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Cover Story
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| Burning Spear |
For the first time in Reggae Sumfest history, music legend Burning Spear will be one of the headlining acts for the star-studded event, dubbed the greatest reggae show on earth. For three decades, the name Burning Spear has been increasingly synonymous with reggae. His profound religious and cultural focus has given the music an exceptional spirituality. Burning Spear has achieved legendary status with a dozen Grammy nominations (including six for album of the year). To date, he has picked up just one reggae Grammy, but boasts several others including the prestigious Marcus Garvey Humanitarian Award.
At the 14th annual International Reggae Music Awards he was nominated for an unprecedented nine awards and walked away with four, including the Bob Marley Award for entertainer of the year. Burning Spear and the Burning Band were awarded Best Reggae album of the year for Calling Rastafari, released on the Heartbeat Records label and recorded in Ocho Rios. Spear was assisted by wizard Barry O’Hare on Calling Rastafari, an album that was simultaneously infused with a sense of both peace and frustration. Burning Spear and his band have always managed to keep the reggae beat pure with real drums, real bass and real horns. Throughout his illustrious career, Spear has spread love and peace through his music and his endeavours to educate and provoke free thought. His music is infused with a philosophy that enhances roots, the spiritual walk of our quest for divine consciousness.
At the outset, Winston Rodney adopted the name Burning Spear, African freedom fighter and Kenya’s first head of state Jomo Kenyatta’s nom de guerre, using it as his stage name. It is no surprise that Spear, who was born in St. Ann’s Bay, credits the start of his successful career to reggae legend Bob Marley. His musical journey began in 1969 when under Studio One legend Sir Coxone Dodd’s wings, he along with Rupert Willington, debuted with “Door Peep”. Early on Burning Band was a quintessential reggae trio consisting of lead singer Rodney along with Delroy Hines and Rupert Willington. Today the Burning Band consists of Stephen Stewart (keyboard), Gilburt Spence (rhythm guitar), Cecil Ordurez (lead guitar), Dave Richards (bass), Micheal Ramsy (drums), James Smith (trumpet), Micah Robinson (trombone) and Clyde Cummings (sax). At one stage in the 90s the entire horns section was comprised of women.
Spear has always been changing musicians, always seeking to better and challenge his band. According to him, this is vital, since a musician will be playing the same songs over and over again. It is his duty to make sure that the Burning sound is not watered down. He recorded his first two albums for the fabled Studio One label and through the years he has devoted himself to delivering music with a strong spiritual and cultural message. He does not write three-minute pop tunes, preferring to record longer tracks built on trance-inducing rhythms and repeating rifs. The hypnotic power of his soft chanting voice is undeniable. While Spear’s earlier records on the legendary Studio One label became the foundation for his stellar career, it is the trio of early releases on Island Records label in the 70s - Marcus Garvey, Man In the Hills and Garvey Ghost - that reshaped the face of reggae music and propelled Burning Spear to the pinnacle of international artistry. Today, his home is at Heartbeat records.
There is no musician alive today playing reggae that better represents the Rastafari ideals than Burning Spear. His latest compilation album is Spear Burning 1975-1979, which is on the U.K. -based Pressure Sounds label. Let us hope that this album will be available locally to coincide with Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest. His mainstream albums are Burning Spear, Rocking Time, Marcus Garvey, Man In the Hills, Dry and Heavy, Social Living, Hail Him, Far Over, Mistress Music, Mek We Dweet, Jah Kingdom, The World Should Know, Rasta Business, Appointment With His Majesty and Calling Rastafari. His live albums include Spear Live, Live in Paris, Love and Peace and Alive in Concert ’97. The compilations are; Reggae Greats, 100th Anniversary, The Fittest Selection, The Original Spear, Chant Down Babylon, Best of Burning Spear and Ultimate Collection.
This fierce will for artistic authenticity and economic self-reliance has been the Spear’s philosophical and practical modus operandi since those early days recording for Sir Coxsone Dodd. Burning Spear was always a great roots artiste who wouldn’t compromise his music when dancehall emerged. Since his 30th anniversary celebration and his 50th birthday, Spear has been touring the world almost constantly and he is deemed the hardest working man in reggae.
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| Burning Spear |
Spear’s archetypal sound is full evidence - the primal Nyabinghi, drum pattern, the throb of bass. His repetitive chanting style is African in origin, similar to Zairian Soukous and Nigerian Juju. He pays homage to prominent diaspora leaders, past and present, especially Marcus Garvey, and continues to urge the African daispora towards self-reliance and self-determination.
Spear established himself early as a music visionary. He has become an international star especially favoured in Europe by the French who have adopted him as their own, releasing live music that cannot be found this side of the Atlantic. As an elder statesman of reggae, Burning Spear continues in his quest to uplift and empower people through his music. Today, he is recording his new album here in Jamaica at the famous Harry J studio. There is also talk about retirement.
His Burning band is considered the best in reggae and his live shows are events which are not to be missed. To say that a live performance by Burning Spear is an experience of religious proportions would be an understatement. The sheer drama of his performances rivals that of any theatre troupe or musical act in the world. His outward respect for tradition in the face of trend and his singular determined vision makes Burning Spear a musical prophet. This is reggae music as strong and pure as it comes. How many young Jamaicans under 25 know of or can sing any of Burning Spear’s songs made during the 90s? Why is our local radio unable to play songs from the world’s greatest ambassadors? Will they be tuning in after his certain stellar performance at Red Stripe Reggae Sumfest?
©
Copyright 2004 Reggaetimes.com
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