2023-10-19 16:00:04
Burning Spear, at the Mountain Sol Festival, in Felton (California), September 17, 2023. CASEY FLANIGAN/SHUTTERSTOCK/SIPA
At 78 years old, Burning Spear is still one of the few pillars of reggae still alive, and the least we can say is that he is in good shape. Sitting at his home, in his office, in New York, with a flag of Jamaica in the background, photos with stars he does not want to name, the singer with the dreadlocks and the white beard shouts – the interview is done by videoconference – so that we understand his Jamaican patois perfectly.
He repeats his mantra over and over again: « No Color Separation! » (“no division because of skin color”) and his joy at coming to play in Paris on October 20, the only date he kept in Europe, after a tour in August of festivals in Germany and Spain. Even London won’t have its fall concert, but France has a special place in Burning Spear’s heart.
“I have made many return trips to Europe during my careerhe explains. Every time I arrive in France, it is totally different from other European countries. People react in a particular way to my music. They’ve been listening to Burning Spear for years. The words in patois pose no problem. They can sing with me. »
Tribute to Bob Marley
Unlike his classics, Slavery Days, Marcus Garvey, Hail H.I.M., his French fans will probably not yet know the titles of his new albumNo Destroyer, published in August. Winston Rodney, his real name, pays homage to his predecessors, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, The Skatalites, and to his contemporaries, Sugar Minott, Dennis Brown, Gregory Isaacs, in the piece Open the Gate. “A lot of these singers are dead. It was very important for me to show the artists how much I cared about them. »
Bob Marley, whose marital status he repeats, Robert Nesta Marley, throughout the piece, has a special place in his eyes. The Rasta, a few days older, comes from the same canton as him: “I will always remember the first time I met Bobhe remembers. I had never seen him before. You know, he lived on the opposite side of St. Ann’s Bay, at Nine Miles. On one path, I saw Bob going to his farming congregation. At the time, I was wondering how to get started in music. I ran to him and said, “Where should I go?” He said to me: “Go to Studio One!” It was 1969, and I recorded my first song there, Door Peep. And it goes on and on, and all thanks to Bob. »
You have 40.58% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
#combative #reggae #Burning #Spear