U-Roy and Junior Murvin - Coming to Zion

The winds of reggae are blowing hard in Zion lately. After legendary shows this past year by The Gladiators, Eek-a-Mouse, Lee Perry, The Mad Professor, Matisiyahu and Ziggy Marley, we are treated to a real special nite to start off the new year. U-Roy and Junior Murvin a comin' to Zion for THREE shows, 2 in Tel Aviv and one in Jerusalem, Jan. 24 - 26.

Originally born named 'Ewart', he got his famous name from a young family member who couldn't pronounce Ewart and the nickname stuck. Known as the Originator, U-Roy wasn't the first DJ, nor even the first to cut a record, but with a career now spanning over 5 decades, he is a legend indeed. He was the first to shake the Jamaican nation and he originated a style so distinctly unique by DJing over old record cuts, that he single-handedly changed Jamaica's music scene forever.

Junior Murvin is known for his falsetto vocals, unique dancehall style, and is famous for his hits recorded with such greats as Lee Scratch Perry, King Tubby and Joe Gibb. "Police and Thieves" which was his most famous and first hit, has been re-recorded by The Clash, Boy George and others.

Together on one stage in Zion, these should be some really great shows. Below is a preview of what we should expect - Check it:

Daddy U-Roy inna stylee fashion:


Junior Murvin - Police and Thieves - 2004:

Tanya Stephens Shut Out of 2006 Reggae Grammy Nominations

Ziggy Marley, Sly and Robbie, Matisyahu, Buju Banton and UB40 are all gonna battle it out for the Reggae Category Grammy….BUT the widely hailed Rebelution album by Tanya Stephens was completely shut out of the nominations.

The nominations for the 2006 Grammy awards were released a week ago and in the Reggae category, a conspicuous absence is that of Tanya Stephens, whose Rebelution album was widely hailed and on the top of many charts, but is not among the nominees. Stephens' previous album, 2004's Gangsta Blues was also bypassed for nomination that year.

In an interview with the Jamaican media, Stephens said that she did not need any validation outside of Jamaica for her album.’That's like a girl begging to get into the boys' club. It's a club unto itself, and I don't need it." She referred to Shaggy's multi-platinum Hot Shots album, which also missed Grammy nomination.

The 2006 nominees in the reggae category are Too Bad by Buju Banton, Ziggy Marley's Love Is My Religion, Youth by Chasidic Jew chanter Matisyahu, Sly & Robbie's Rhythm & Doubles and Who You Fighting For by UB40.

Plans for Bob Marley and the Wailers Movie - The Black Beatles

'The Black Beatles' is the title of a screenplay by John Dixon, an african-american obsessed with Bob Marley and The Wailers, and who was inspired to write a script on the legendary reggae group. Dixon is a an amateur screenwriter who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

While still in super preliminary stages, Dixon has launched a basic website called Black Beatles with portions of the script for public view, in order to publish and present his idea out in the open to Hollywood moguls. Dixon claims that his script has been five years in the making and that "it's not just another Bob Marley and The Wailers story". "What makes my project stronger is it is not another documentary, which I personally feel there are too many," he said. "The Black Beatles script is part fictional and dramatized to make the film more interesting."

There's been lots of industry buzz recently about Bob Marley films coming soon, specifically Warner Brothers was talking about producing a major budget bio of Marley, as well as talk of Jamie Foxx playing the leading role.

Dixon prefers to focus on all members of the original Wailers, especially Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh. "With all due respect to Bob Marley, I want the film to show that Peter and Bunny were just as talented." Getting his story of The Wailers on screen, he says, would be the ultimate tribute to one of popular music's outstanding groups.

Dixon also adds (and it makes sense to me see the pics at the top):

"Can you imagine Terrence Howard as Bob Marley, Samuel L. Jackson as Peter Tosh, Don Cheadale as Bunny Wailer and Nick Nolte as Chris Blackwell?"

If you're interested in contacting John Dixon 'bout dis movie, you can do so by emailing him at wisemanspeaks@aol.com or calling954-767-4828. For a full length interview with John Dixon about his movie plans, click here, or for a little taste of some legendary original Wailers positive vibrations Live in London 1973 , check it below.

Perry Henzell - Jamaican Director of "The Harder they Come" dies

Perry Henzell, whose low-budget urban Jamaican film "The Harder They Come" became an international blockbuster in 1972, died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.

Ironically, Henzell died one day before his film, "No Place Like Home", was to be shown at the Flashpoint Film Festival which opens today in Negril, Jamaica. It is part of a thematic trilogy of which The Harder They Come was the first. His new film is the second in the trilogy and most of the film was actually shot just under three decades ago during the 1970s. It has been about 25 years in the making as it was severely hampered by financial problems.


The Harder They Come made a superstar out of now reggae legend Jimmy Cliff, who played the lead role of Ivan. With the up and coming reggae beat during the 70's, The Harder They Come helped introduce reggae and Jamaican pop culture to an international audience, and even won Best New Cinema at the 1973 Venice Film Festival.

Even Jamaican PM Portia Simpson Miller reacted to news of Henzell's death, saying he "made a sterling contribution to the development of the arts in Jamaica. Jamaica has lost a very talented son and his death has created a void throughout the creative industries in Jamaica."

In honor of Perry Henzell, here's the trailer of his greatest contribution to reggae history. Check it.

Tosh Family Beats the Sh!tstem - M16 Guitar eBay Auction Cancelled

The eBay auction of Peter Tosh's M16 Stratocaster Guitar, as previously announced here on Reggae Sessions, will not be proceeding as planned at the FlashPoint Film Festival after massive controversy and protests by two of his sons who live in the U.S. A legal claim disputing the current ownership has been filed, and in the interests of parties, it is impractical to proceed with the auction.

The auction was to take place on behalf of Andrea (Marlene) Brown, the late Tosh's common-law wife, who put the guitar up for auction in October. She told the Jamaica Gleaner that Tosh gave her the Fender Stratocaster as a gift. But the rastaman's sons objected to the sale, saying it belonged to the Peter Tosh Foundation. Brown's family had the guitar for 19 years stored in the United States.

I tried to place a call to Peter's youngest son, Jawara Tosh (see bottom pic), who wrote numerous open letters to the festival, to Ms. Brown, and to the citizens of Jamaica expressing his concern about this highway robbery. Jawara Tosh lives in Boston and is known in music circles as Tosh1. I wanted to give personal tanks and praises to him that this piece of reggae history will not be sold to the highest bidder and massive bigups for his effort to stop this horrendous crime from occurring.

You can contact him yourselves to show your support via email at jtosh2020@yahoo.com, or by calling him on the phone at 617-929-1673 and letting him know how you feel. Don't forget to mention Reggae Sessions ;-)

Let's hope dis one stays a part of reggae history forever. Nuff Respect to the Steppin Razor. Check it!

Opposition to Tosh's M16 Guitar eBay Auction Growing

As per my last post below, it looks like Peter Tosh's legendary M16 guitar he got as a gift from a fan in 1983, on his Mama Africa tour, is going on sale on eBay tomorrow as planned. But not without a fight from his family and ex-managers...

For the full story on the fan and how he ended up getting this guitar into Tosh's hands, check it here.

Following a scathing commentary by guest columnist Herbie Millerin Nov. 19ths Jamaica Observer, reggae impresario Copeland Forbes who, like Miller, was a former Tosh manager, called the planned auction an "illegal transaction". Forbes said, "the family is hurting by the news of the impending auction of their father's most prized posses on his M-16 guitar. We all as lovers of reggae music MUST do something to stop this illegal transaction that is about to take place."

Tosh's youngest child Jawara, in an open letter wrote: "We would like the people of Jamaica and across the globe, who are interested in this auction, to know that they are bidding on stolen property. After Peter was brutally murdered in his home, many of his personal belongings came up missing, this guitar being one of those items. The Tosh family is doing everything in their power to see that this auction does not take place and wants the world to be aware of this injustice. We are Not Gonna Give It Up!"

Forbes wrote a letter to the Jamaica Gleaner last week explaining how this legendary guitar came to be in Tosh's hands:

"It was I who bought that guitar from a fan who custom-made it specially for
Peter and brought it to the Franklyn Plaza Suite Hotel in Los Angeles, where
Peter and his group, Word Sound and Power, were staying on our stop in Los
Angeles when Tosh played the famous Greek Theatre during the Mama Africa World Tour of 1983. During our stay at the hotel a young reggae fan came to the
hotel and asked to see Peter Tosh. The front desk clerk then called me in my
room, as I was then Tosh's manager, saying that a fan wanted to see Peter. I
then spoke to the fan on the hotel's phone and he told me that he had a special
gift for Peter which he personally made for the Bush Doctor."

For the full story on the fan and how he ended up getting this guitar into Tosh's hands, check it here. Long live the Bush Doctor!

Peter Tosh's M16 Guitar on eBay

Man I would love to get my hands on this one. Don't think I have the cash though :-) Peter Tosh's famous M16 StratoCaster guitar (as seen in the pic here) is going on sale Nov 26th on eBay.

The guitar, specially commissioned by Tosh in 1983, will be auctioned on eBay from 10 p.m. Sunday, November 26 to 10 p.m. Sunday, December 3, 2006. Known as 'The Steppin Razor', Tosh is one of music's most revolutionary figures and the shaping of the guitar into a gun was by no means a cheap attempt at either celebrating violence or seeking hype. Instead, the M16-shaped guitar clicks easily into Tosh's military stance, while using music to battle injustice the world over.

He had particular interest in South Africa's apartheid regime, socio-economic injustice, black consciousness, and promoted the legalisation of ganja. His play on words like 'poli-tricksters' and 'shit-stem' made his music and his performances legendary.

This guitar was first unveiled during Tosh's 1983 European tour, and some say it is actually made from a real M16 from the Angolan war.

The Gladiators - Inna Zion, Come and Gwaan

After waiting more than 3 weeks since buying my tickets to this show it finally came and went. Come N Gwaan real quick. Like da sun pon fi wintery day. I went to the 2nd of two shows at the Zappa Club in Tel Aviv. Wow! The vibes were very very irie, riddim was flowing and the ganja wafting through the air. This was wicked vintage roots rock reggae at its best, at its core. I give tanks and praise to my beautiful woman Ilanit who snapped dem fotos above. For some more, check it here.

This tour was the first in which Albert Griffith's sons, Al on lead vocals and Anthony on drums, have been almost fully handed over the torch of their father's legacy as founder of this great band. Albert Griffiths was a complete no-show here in Israel so we got a full preview of what's in store for da future. Al Griffiths kept on mentioning his father's name over and over again and towards the end of the show gave respect, lots of love, smiles and bigups to almost anyone and everyone he knows, including his band manager, tour manager, assistant, etc who he all brought on stage. Most of al, I especially liked his Jahrusalem t-shirt (see pic above) which he proudly showed off to the crowd, apparently after the band toured the city itself during the day. I wonder where he bought that. I want one too :-)

The band was tight, with a full brass section as is called for in roots reggae, and great high-pitched vocals by a pair of remaining original gladiators who were also simultaneously playing rhythm guitar, percussion and lead guitar. All da classics were played, including Hello Carol, Stick a Bush, Im a Rast Man, Jah Works and more. For us older generation roots fans, this was 2.5 hours of heaven inna zion. Check it (2 videos below).

Fire fi di man dem weh go ride man behind

Which means..."Burn the men who have sex from behind", from his song Pump Up. Apparently, Sizzla is stirring it up with some massive controversy. His lyrics are explicitly anti-gay and homophobic. He's not allowed into the UK! Here's a few other examples which I've managed to find. Check it:

Boom Boom
Boom boom! Batty boy them fi dead (Boom boom! Queers must be killed)

Get To Da Point
Sodomite and batty bwai mi seh a death fi dem (Sodomite and queers, I say death to them)
Mi no trust babylon fi a second yah so (I don¿t trust Babylon for a second)
Mi a go shot batty bwai dem widdi weapon ya (I go and shoot queers with a weapon)

Even though Reggae did start as a protest music, it's too bad that many artists of today have taken this music of peace, love and unity and transformed it into one of hate and killing.