Get ready to enjoy some great memories from all over the world.
"I was doing my volunteer shift. This was my third year volunteering here and I had a fun job. I had to guard one of the doorways into the artist dressing rooms. I had a chair, flashlight and bottle of water and I could see the side of the stage from where I worked - in fact, I could even dance. It was going to be an easy four hours! No one even really came through this way until the door opened and out walked a dread. He asked me if he could sit there. We hung out a bit, talking about the concert. He asked if I was having a good time. We talked about stuff and then he got up and walked away. Later another volunteer said to me, 'Hey that was MIKEY DREAD!'"
ELEPHANT MAN was performing in Philadelphia to a packed-to-the-rafters crowd when a man and woman got into a verbal and physical altercation which disrupted the concert. People panicked and started to run in all directions. In other words "all hell broke loose." Elly jumped off the stage to get to safety and in the process twisted his ankle. Being the goodhearted person he is, he performed the following night in Philadelphia to please his fans, which only made his injury worse. Upon their arrival in Myrtle Beach, SC, I saw he was limping and in pain. I took him to his suite and he showed me the injured ankle which was badly swollen. After seeing the doctor, he was advised to cancel the remaining shows and rest his ankle in order to recover as quickly as possible. As a promoter with 27 shows behind me, I knew this was not the best of news for my show that night. I had my money on the line, eager fans waiting, with my reputation and credibility at stake. So I was amazed when I got the call from his road manager who told me Elly wanted to do the show, disregarding the doctor's orders. That's love right there. Nuff respect to the superstar, Elephant Man!"
"Tommy McCook and Ossie Scott were my neighbors in Bournemouth Gardens, JA. There was a Bournemouth Pool and Clubhouse in the area where Tommy used to rehearse and perform with the SKATALITES on the weekends. There were two ocean pools - top and bottom. The bottom pool was where the heavyweight horns men, such as Tommy, Cannon and later on, Bowler and Dirty Harry, used to do their breast stroke laps from side to side in the sea. Drummer Lloyd Knibbs used to work out there and whenever we saw him, we knew that the Skatalites were going to drop some pound-weight sound at either Studio One or at a concert. TOOTS HIBBERT used to take a swim from time to time and cool out beneath the willow trees. The late Dirty Harry and I were adventurous, and used to swim out to the 'mid-stream' which is half way between Bournemouth Park and Gunboat Beach. One morning Harry did not show up and so I went on ahead. When I reached the 'mid-stream' I felt a sudden vibe to just race to the shore. When I reached the shore, a shark raised up at the exact spot where I had been! Talk about a close encounter with jaws! After that, Harry did not swim anymore and I started to swim over in the horns men's bottom pool. Another morning as we swam, the 'Dynamite Crew' from Rockfort saw a school of yellowtail fish. They yelled to Tommy and me to get out of the water and blew up the school using dynamite. This was how they caught fish! There was fish all around us, so Tommy and I got about four good-size ones. Tommy said something like 'Trevor mek wi cook these' (he used my middle name). At first I did not think that I heard him right, because I had only ever seen 'Miss Mac,' his wife, in the kitchen. He then said something about these yellowtails would be nice to steam. That's when I knew he was really serious now! Well, I stood calm as he gutted the two fish. He washed them and sprinkled some salt in the insides. He placed the frying pan on the stove, tipped some oil in with some water. He cut up a tomato and a stalk of scallion, put them in the frying pan and placed the yellowtails in carefully. He added some black pepper and covered the frying pan. He steamed it for 15 minutes and "the boat" was ready. It was really good! I knew how to fry fish but I had never steamed fish before, so I had learned something new, which I told 'Miss Mac,' who just listened and smiled. I guess it's like telling my mother that I know how to cook, when all she had ever seen me do is boil cornmeal porridge. May his soul rest in peace: he was one of our musical uncles..."
"I was the opening act for RICO RODRIQUES, a Jamaican trombonist based in England, who was backed up by the DETERMINATORS, a Japanese ska band. Reggae in Japan is seasonal, mostly heard outdoors at summertime events where families relax, picnic and watch fireworks. There is a deep respect for reggae music and style. One night, while dancing to a local band, I realized that everyone in the dance hall was doing the exact same move as I was - I didn't know quite what to do after that! Local reggae bands faithfully replicate the composition of BOB MARLEY's music, right down to having the same number of musicians playing the same type of instruments as the WAILERS! And hair is a big thing - salons, such as the Jah-hair Salon do 'reggae hair.' I felt that the people were grabbing and looking for culture, the way people look for answers outside of their own circle. Reggae is a 'groundation' and expression. Fans were really trying to connect with the words. Some would come up to me later and in halting English, tell me they understood that I was talking about world peace, about sisterhood. They understood the message of peace and love. Japan's a great place to play. The music circuit is really connected and well organized. There's good media coverage and posters - people already knew my name - so gigs are well attended. The Japanese are appreciative too: they pay well, support the music by purchasing CDs and come out to meet you. The personal touches were sweet, such as going out of their way to create small Jamaica-style huts and chicken jerky to try to make it authentic - that was a good feeling. I left Japan hoping Good's Gonna Happen to take me back to those sweet audiences. Who would we be without fans, you know?"
"I was in front of the stage with my eyes closed and I was just really feeling the vibes as Luciano performed. Then I could sense all eyes on me and when I opened my eyes, to my surprise everyone was taking delight at my expense. (Smile) Why? When I looked up at the stage, I saw that Luciano had stopped singing and was looking down at me. He offered his hand into mine and he held my hand as he sang a song 'specially to me. I can truly say that if it were possible, I would not have ever washed that hand! To this day, Luciano is my heart. He takes special care of his people - a pure and true Rasta Man."
"I'd like to share with you a memorable experience from Reggae on the River a few years ago that always brings a chuckle. After telling a good friend of mine for years about Reggae on the River, he finally was able to talk a buddy of his into driving out from Michigan for the festival. His friend did not know anything about reggae music but was definitely interested in checking out Humboldt County and all the amenities therein. Being busy working the festival, I did not get to see my friend and his buddy very much all weekend. When we finally did get to spend some time together on Sunday, my friend was telling me how much fun they both were having checking out the music, sampling this and that and just having a great time. Finally my friend's buddy asked me, "But, who is this 'John Rastafari' guy everyone keeps talking about?"
"Seated on a log by the river, my 16-year-old son and I were a little overwhelmed by our first day at such a large festival until we found this quiet place and began talking to a beautiful African woman wearing the traditional wraps of her country. We were backstage in Marysville, at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in June 1998. It was pre-show Friday evening and we were sitting with performer MARYAM MURSAL, as she told of her five children and their walk across Somalia during the civil war, to eventually settle in Denmark. She seemed surprised I only had one son as we spoke of our different lives. Touring with Africa Fete, she opened the show in an evening that was to transform the fortunate in tantalizing increments. Later that year while at school, my son Jarrett, came across an article about Maryam Mursal and was thrilled to tell his classmates he had met her."
Looking for love in all the wrong places? Manager and publishing administrator, Susan De Leon has a funny love story: "In my younger days, after the most wonderful month visiting Boston in Portland Parish, JA - the 'jerk chicken capital' of the world - I was so in love with Jamaica that I decided to marry this sweet, unassuming dread the day before I left the island. We found a pastor to marry us, even though we were both wearing shorts and sandals and my hubby-to-be had left his tam at home. In the middle of the ceremony the pastor broke his eyeglasses and sent the best man out to buy Crazy Glue. My new husband (oh, but he was so sweet!), managed to get glue right in the center of the plastic lens, ruining the pastor's glasses so he had to perform the marriage from memory rather than reading it. I remember taking my vows to the blare of a sound system at the bike repair shop next door playing BARRINGTON LEVY's "You're Living Dangerously." Then as soon as we finished, a torrential rain storm started - if I'd only I'd paid attention to the signs! The pastor then forgot to register our marriage with the Jamaican government and my husband couldn't get his visa for over two years. By the time he finally got to the U.S. we barely remembered each other and the marriage was over. I guess some things are best appreciated in their natural state."
"I never thought I would be swarmed by fans in a public shopping mall but while I was accompanying reggae songstress SYLVIA TELLA on her first tour in Brazil, this amazing thing started to unfold. Both Sylvia and I were doing what we love: shopping - in a major department store in downtown Brasilia - when a young teenage fan noticed Sylvia. He started to draw lots of attention by yelling out, 'Sylvia Tella! Sylvia Tella!' repeatedly, his hands and body nervously shaking all over. Then he started crying tears, or as Sylvia puts it, 'tears of living water.' We started to exit the mall but not before many, many people started pouring out of the other shops into the main area looking around for Sylvia. After we left the mall, while walking back to the hotel, I suddenly knew that something in Sylvia's life had changed; that some magic was about to happen and it would be 'Made in Brazil.' So I was not surprised that two years later Sylvia Tella was living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and marrying one of Brazilian reggae's most eligible bachelors, John Pierre Senhgor, musical arranger and keyboard player with Brazil's number one reggae group, CIDADE NEGRA (Black City). I am still amazed what can happen when reggae brings people together. They had met at an airport as they were waiting to fly to San Luis, Brazil for a show they were both performing at, when she took his seat by mistake. And after my recent trip to Rio to meet Sylvia's new husband, I know that everything in Rio is still 'cook n' curry!'"
The first time my wife and I attended Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, we arrived at dusk and were surprised how nice the venue looked as the lights started coming on from the surrounding vendor tents. All the smells, sights and sounds created a very positive vibration. Saturday night we were backstage trying to help as best we could, when we found out that we were taking ISRAEL VIBRATION's Wiss and Skelly back to their hotel following their set. Jah bless! As they got into the back seat of the car, Gloria and I were blissed out. Some old vintage PETER TOSH was playing on the car stereo and they smiled and started singing along. Reggae heaven! When we arrived at their hotel they graciously accepted Gloria's request for photos. Wow. We love those guys forever! Reggae rules!"
Next we hear from Ras Onasis, as he tells us about the hard times he has bringing reggae music to the people of Zimbabwe: "PSALMS SOUND SYSTEM is a product of gallant and dedicated Jah messengers. As the offspring of the poor and oppressed, hailing from the dusty, poverty-stricken ghettos of Zimbabwe and born from a history punctuated by conflicts, we saw it proper to spread Jah vibes to the marginalized. As is well known, Zimbabwe is a land of poverty and scarcity, ridden with sanctions and hyper-inflation. Because of these disadvantages, we find it difficult to access adequate CDs, 45s (records), CD players, tape decks, Jah literature and promotional T-shirts, all because their price and location is miles away from our pockets. In 2003 during the commemoration of the earthday of Bob Marley, lots of sound systems, including ours, were booked to play Jah vibes. When we were in the middle of our set, people started complaining that we were repeating the same songs. This was caused by our lack of proper reggae materials: I have 20 CDs and 15 LPs. Then to make matters worse, our CD player which had been repaired several times already, finally broke down and so now we must rent. It is like Moses in the Bible - he had long committed himself to the cause of liberation of the people and his mission was clear and definite, namely that Jah wanted to put right what man had perverted. Hence, we liken ourselves to Moses - we give to the brainwashed, so that through those positive vibes comes a total restoration to the true consciousness."
If you would like to help Ras Onasis with reggae music or equipment, please email or mail at: 53 Muchirinji Road, New Mabvuku, P.O Tafara, Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa. What a hardy African soldier! Next, we hear from an American reggae soldier, volunteer Michael "Ras'ztlan" Orosco: "Reggae has been a vehicle in which I started changing negative things in my life. Although I have always known of reggae, I have only been listening for the last four years or so, ever since I had the opportunity to see the reggae band, JOHN BROWN'S BODY, here in Madison, WI. I immediately became a fan, making friends with members of the band as well as our entire reggae community. I kept going to their shows and thought it would be a great experience to see them in a different context after I saw that they were playing at a festival called the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, out in California. So I drove 2,000 miles one way from Madison, WI, to Angel's Camp, CA, to see them. While at SNWMF I fell (or did Jah push me?) into a volunteering gig backstage. Two things really stick out in my mind from that experience: 1) If you open your heart and mind to the Creator, he will guide you where you should be. And 2) I fell in love with the community of people who attend and work at these events. It is the passion of many wonderful people that makes my annual trek from Wisconsin so worth it. On my 2,000 mile drive back home from that first SNWMF, a JBB song came into my mind: 'Have you seen Jah works today?' Yes I have - and I give thanks."
"It was a couple of years ago. The TWINKLE BROTHERS and I were on tour. Wendy Russell was booking for us then. We had been up north in Oregon, Washington, Montana and both Wendy and I had separated from the band, each to go home and fulfill obligations before rejoining the Twinkle Brothers for a gig in Ventura, CA. Wendy had arranged her flight to arrive at the L.A. airport when mine did. She was picking up a rental car and we would drive to the venue together, to arrive just in time for my set. After finally reaching the car rental agency, there was some concern about the time, so needless to say Wendy and I were in a hurry. And as things go when you are in a hurry, while we were attempting to exit the airport to get to the freeway, Wendy drove out the wrong way, right over the spikes placed there to prevent illegal exits. We could hear soft hissing as all four tires went flat as Wendy jumped out and demanded another car immediately - 'I must get Della to the show!' Amazingly, we got another vehicle and made it in time. At the time it was distressful, but in retrospect it is rather funny. We all got a good laugh - including Wendy. Unlike a lot of people, she was able to laugh at her mistake and eased the stress of the situation. This is one of my funniest tour memories. I am sure Wendy will agree!"
O.K., I guess it was funny... I will never forget that gate keeper's face as I raced through the barrier! But my own special memory is one I treasure even more, because it can never be repeated: the night that my husband and I reasoned all night in our home after a show with MUTABARUKA, plus his agent and friend, Pelé Lanier, who has since passed on to Zion. We had hotel rooms reserved for everybody, but a map mix-up led to them coming to our house before the show instead of the hotel. I am not sure if it was the living room full of books and music or the fresh, whole fish being carried through the living room to the kitchen right as they were at the front door, but they opted to stay at our home instead of the hotel. After a powerful performance by this fiery dub poet at the club, we all came home, and in that high-energy time right after any great show, when you just can't go to sleep, the four of us began to talk. I had just read a life story of Marcus Garvey and was eager to tell my own theory to this man who, well, knows everything on the subject. I said that Garvey, being a product of his times and place, probably believed in repatriation because he had grown up in such a societal caste-like system that he probably couldn't imagine whites and blacks living together in peace and equality (my husband Mark, remembers Muta and Pelé did not agree with me about equality) but if alive in these times, he would not have held to the same belief. Muta told me this in answer: he said to imagine a young boy of African heritage, maybe about eight years old ... put that boy in a room with a shiny BMW and the roughhewn, leather skin and tree-trunk drum of his African heritage. What would the young boy choose? Probably the shiny, intricate, big machine - and that was why Africans should be able to return home to raise their families if they wish. I had never looked at it that way. It was powerful stuff. In the morning he wandered the gardens examining every plant, bush and tree, while Pelé enjoyed the morning. I have rolled those words around in my mind these years and out of it has come a crystal-clear vision of how it should be in the nurturing of our youth, so that all children can grow up knowledgeable and proud of whatever roots they have - from where ever the seed was cast and planted - help them grow strong and tall.