Blog Posts

Jojo Bennett of the Sattalites Tribute

7/9/2019

Deep gratitude

That's how Jojo has always made me feel

A musician out of the famous Alpha Academy in Jamaica

A reggae pioneer in a Canada, one of the few featured on Reggae Lane

Jojo's accolades with his famous crew, The Sattalites, are too numerous to mention yet based on said contribution, he and the band are known across the Canadian continent from coast to coast

He is a selfless soldier, constantly sharing his love and knowledge with anyone interested in playing an instrument

The Canadian reggae flag standard bearer

A true hero of this reggae culture

Truly a lion to be revered... By I n I standards anyway

He will be in attendance this coming Sunday

I'm asking all reggae musicians and practitioners to pay homage by your presence and contributions

This Lion is worth our time in my estimation

All of the ex-Bamboo heads out there who partied to The Sattalites those hundreds of weekends, come show face

Jojo Bennett, the standard, Canadian, Reggae flag bearer

Many of you live all across Canada that can't make it, and wish to contribute, Jo and his daughter Jodi have etransfer set up for this event... I do ask that folks give generously at this time

The email addy is jbshyne@hotmail.com

Here is a collage of memories that I witnessed over the years

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July 05th, 2019 ~ Yardie Review

7/5/2019

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I am NOT a film critic

I DO NOT KNOW SHIT ABOUT FILM MAKING

Aight, mi dun dat... De movie nice!

I was not interested in seeing another movie connected to I n I Jamaican culture that used gun violence as a selling point for the paying audience which will / would be predominantly black and Jamaican

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yu a bad man

Whatever

It took I a night of sleep to fully assess what I saw in this film’s story

Love

It was a beautiful love story of a man and his baby mother and daughter and their commitment to each other

Their rapport during the film was right and committed to each other

The scene of the elderly mom who came to the lead character to talk the devil out of his soul was most appropriate

The vibez of the people felt nice

Reality

Live by the gun, die by the gun

The lingering stench of death of our loved ones, carry forever. It changes anyone and anything in its path. It corrupts the soul of many of its victims... for life

Some move on and grieve when a next son or daughter is taken

Some seek other paths

Vengeance

All bwoy fe dead

Yah man, a so wi seet

So though one is enamored by the charismatic lead character and his sweet loving vibes, living this life has us needing revenge and many of us ovastand his path

Keeps the system perpetual

I man nah condone it yet it is what many of us live and have lived

This movie portrayed that energy to its audience effectively I believe... Well, to this one audience as I live this energy all I n I life

Sound track

Bad nuh rass... Every chune play mi a dance inna mi chair

This movie pick some right tunes for all of the right moments

Yah man, dis movie can gwaan

Belinda Brady ~ Show Me

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http://www.canadianreggaeworld.com/reggae-for-life.html

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Reggae Is Always Gold

6/27/2019

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Reggae Is Always Gold

Blessings going out to Donna Makeda and Prince Everald for the honor that you have provided me for over a decade, writing for ReggaeXclusive

I have covered so many topics in that time, repeated the same lines in several submissions, I do hate to be repetitive and boring. Being predictable is definitely not what reggae is or has meant to I and others

So I put out some sounds to the community at large and got some interesting responses

I asked:

“Writing an article for ReggaeXclusive. Any topic suggestions?”

Here are a few responses...

Jonathan Shaw ~ What would the world look like without reggae music?

Joanne Shalpa ~ Lack of funding for reggae music

Peter Skinner aka Blessed ~ Young people's interest or disinterest in Reggae music. I've noticed recently most of the young people only want to do hip hop or dancehall. We all know the future of anything depends on the youth.
I think their interest or lack of it is motivated by money and level of fame!

Will ~ The lack of representation coming from our city

Patterson ~ how and why Reggae has mass appeal beyond the Black community.

Xola Lololi ~ Establishment of a Reggae Music Association of Toronto, like AU and EU we need to have some form of continued governance of the Reggae Music community to handle issues that are hindering its development. I personally live in times when Reggae Music wasrespected and thrived in this City - the era of the world 🌍 wide recognition of the Bob Marley & the Wailers- the genre need its government for continued development. Bless Julian Anthony Christopher King - dem a guh tiered feh see yuh but dem kyann get u out a deh Race ~Raspect

They are many who are credible community members who are in someway associated with Reggae- most importantly the creators of the music - musicians and all who are associated with the genre- music business, DJs, promoters? Etc. let’s start the conversation- Bless

Paul Corby ~ Reggae Is An International Music. Breaking free of Jamaicanism. Good or bad idea?
I hear "elsewhere" bands trying to create an ersatz Jamaican sound with dated references/ dialect. It seems inauthentic and a little silly. What is happening in Jamaican music now doesn't even reference those old tropes. Reminds me of the failed music of certain "blues" bands. Feeling me?

Pat Kelly ~ new youth conscious music...koffee, Chronixx etc

Neville Bassey ~ Neville bassey is a good topic.u all need to know him.

Deborah Barnes_Drummond ~ Resistance movement.

Marcell A Wilson ~ Feature the Canadian reggae artist... Like Leroy S. The Uplifters (my dad's group), George Banton. Etc...
The ones who paved the way here for the movement.

Ammoye Evans ~ The lack of feminine presence on still so many reggae shows line up here in Canada. Would love to hear your views on that.

Kush Nubia ~ The cross influence of Afrobeats and Dancehall / Reggae

Anthony Goldstein (Fujahtive) ~ How about on just how popular reggae was in Toronto in the 80's and 90's. Every night someone was playing and people were attending

I know. It’s hard to keep bringing up how good it was and not sound like old farts

Christopher J. Duncanson-Hales ~ The state of Rastafari and Reggae. I have an academic article on Rastafari, Mortimo Planno and Bob Marley that I'll share with you.

Carol Brown ~ Where have all the good in house producers gone ? The Reggae industry here is lacking good producers.

Annalee Orr ~ Why has the IRIE MUSIC FESTIVAL become mostly SOCA AND DANCEHALL instead of REGGAE?!! VERY disappointing! CARIBANA was taken over as well!

RZee Jackson ~ More money for artists and musician

Shekinah Ashanti Holt ~ Why no one wants to pay anyone else?

Celeste Adams ~ A photo of Peter Tosh came through my FB the other day and it had Peter Tosh quote something like 'if I wasn't a musician, I would be a bloodclat revolutionary'... write about that. I love PT and I would love to debate that

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There were a few more responses of artists, promoters wishing I n I to write about them and their journey to date. I tend to stay away from those cause what I may write truthfully and may not be the opinion that the band, musician, artist may want me to say. Also I write based on inspiration as it pertains to music. A moment, a song, a vibe, a feel

I can’t write what I can’t or don’t feel, especially when ones and ones want I to write about them in the positive vein in which they see or perceive themselves to be

The truth isn’t everyone’s friend

Reggae morphs

From the era of ska where Jamaicans took the American R&B and turned it into “life” in order to represent the vibe and feel of its own people

Jamaican life

Wi wah wi owna ting

Wi nuh love run back a nobody

Fe wi owna music, our sound, our feel

There is ZERO fear of anyone taking reggae away from Jamaicans

ZERO

It isn’t just reggae

It isn’t JUST about reggae

It is a feel

One either feels it or one doesn’t

Feel music always in stock, all day, every day

Many above have varied concerns for this genre

I am grateful to see that

The varied concerns tell me that some still see and feel the loving frequency of reggae music

Some call it warrior music

It is a truth music with deep integrity that forces all to be accountable

Everyone

Including me, I know

Thanking all of I n I reggae friends for input and inspiration

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This week's art showcase are two pieces from Adrian Hayles, mural artist for Reggae Lane in Toronto

The first piece is a take on the Champion Toronto Raptors and his second piece is his take on the Pow Wow from the past weekend at Fort York, commemorating Indigenous Day

MODERN IMPRESSIONISM
THE PARADE
#casemackeen #adrianhayles
June 20 - 30 ‘19
.
Raptors Championship Parade
Adrian Hayles
36”x36”
Spray paint on canvas
Limited 12”x12” giclee prints available at hashtaggallery.com

CRW Brands

http://www.canadianreggaeworld.com/reggae-for-life.html

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Fitzroy "The Lion" Gordon ~ May 2019

5/9/2019

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Fitzroy Gordon with Stephen Harper & Portia Simpson

In death, we are smitten with immediate empathy

We instinctively cherish life so much, the petty fuckery that was so important becomes mute in the face of the loving things that are remembered

Flow 93.5FM came about and Denam Jolly, Farley Flex, Mark & Jem, The Juiceman happened and we saw peers rise

Within a short time we became disgruntled with “our” own urban station that really didn’t seem to cater to the community quite the way that they said that they would

We all got a crash course in the great expense it took to run a radio station and what actually paid the bills, and it wasn’t locally produced music

Times moved on and Fitzroy Gordon spearheaded G98.7FM

“We” seemed to have a greater input with this station. This was more “us” than the predecessor Flow

Fitzroy seemed more like one a wi

As per usual the various criticisms came at the station and Fitzroy as we tend to do

Once upon a time, Fitzroy Gordon called me. Called me mi seh

He wished to do a show about the beliefs of RasTafari, being a devout Christian, with a very Christian listenership, to PROVE whether Haile Selassie I was / is God

Both Fitzroy and I knew that I was not the person for that job...lol

I have neither the wisdom, teaching nor temperament for a radio debate of such contention

I put him in touch with Naphtali Paul Edman and we were treated to a very spirited, respectful, sometimes very heated debate that Sunday. I know Fitzroy wasn’t on “my side” he was still very respectful in his questioning and responses

{I would recommend listening to that show once again}

I do not believe Naphtali made Fitzroy a believer

I felt grateful

I was grateful to Fitzroy Gordon for putting a topic of RasTafari to the mainstream airwaves in a serious debate with a wizened elder like Naptali. In my humble opinion, the debate elevated the Toronto RasTafari community. I felt grateful

I am grateful to Fitzroy Gordon for that moment to I n I livity

Some months later, a likkle sistrin Chantie harassed me to help out Davey Rochester’s situation and his family

This time, I called Fitzroy Gordon

The following week he brought Davey’s wife Krista and her loving friend Laine to the station and made a plea to the community to create drives for swabbing and bone marrow matches to save Davey’s life

Fitzroy did not hesitate to use his position in the community to instantly fight for Davey

In his death I feel this most

Bless up Mr. G, as usual we don’t know what we have till it is gone yet with the footage and photos coming out, it seems a ‘few’ more are on to this secret, Fitzroy Gordon

A proud Jamaican

A good man to me and mine

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ReggaeXclusive Article for March 2019

3/15/2019

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Your God tied us with chains
Our God comfort us in pain
Your God held us as slaves
Our God broke the chains
Now war of brains

~ Words by Lenn Hammond

I was grateful to read those words this very morning

A simple glance at worldwide circumstances confirms the abuses of “colonialism” destroying the human spirit which was pushed through their God

Those abuses continue today as is boldly evident in the US, everyday in the news

This is no mystery

Burning of Nike products because a black athlete pointed clearly to police brutality

They made it about a flag, an anthem and patriotism

Just avoid the topic at hand

Police brutality

“Our God comfort us in pain”

I can’t speak for Lenn on this one yet my personal story is that Haile Selassie I, released the mental and spiritual chains on millions globally

It could mean that atheist, Allah, Buddha, Christian, spiritualists, agnostics or sun worshipers recognized that using the Lord’s name while you commit crimes is devious and deceitful, hence we can’t use the God that you killing us with

Our God cyaa work wid yours

“Your God held us as slaves”

Duuhhhhh

We still doing a slave thing today

It still a gwaan with everyone, especially the “woke” one dem

Calm down

If you so “woke” you know what to do

Talking and screaming at the top of your voice who is to blame or racism or political correctness or AI {Artificial Intelligence}, veganism, voting, government cutting student loans, expensive real estate Toronto are all distractions and while you get upset by any or all and more, we can go on a march or hold hands or peace protest something else but the truth is, “woke” ones are either doing it or they are not

They are not speaking about it

They are doing it

Changing it

“Our God broke the chains”

Perfection

“Now war of brains”

“War” implies violence so that excites them

They are adept at violence

Best distraction ever

Fear

Keep the abused scared

It is how they “win” every time

They still trying to scare educated humans that The Black Panther, Move, Watts, The Congo, blah, blah blah

The “brains” is the movement{s} needed for upliftment of the human family

It forces you to think for yourself

That is where we challenge our own lies

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Feel Reggae ~ Carl Harvey / Jason Wilson Review ~ Epic performance{s}

2/27/2019

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Feel Reggae 23rd February, 2019 ~ Review

Carl Harvey on guitar alongside Jason Wilson on keys, with Michael Shapinko on bass

Carl Harvery, a guitar virtuoso, on tour with Toots Hibbert now for over 40 years. He has played on songs and albums with Jackie Mittoo, the legendary Skattalites who was a keyboard wizard

Warning: Carl Harvey’s playing can give goose bumps

Jason Wilson, plays a LOT like Jackie. This past weekend, it was clear to me of Jackie’s influence on Jason Wilson. Dr. John Jason Wilson, thank you for this week’s presentation{s} and song choices

They did something that is the essence of Feel Reggae, which is to speak of the different eras, charting the progression of the music where quadrille, mento, ska, rocksteady and reggae are discussed, then played

Education and entertainment

Like a reggae school

We discuss the eras and the political climate of when the music was produced

When the music changed and why

Anecdotes

Experiences

Both Carl and Dr. Jason Wilson, a professor at Guelph University, are learned scholars yet have lived the life of music ie; jazz, funk, folk, classical and all forms of reggae for most of their existence{s}

They played with many of the originals and still do today

Experience and great talent

Our goal is to bring the fans to the players of instruments and pay them for said talent

The “system” isn’t set up to pay artists at any time, especially the reggae crew

Next Feel Reggae Seminar, Saturday, 23rd March,2019

Drum Song by Jackie Mittoo

Israelites ~ Desmond Dekker cover

Satta Masagana ~ Abyssinians cover ~ Carl goes in on guitar...wait for it...

Willi Williams ~ Armageddon Time ~ A history about the punk movement and The Clash covering this tune

Keele Street ~ Jason Wilson original ~ Reggae / jazz

A few images on the day

I have and will continue to bring this energy for as long as the strength stays within me

I could also use whatever aid ones wish to provide, so if you appreciate the talent on display here, the time it took for the film and uploading, please donate to the cause

At some point we would love to produce a documentary from the footage accumulated over the past couple of years and present this to the world; a unique look at reggae Canada through the eyes of CRW

Etransfer: canadianreggaeworld@gmail.com
Paypal: Julion King

Next Feel Reggae Seminar, Saturday, 23rd March,2019

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Feel Reggae ~ February ~ Carl Harvey & Jason Wilson

2/13/2019

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This a dream match up

These are two musicians on the planet who shared musical experience{s} with the musical guru Jackie Mittoo

Come listen to how that story went for both

Carl Harvey has been on tour with Toots Hibbert aka Toots and the Maytals for over forty years now, brother to Rupert Harvey of Messenjah, where Carl has produced a few of their albums as well as played live at times with the band and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience

Dr. John Jason Wilson, a professor at Guelph University and a musical veteran in this city `trained` with Jackie Mittoo from about the age of fifteen years old and has produced albums and gigging for over forty years himself

These two have wanted to work a Feel Reggae Seminar together since I mentioned it to them

There will be a few mentions of Jackie as well as all kinds of talk of jazz, funk ska, rocksteady and reggae

I am eternally grateful for this opportunity to have two people on the planet who can speak from actual experience cause there were there when it was done

There is a change of time for this event to 7:00pm – 9:00pm

There will be several performances

JuLion soup a mek

One of the reasons I love Jason Wilson is his ability to go back DEEP into the history of reggae and touch a Skattalites track, aided by Sunray Grennan on drums and Michael on bass

Here is Toots with Carl and the rest of the band on the Jimmy Fallon Show last year

Here is Carl at a Feel Reggae session throwing down a version of Jimi Hendrick's, Voodoo Child

Spinning tunes prior to and after performance is DeeJay Scootz

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Colors of RasTafari shine on Marley Earthstrong - TORONTO

2/7/2019

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Grateful that a positive energy of RasTafari was able to shine in Toronto for a split second

Bob Marley performed in Toronto three times I think but I saw only two of them. The last one at Maple Leaf Gardens

RasTaman lit up a hockey arena that night

Torontonians like me, still brag about that last concert in 79

They lit up the lights at Nathan Phillips Square red, gold and green

Ites up to Jason McLean of Torontoreggae.ca who requested it

Grateful for those who came by and by all those who shared and fulljoyed the process

It was Robert Nesta’s earthstrong yet I send a love to Peter and Bunny also as I know we all feel that

Garry Lowe passed last year and his RasTafari energy affected rock and roll in Toronto and Canada

It is always a blessing and a source of pride to see one of Haile Selassie I greatest warriors, when 38 years after his death, his energy and conviction as a spiritual warrior, has a major city like Toronto, shining the colors of RasTafari on his birthday

Those two examples plus many others show me what the love of RasTafari can accomplish

Big love to all who came out to the first ever time the powers of RasTafari was shone out to the world from Toronto, Canada

I am eternally grateful to those who showed and to all who still monitor and show pride in this energy

RasTafari blessings to the world family

A few visual memories of last evenings events including the after party at Remix Lounge - click on the pics to enlarge them

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City Hall homage to Marley & RasTafari ~ Toronto Reggae & Canadian Reggae World

1/21/2019

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Toronto Reggae YYZ, Jason McLean tweeted City Hall from November 2018 to present {weekly} to change the colors of the TORONTO sign, on the 6th February, Bob Marley’s earthstrong, to the colors of the Jamaican flag

When The Hall decided to agree with the change of color, they chose those of the red, gold and green of RasTafari, which was Jason’s first choice but he never believed that they would change it to that

They did

Will

On the Wednesday, 6th February, 2019, the colors of RasTafari will be on the TORONTO sign, starting at dusk where the colors will stand out nicely against a dark sky to signify Bob Marley’s earthstrong and homage to Reggae as well as RasTafari

Ites up Jason McLean

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

We will be on hand to shoot pics of Toronto reggae lovers from 7:00pm – 8:00ish, {if it aint too cold}

Our hope is to get a HUGE shot of reggae Toronto, so reaching out to all reggae heads to come out and share in this historical moment in Canadian reggae history, standing in front of those colors

We have also decided to resurrect The Lion’s Den for a night {an after party of sorts} with some of the amazing DJs / Selectas that have played through the years at the popular Monday night jam

Line up is African Star, Spicegad, Briggidier Kingsley, Xixgon and Friendlyness

Pure love

We will have a limited number of “coupons” for $10.00 off the cover charge of $20.00 to give away at the photo shoot

If you can’t make it for a coupon, bring a non-perishable food item for the Daily Bread Food Bank Parkdale and also will get you a $10.00 discount at the door

Our location for the after party is Remix Lounge ~ 1305 Dundas Street west

Doors open for 9:00pm

Our host and guest of honor will be Michie Mee

9:30 – 10:00pm Ras Xola Lololi will blessing the room along with the Nyabinghi Drummers

10:00pm ~ close, dancing recommended

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Feel Reggae ~ Dub Chronicles ~ 26th January, 2019

1/19/2019

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Coolest vibe is look through the historical lenses, I met the Dub Chronicles when they were playing with a much bigger band {totally forgot that we all hooked up at The Cage years ago}

Always rootical conscious, the different variations of bands, no matter the size, played good roots, conscious reggae music and a blessing to watch them morph into what seems to be their first love, "dub"

Many conversations, trial and error, many performances since and now they come to a Feel Reggae Seminar, to perform and play their music, answer a few questions on the history of dub and will do some jamming with Canadian veteran Carol Brown, the lyrically sweet Nkrumah and the soulful stylings of Tréson

Honored to work with this crew