reggae music

I’ve always been fascinated by reggae dancing. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

A lot of people, when they are dancing to rasta music, are dancing for religious or spiritual purposes.

Practicing Rastafarians will often refer to this verse in the Old Testament about dancing:

“David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.” – 2 Samuel 6:14

Some people just wanna get down and grind to reggae. Some simply want to have fun.

Whatever the case may be, you can be rest assured that reggae music is something to make you move your waist. Or as they say, “The drum and the bass make ya move ya waist!”

Some prefer to dance alone like my uncle here:

Some people like to dance in pairs, like my future wife dancing with some jerkhole:

…we don’t talk about that night anymore…

And, of course, people love to dance in large groups:

Whatever the case, reggae music is good for the soul!

Whether you are by yourself, with someone or in a large group, make sure you get out there this summer and DANCE!

Nuff Said.

What do you get when you stuff 5 reggae musicians, a whole heap of instruments, and 4 drunk girls in a white fifteen passenger van?

My next story.

I was playing once again in Denver with Danny Dread and Rising Lion. We just finished a gig and were driving back to the hotel. Were acquired some (click!) —–> travel companions and were headed back to rest up.

As we trudged down the road I began to notice ( but not care ) that the conversation was getting louder and louder. It was like a party where everyone knows and loves each other.

… and are drunk as vikings.

Although the driver was fine, we were all busted up, but too hammered to care. We are all checking out the girls, laughing and enjoying the fact that we just got paid. The fact that we were going to a hotel with our new friends was a big bonus.

I think after the third cop car was passed, we were loud as ever. Stuff was falling and people were flopping all over the place. Just before it got outta control, Lion, our bass players yells out in his trademark southern accent…

“WE ALL GOIN’ TO JAIL TONIGHT!”

The van got dead silent. We all looked at each other and realized how loud we had truly become. Then broke out in a thunder of laughter.

We did not go to jail, and the rest of the night was interesting… to say the least. I think there were cuffs involved, though

There are thousands of instructional DVDS for drummers out there, anywhere from jazz to heavy metal. But there are none that cover reggae drumming correctly. I’ve been looking for years, and any drummer who tries to teach reggae drumming is always terrible in my opinion.

Well, that is, until now.

Dyrol Randal has released an amazing DVD instructional called Dryol Randall Reggae Drumming. It is the absolute first of it’s kind and is presented by a talented reggae artist.

This 2-part DVD package first starts off by covering the correct way to tune reggae drums, which is refreshing to see. Not only does Dyrol cover the basic tuning of the drums, but he also covers why the drums should be tuned a certain way in order to get the crisp and snappy sound that kicks you right in the jaw.

There are many different beats in reggae but the foundational one is the one drop. This is the first beat the Dyrol covers, and it’s great to see someone demonstrate and play properly, which is the key.

After the one drop, Dyrol covers many other beats such as:

• Stepper
• One Two
• Dancehall

… along with some very cool hi-hat variations that will keep you amazed and trying to figure them out for a long time. Now I see where Stewart Copeland stole his hi-hat variations from!!!

I was truly amazed by the second DVD because it offers a wealth of different fills and lead in fills. Reggae is known for creative drum lead in fills, and the ones Dyrol plays are incredibly tasty.

After the fill variations, Dryol outdoes himself with many different pattern variations of the original beats that were in the first DVD.

These variations are not for the feint of heart. They sound ( and look! ) incredibly cool, but man, are they tough. They are not too tough or technical to sound great with music, however, as Dyrol demonstrates with his bass player friend who is playing along with him for the whole series.

This package is the most comprehensive compilation of reggae drumming styles I have ever seen. They cover techniques that can be used by both beginners and advanced drummers of all genres. In addition to this, there is such a wealth of knowledge in what Dyrol demonstrates, this series can remain in your archive for a very long time.

Dyrol Randall does a tremendous job teaching the very elusive intricacies of reggae drumming, and his approach, attitude, style, feel and sheer warmth are a breath of fresh air.

I have been waiting a very long time for a series like this. I suggest you don’t. If you want to play reggae drums like a pro, buy this DVD series. You will not be disappointed.

Click here to visit Dyrol Randall’s reggae drumming site.

Driving across the country with a reggae band was always an adventure. Imagine 4 smoked up rastas ( plus me ) crusing across the United States… no wives, no girlfriends…. just 10 cities to visit, play music and explore.

… Now you’re getting the picture.

Jamming with Rising Lion was especially fun, because Danny Dread was a cool and funny guy.  I still have contact with him to this day, and he should be releasing a new single very soon.

Here is a clip of Danny in action.

We were cruising through the Arizona desert and were running out of gas. If you’ve ever been in the middle of nowhere on those hot desert highways, you’ll know that you never EVER want to run out of gas.

We pulled into a gas station/restaurant that looked like something from a Stephen King movie.  It was old and creepy. Tumbleweeds bounced down the street and the air was extremely hot and oppressive.

As we jumped out of the van, I knew it was going to be a weird experience. Not only have these people perhaps never seen a black person in their lives, but there is no way in hell they ever saw 5 at once, most of whom had dreadlocks down to their ankles.

We walked into a room full of people who were all eating and talking with each other. But as soon as we entered the building I saw astonishment mixed with fear mixed with hate spread across everyone’s faces.

What was a a loud and busy room immediately grew silent…. the record scratched off the turntable.

I cant explain fully the amount of awkwardness I felt as we walked up to pay for the gas, but those few moments felt like hours. I had no idea what was going to happen, but the fear was certainly there.

We quickly paid for our gas and got the hell out of dodge. You should have seen the dust fly as we screached out of the parking lot.

Although nothing did happen … something could have.

…whew

As a kid, I loved watching Gilligan’s Island. I mean, what a ridiculously nutty show.

And don’t try to tell me you didn’t love it either, because I know you did!

It’s funny because the crew of the S.S. Minnow were said to have been marooned on that tiny desert isle… With two hotties and plenty of ganja ( my version )

But wtf does marooned mean? Where the hell did that word come from?

Are you thinking what IM thinking?

I was hanging out with my man, Bunny Mystic one night, and we were just reasoning about the history of Jamaica. He was talking about some African warriors that escaped the British and had magical fighting powers.

….yes, magical fighting powers

The Maroons, he explained, were master guerilla warfare experts, and were so good at what they did, the British thought they could materialize in trees, slit their throats, and then disappear!

This is where “marooned” came from?!?!?!

It is a true story indeed. The Maroons were runaway slaves who unified themselves to fight their oppressors, and they did so brilliantly.

Maroons also played a major role in the countries of Brazil, Suriname, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Cuba, and Jamaica.

The story of  the Maroons is a very interesting one, and I invite you to take a look at these resources about them:

• History of the Maroons ( video )
• Wikipedia on Maroons
• The Maroons
• History of The Accompong Maroons

Enjoy!