Up to this point, we were playing ‘victim’. “Why won’t white Canada let us in?”
We don’t need anyone to “let us in.” Reggae deh yah already. Just play it and play it well.
The most prevalent concern that each of you has brought to me is the lack of cohesion amongst yourselves. CR is the most fractured and disgruntled group of artists possibly in history. Nobody seems to have anything good to say about anyone else. That in itself is the crux of the matter. Divide and conquer.
For some of you who missed the memo, the root of reggae music is from the soul of man. It is bourn and bred in love, truth, humility and integrity. When love is mentioned all of the rest must also be true. Until we start to show the love to each other, true love, we may not see the type of growth that we seek. The goal has never been a financial one but more of a spiritual journey. That’s what we have been sent here to do. To carry His message. The spiritual message of love is our path. On that oneness of a spiritual plane we all meet and greet.
Everyone is aware of my insistence in creating an infrastructure to earn from our reggae work so that is a fiscal goal yet a necessity to live and to eat like every other person who works at any other job. I / we have allowed the wrong fuckers to define our worth. I don’t need their explanation or view nor do I acknowledge them anymore. I already know what reggae is worth to the human condition. There is no price on the spiritual.
So I had conversations with LOTS of people and many will recognize the questions below from our discussions from fans and artists alike. There are TONS more but I condensed a hundred down to the top 10 (these are not all I questions). And there are many more to be asked yet you may relate to only one or two of the below and please add in your own.
Whatever changes we may seek must come from us because no colonial / apartheid government will be aiding this part of the journey. Reggae is revolutionary. It has never tried to fit in and for me is another issue. We were all programmed to ask for help. Fuck help! I do it myself!
Reggae Artist / fan Questionnaire
- Do you think anyone from Canada can make it on the international stage? If so who?
- Where do you go for information on reggae in Toronto / Canada?
- Do you see an infrastructure to follow here in Canada? If so, who runs it?
- What venues do you go for live reggae music?
- Is there a relevant reggae scene in Canada?
- What do you think of the Canadian reggae talent? Please rate from 1 – 10, 10 being the best.
- Do you think that more venues are needed to showcase live music?
- People like Luther Brown, Natty B, Sir B are currently not on radio. Do we not need them back helping to influence a Canadian reggae tradition?
- Do Canadian reggae artists fully ovastand the Canadian music industry?
- What can we do to be fully recognised as an organized genre?
Also, mi fren Kafinal ask me if he get chune.
Mi seh “Nah sah! Which chune dat?”
Him seh “Aight. Mi a go sen it.”
Mi tink (Fassyhole know seh ‘im nebba sen mi nuh rass claat chune cah mi woulda dun talk bout it already).