Clarity about life in many inner cities, townships, favela, ghetto… whatever they call it in your part of the world. Certain places mentioned Jamaica, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico – countries that have been fighting among themselves for the world’s top crime and murder spots. Countries many of us call home…
___________________
I love that i’m listening to reggae music produced outside of Jamaica more often. This have me on a vibe right now permeated by the word ‘clarity’.
This tune come by way of ELijah who is a popular reggae musician from Switzerland.
Didn’t you know that the higher you go, the more you’ll expose if you’re a thorn or a rose.
Nothing to hide, no pretense, nothing more than what you are. No matter how much of an image or character you try to create for yourself what is real will eventually shine through and trump what you pretend to be. Tread carefully, you might be misled by someone else’s master camouflaging of the things about them that will have a negative effect on your life. They might not even know that they are taking away from you, but their outlook on life is like oil to your water. Respect them, accept them. Does not mean mingle with them, for in the grand scheme of things it takes conscious, reflexive work to be a better person every day and the ones who cannot respect and accept this are often unintentionally parasitic.
Or at least that’s what I’ve learned this past few years.
Humility is strength. The proof is in the works not in the talk or ‘image’.
“Tru yuh nuh know how mi glad how mi wake up dis mornin”
Dexta Malawi is so poetic. The first verse sets up such a vivid scene of a sweet Jamaican morning. Forever honouring life…
“Woke up this morning and I am glad”
Instrumental produced by recording artiste and producer, Kabaka Pyramid at the Bebble Rock Studio in 2013 and features harmonies from Leanne Vanessa Humphrey, a student of the Edna Manley College Of Visual and Performing Arts-Kingston, Jamaica. The song was mixed and mastered by Dane “Dru” Crump. The video for ‘Woke Up This Morning’ was directed by Kevron Turner of Le Kevron Cinematography (cine.deturner@gmail.com), shot on 6 and 11 December 2013.
Mama Faybiene dances down the isle at my Auntie’s wedding, poetry in hand (Brooklyn)
There are some people who come to Earth to bring light and hope . This is how I felt when I was around Mama Faybiene. I didn’t even know about her revolutionary 1975 reggae song that was banned in Jamaica, didnt even know she was a reggae artist at all. I learned about this last night as I found out about her transition on Queen Afua’s twitter page and then came upon a wealth of info online about her most valued contribution that we give thanks for.
I knew Mama Faybiene as the elder of my sistren Nika, her mom’s busom buddy. It just connected to me as I read the interview posted below, that Mama Faybiene is one of the poets featured in a book my parents had called- Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari.
Mama Faybiene in the bottom left corner from the book “Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari”
Those vivid and telling photos have stayed in my headspace all my life. I also remember her tattoos one of which I asked about and she was happy to explain. I remember her as a poet, pouring out the word sound power. She will forever be carried on by the numerous people she has influenced and blessed with her presence.
Listen to the banned song, read the in depth interview with her and watch her in a TEDx talk in NYC 2010.
Dubtonic Kru, the group that was voted “Best New Band” at the 2011 Global Battle of the Bands, comes with an instant reggae classic, creating EVERLASTING LOVE from the ground up in association with SICK DONKEY RECORDS.
The song was recorded one afternoon in Seattle and represents the true ensemble vibe with lead vocalist Kamau and guitarist Jallanzo trading vocals, Jubba on harmonies and drums, while bassie Stone drives the message, and Luke builds keyboard sounds that echo American R&B of the early 1980’s. The groove is definitively reggae one-drop with lyrics steeped in metaphysical potency that will have you singing along with the message of universal, unconditional, agape love from the Creator reminding us that “Jah made the sun, the moon, the stars that shine; eternally.”
“The only place to start is a self evaluation… you reap what you sow and what you are is what you’re meant to be.” – Faya Uman
**Song name “Liberation”, jus label wrong i think
This song is firming up some important lessons I know I must manifest. So many things happen as the days come around to close another year. Everyone has their own fight to break out of to hopefully end up in a peaceful and comfortable state. I am happy to make it another year and give thanks for what we have achieved. I haven’t forgotten though, I haven’t forgotten how life changes one moment to the next. Nowadays i spend a lot of time thinking about my coworker’s family. She passed on in a terrible taxi crash a bit before Madiba crossed over too. In the blink of an eye they must live without their mother. It’s hard, but yuh haffi have someting in yuh fi keep yuh goin to di best.. towards perfection… with the positives of positive vibes.
“And Jah Jah give me strength so I can learn to change all the things that I can change so I can be a better person”
I figure that I need to live as simply as possible because life will throw some STRONG shit at you anyways so might as well leave the complications for what I can’t control. Keep it on the positive
Ital 