I'm just an old Honkey, but Black Lives Matter to me.
I just come at the whole thing from a different viewpoint.
I live for musick. So the effect of violence on Black musickians is what has touched me the deepest.
I know that the focus of the current problems is on Police Murder.
Again, my own personal thoughts stem from my hatred of guns & the death that leaps unchecked from their barrels. Police wouldn't be murdering Blacks if they weren't issued a badge, a gun, & a license to kill. Racism will be extremely hard to root out & exterminate from a basically corrupt system.
It can so easily hide behind the visage of the sweetest smile.
But gun's are much easier to recognize & eliminate. Gun violence has taken more Black musickians than I can easily chronicle.
Who can ever forget Marvin Gaye?
Through my love of Dub, Black Lives dying has hit me hard (the King himself gunned down).
Let’s start the list:
November 22, 1980 - Earl 'General Echo' Robinson, Drunken Master DJ, second only to Big Youth. A car carrying Echo & two others was stopped by police. In the ensuing confrontation, Echo was shot dead by police along with selector Flux (who also worked with Echo on his Echo Tone Sound System) & Stereo Phonic owner Leon 'Big John' Johns. The incident has never been satisfactorily explained.
September 15, 1983 - Prince Far I, Adrian associate, Heavy Manners, Singers & Players
October 14, 1983 - Hugh Mundell, renowned songwriter, Augustus Pablo & Lee Perry associate
April 17, 1987 - Carlton Barrett, Upsetter & Wailer, brother of Aston 'Family Man' Barrett
August 9, 1987 - Wayne 'Major Worries' Jones, Prince Jammy Sound System DJ
September 11, 1987 - Peter Tosh, original Wailer (along with herbalist Wilton 'Doc' Brown & Jeff 'Free 1' Dixon)
February 6, 1989 - King Tubby, the King of Dub
June 24, 1991 - Glen 'Nitty Gritty' Holness - Zodiac Sound System & Soulite
June 2, 1999 - Junior Braithwaite - original Wailing Wailer
June 14, 1999 - Henry 'Junjo' Lawes - producer, Volcano Records & Volcano Sound System. Roots Radics
July 6, 1999 - Mikey Wallace, Chalice keyboards & Massive bass
October 18, 2007 - Lucky Dube, South Africa's greatest reggae star, former Love Brother
January 19, 2011 - Winston Riley, Techniques producer, Meditation Dub star
October 9, 2014 - Lincoln 'Style' Scott, drummer extraordinaire, Roots Radics to Dub Syndicate
So here's my offering to the current situation...
Various - Black Slavery Days, Clappers Records CLPS-1982, 1980.
Side 1 -
Black Slavery Days - Skulls
9 to 5 Dub - T.S.O.S.A. (The Sounds of Saint Ann's)
Tird World - Skulls
Third Worlds Shuffle - Mercenarys
Seek Fire - Arrows
Side 2 -
How Can a Man Dubwise - Clappers All Stars
Come Away Jah Children - Original Survivors
Theme from Ras 'G' - T.S.O.S.A.
Old Broom - Arrows
Beautiful Land (JA) - Original Survivors
Usual suspects: Earl Chinna Smith - lead guitar; Dave Zang & Tony Chin - rhythm guitar; Bobbie Kalaphat & Augustus Pablo - piano; Bernard Touter Harvey - organ; Bobbie Ellis, Herman Marquis, & Vin Trommie Gordon - horns; Robbie Shakespeare & Sidney Leftoe Gussine - bass; & Leroy Horsemouth Wallace - drums.
Although they are Gone Music still Lives on,
NØ
