Posts Tagged ‘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.

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

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word skank? We all know the answer to that one.

Believe it or not, “skank” has an entirely different meaning in reggae music.

It is the signature upbeat sound that defines reggae and gives it it’s UP feeling!. Listen to the guitar in this video:

The skank defines reggae. It’s an element that gives reggae music an energetic and “happy” feeling.

Those “up” rhythms can be played in unison by the guitar, hi-hat and keyboards in order to give it an even more powerful and uplifting sound.

For some reason, I can listen to a good groove with skank for HOURS on end.

Skank is also a form of dance common to reggae, ska, dub, and many other types of music.

For all you guitarists out there, check out my Matisyahu. See if you can pick out the skank in this cut.

Skank it up, y’all!

One day, a co-worker of mine, Amanda, asked me how I was doing.

“Irie!” I replied…

“What the…?” was her answer….

…and the convo rolled on about about the meaning of the word irie.

I forgot that many people don’t know what irie meant, so I figured I would take a few moments to explain this cool little word to ya.

Irie ( pronounced EYE-ree ), is a state of mind. It’s a state where everything is at peace within, and your mind is full of joy.

No wonder, when someone smokes ganja, they say they feel irie.

Irie, is a jamaican/patois word, that can mean a lot of things, but it’s always something very positive and respectful.

Check out urban dictionaries many different meanings for irie.

My life was as it’s most irie when I was living in San Diego, playing reggae drums and living in a little beach town. I was playing with Ishmael and the Peacemakers, and the album we were promoting was called, “Feel ‘N Irie”.  <— take a listen to the first track, and you will begin to understand the wonders of irieness.

I hope you have an irie day.

Peace!

Besides having a sweet name, the Roots Radics band is a talented unit that not many people know about.

In 1997, I was playing a gig in San Diego with Jah Soldiers. We were opening for Israel Vibration, and took the stage before the main show. After we played our set, we went backstage, then went out into the audience.

A roots band came out and blew me away with this song.

They then proceeded to rule the night with some great riddims.

Although you may have never heard of them, the Roots Radics are well known in the reggae community. Take some time to check them out!

You can learn more about the Roots Radics:

• Roots Radics Wiki
• Roots Radics on Myspace
• Many Roots Radics Videos
• Roots Radics Roots Archive
• Roots Radics Discography
  

Israel Vibration Looks up at JAH