimmy closed off the evening with "only drums" an indigenous perspective saluting "all" and the ancestors. What a tribute! Reggae is self-empowering. It brings and gives new meaning to "sound" and has already forged and stimulated a literary tradition, which is the aesthetics of reggae. We must continue to salute our ancestors for their resilience - holding on to rhythms (riddims) as the now generations continue to explore the galaxy of the "soul" "Bam Bam" Rhythm.

Thanks for initiating "The Me" in "Me".