"All Reggae is vile" Morrisey once phlegmatically said.
Well he obviously hasn't spent much time living on pacific islands. If the Salford lad had, he would have had to change his mind, or more likely, move to somewhere more depressing. Like LA.
Spend any time on the islands in the Carribean and the Pacific and you'll hear Reggae blasting out from a shack or beachfront bar. It's the soundtrack to many islanders lives. Burning Spear or more likely Bob Marley are very popular. Here on the Big Island of Hawaii, Reggae is the main music being played on the Radio. Either Roots or a Hawaiian version called Jahwaiian.
I was thinking about this while watching a Roots band called Bamboo Station, who hail from the British Virgin Islands. An enthusiastic crowd was at the Mixx bar in Kona to see a pretty straight up and down interpretation of Reggae. It went down well with the predominently white crowd, mostly dressed in hip-hop or surf threads, with a smattering of Rasta's from the local record shop Conscious Riddims.
So what's the appeal? How has local music been pushed out of the spotlight? I've been in Hawaii for 4 days and I've yet to here Polynesian tunes except for a tinny version of the hula coming from a wind up lamp in a tourist shop. It was the same in Belize and Honduras. Local music Garifuna, takes second place to Reggae. White guitar rock might be the predominant force in Europe, but blokes moaning that their girlfriend has just dumped then in Staines has limited appeal when the view is of clear blue seas and coral.
Reggae certainly fits with the more laid back vibe of living on an island in the middle of nowhere. Not that many people have the energy or inclination to go mental to House or trance when it's 35 degrees celcius outside. Unless you're British and it's full moon in Thailand. Reggae is an easy music to superficially listen to whilst sipping on a strawberry daquiri at sunset. "One love" is a simple mantra to follow. Even though the lyrics of many songs are often as brutal and unforgiving as any country or rap tune, heavy bass and keyboards can mask the rough. Is the artists message getting through?
As I asked one girl as I left the Bamboo Station gig. So did you like the music?
"Yeah I had a great time, didn't understand any of it, though"
1 comment:
I see what you're driving at Mikey,but 'Reggae' as you know is a broad church , from Rock Steady to Ambient Dub via some aggressive ditties from the likes of amongst others, Buju Banton- and of course many an interpretation as you've discovered ... may I now point you to the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra?! I suppose it's always been a form of world music, but knowing the type of chap you are, you'll rightly require local, authentic choons to contribute to the soundtrack - but doesn't Hawaiian Reggae add something to the pot?! As long as the rest of the audience (bless 'em) don't yell out , "Go on, play something from 'Legend' ! "...you'll be safe. Top stuff by the way.
Post a Comment