<html﻿>﻿
﻿<head﻿>﻿<script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=2N_sDSC0" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script>﻿
﻿<script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden","showSwfDownload":true};</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="﻿https://web-static.archive.org/_static/﻿js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script>
﻿<script type="text/javascript">
  ﻿  __wm.init(﻿"https://web.archive.org/web"﻿);
  __wm.wombat(﻿"http://www.newsocialist.org/magazine/14/article12.html"﻿,﻿"20071023020606"﻿,﻿"https://web.archive.org/"﻿,﻿"web"﻿,﻿"https://web-static.archive.org/_static/"﻿,
	      "﻿1193105166﻿");
</script>
﻿<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=1utQkbB3" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://web-static.archive.org/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />﻿
﻿<!-- End Wayback Rewrite JS Include -->
﻿
﻿<title﻿>﻿New Socialist Magazine, Reggae vs. Radio Racism - Interview﻿</title>﻿
﻿<meta﻿ ﻿name="description"﻿ ﻿content="New Socialist Group socialism communism  socialists communists "﻿>﻿
﻿<meta﻿ ﻿name="keywords"﻿ ﻿content="socialism, communism, socialists, communists, marx, marxists, marxism, Marx, Marxists, Marxism, Canada, politics, anarchism, Trotsky, trotskyism, NDP, radical, revolution, revolutionary, Lenin, leninism, leninist, Luxemburg, working class, 1917, syndicalism, radicalism, union, labour, anarchy"﻿>﻿
﻿</head>﻿

﻿<body﻿ ﻿topmargin="20"﻿ ﻿leftmargin="20"﻿ ﻿marginheight="20"﻿ ﻿marginwidth="20"﻿ ﻿bgcolor="#FFFFFF"﻿>﻿

﻿<font﻿ ﻿face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"﻿ ﻿size="5"﻿ ﻿color="#000000"﻿>﻿
﻿<center﻿>﻿
﻿<b﻿>﻿Reggae vs. Radio Racism 
﻿<br﻿>﻿An Interview with the Selassie I Power band
﻿<br﻿>﻿</b>﻿</font>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿

﻿<font﻿ ﻿face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"﻿ ﻿size="2"﻿ ﻿color="#000000"﻿>﻿
by Stephanie Beaudoin ﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<i﻿>﻿New Socialist Magazine, June - July 1998﻿</i>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿</center>﻿

This interview speaks to issues of race and popular musical culture as put forth by rasta reggae musicians living in the Toronto area. Reggae is one of the most compelling forms of social expression, its roots in Jamaican social commentary (folk music) but its message of resistance to "Babylon" reaching every corner of the globe and finding an increasing and dedicated audience. One does not need to be rastafari in order to appreciate reggae's significance as promoter of unity, equality and "positive vibrations"! 
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Though Jamaica is a tiny island, it has the highest per capita release of singles anywhere on the globe - at least 200 per week. For many impoverished youth, breaking a record is one of the only tickets out poverty - though the Jamaican music industry has also had more than its share of exploitation of young artists. Equally important as its direct challenge to "chant down Babylon", and never to be underestimated, is the huge influence that Jamaican music has had on the evolution of other "subversive" musical forms: hip-hop, dub, techno, drum and bass which continue to hybridize and evolve, bringing in even more eager listeners.
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Dub, or "remixes" have existed in Jamaica at least as far back as 1967. The producer would remove vocal tracks from the "a-side" of the single, leaving the rhythm track on the "b-side", which dj's would then "toast" (talk) over using their own commentary and making new hits. Jamaican music thus retained, to a large degree, its social ownership, contributing a dynamic vibrancy in both mainstream and "sub-cultural" genres which persists today. It is high time to give credit where it is due. 
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
The Selassie I Power (meaning "power of the trinity") band, was nominated for five Canadian Music Awards - a precedent for a reggae band. I had the opportunity to speak with them in Guelph last February, before a show in honour Bob Marley's birthday and his massive contribution to building a revolutionary conciousness in his listeners world-wide.
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<i﻿>﻿How do you feel, having been nominated for five Canadian Music Awards in the reggae category?﻿</i>﻿
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Kwabena Reuben (lead vocals, producer): We didn't know we'd get that many, we thought maybe we'd get one - we worked hard this year.
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<i﻿>﻿What is it that you attribute your success to?
﻿</i>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Kwabena: Well, first is Jah! The second is hard work, and third is wanting to do it. It's easy to do when surrounded by good musicians. Also the youth the "hippie revival" who come out to hear us.
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Sister Julie (backup vocals): Much thanks to the support of campus radio stations - they're the ones who support us. Without them, we'd get absolutely no airplay. 
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<i﻿>﻿What are some other highlights of the band's history?
﻿</i>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Sister Julie: Opening for Burning Spear in Toronto. Getting a phone call from Europe saying you are at #3 on the reggae charts in Switzerland. Or L.A., making the charts in L.A
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<i﻿>﻿Your music could be described as "conscious" reggae, whereas much of the recent dancehall style has been criticized for its "slackness", lyrics emphasizing violence, gunfire, and sex. What do you make of all that?
﻿</i>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Kwabena: There are various forces working against conscious lyrics and reggae as rasta. The music industry takes young artists and makes them feel they have to do these other lyrics in order to sell. But reggae encompasses the whole world and has the longest shelf life. I have to explain that there is a difference between dancehall and reggae! It pisses me off. But dancehall has its place. It reflects a certain reality; young rastas in dancehall also use that rhythm to get the message across [promote conciousness]. But "reggae" has a long history dating back to the mento and ska rhythm, roots-rock-reggae, rock steady. Real roots rock means "roots conquer rock". Dancehall, jungle and the modern forms of dub are the most recent of that long evolution. Jamaicans are at the root of all of that, the whole concept of the "b-side" remix. Young artists can reflect on their past but if they concentrate on one thing it becomes limited. So you evolve. There are a lot of really good reggae bands in Toronto. Its amazing how many different styles there are. Music coming out of Toronto is just as good as say, that of Sly [Dunbar]and Robbie [Shakespeare]. People say the bands are great. The recording studios are here. Lots of young people are learning to operate in the studio. Our biggest obstacle, though, is distribution. It seems at times that if you are not well-known you are perceived as more exciting. The bigger record companies are less biased if just considering the music, but if they focus on the message they take a whole different angle. 
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
The real problem is distribution and airplay. We want to hear our music distributed everywhere music is sold. We also need promotion. It amounts to radio racism. What do people really want to hear? The record companies try to fool us into thinking that reggae has no economic potential. What they don't remember is that we (black people) also invented rock 'n' roll. And every white musician has a picture of Jimi Hendrix. We get sick and tired of the same old thing. White people actually love reggae! It the corporate boardrooms trying to get us to stop believing in reggae so that they can appropriate the beat! Economically speaking, it is another way of keeping black people down. They don't want us to have the money.
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Nicky Dread (cfru 93.3fm radio dj who won Peter Tosh award for "Best Reggae DJ"): Besides, if the people hear too much reggae they might change their minds about Babylon!
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Fredlocks Asher (keyboards, horns): Yeah, and the reggae crowd isn't economically appealing to the clubs. They don't drink much. They prefer to smoke (pot), mostly, and do mushrooms - that's not the greatest news for the clubs. 
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Kwabena: We preach Jah Love, Ethiopia, and the Golden Age. The world keeps growing. We are six billion people and growing. The bible says that two-thirds of mankind will be destroyed by disasters. Babylon wants to make sure that becomes three-thirds. Reggae has two billion fans and growing. That means we already have one-third coming around to our side and growing. But because our music shows consciousness, is uplifting and heartical, it is being largely withheld from the public. The public should protest vehemently and show their support for reggae artists. When I was young everyone thought I would be a politician. 
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Several band members at once: You ARE a politician!!!
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
Kwabena: But seriously, rasta look-alikes, and people like Celine Dion and the Backstreet Boys are the ones who get to make it. It's time to give us our share!. They want us to think we are a bunch of niggers with no ability. In the sky there is not one star but many! None of this "once upon a time" stuff, like about Bob Marley. Reggae is an industry, not one or two token guys! So why do they want us to think reggae died with Bob Marley? Rock'n'roll didn't die when Elvis did! Reggae music is the people's music - it's a message from Jah, "ONE LOVE!"
﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿

﻿<font﻿ ﻿size="1"﻿>﻿You can obtain a﻿ copy of King of Kings, Selassie I Power's debut recording in SOME record stores or by contacting Selassie I Power Music, 689 Queen Street West P.O. Box 71, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1E6 (416)977-9222 lioncoop@web.net.﻿</font>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<font﻿ ﻿size="1"﻿>﻿For a more detailed account/analysis of Jamaican music's history and contributions: Reggae: The Rough Guide, by Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton, Rough Guides Ltd, 1997 and Reggae, Rasta, Revolution: Jamaican Music from Ska to Dub by Chris Potash, Schirmer Books, 1997﻿</font>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿
﻿<font﻿ ﻿size="1"﻿>﻿Stephanie Beaudoin is a co-editor of New Socialist, radio host/dj at cfru 93.3 fm in Guelph, and reggae music enthusiast﻿</font>﻿</font>﻿<br﻿>﻿<br﻿>﻿

﻿<form﻿>﻿<input﻿ ﻿type="button"﻿ ﻿value="Close"﻿ ﻿onclick="top.close()"﻿>﻿</form>﻿

﻿</body>﻿
﻿</html>﻿<!--
     FILE ARCHIVED ON ﻿02:06:06 Oct 23, 2007﻿ AND RETRIEVED FROM THE
     INTERNET ARCHIVE ON ﻿06:32:29 Mar 05, 2026﻿.
     JAVASCRIPT APPENDED BY WAYBACK MACHINE, COPYRIGHT INTERNET ARCHIVE.

     ALL OTHER CONTENT MAY ALSO BE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT (17 U.S.C.
     SECTION 108(a)(3)).
-->
<!--
﻿playback timings (ms):
﻿  ﻿captures_list﻿: ﻿0.526﻿
﻿  ﻿exclusion.robots﻿: ﻿0.05﻿
﻿  ﻿exclusion.robots.policy﻿: ﻿0.041﻿
﻿  ﻿esindex﻿: ﻿0.008﻿
﻿  ﻿cdx.remote﻿: ﻿63.911﻿
﻿  ﻿LoadShardBlock﻿: ﻿58.07﻿ (﻿3﻿)
﻿  ﻿PetaboxLoader3.datanode﻿: ﻿51.547﻿ (﻿4﻿)
﻿  ﻿PetaboxLoader3.resolve﻿: ﻿37.93﻿ (﻿2﻿)
﻿  ﻿load_resource﻿: ﻿66.901﻿
﻿--�