A few months ago, I was looking for mi bredda Garry Lowe
As usual, I’m having a convo with Mojah and I say that I owe Garry a shout and he, Mojah was talking to Garry about some tunes that they were working on / recording
Next day I shouted him and he told me that he was in Texas
His voice was soft
Different
We talked for a while
I was filling him on my Feel Reggae concept a few years earlier because of Raffa. I did not know Raffa Dean was terminally ill at the time
I just thought that, from my experience{s} around live music / reggae music, I had never seen anything like Raffa Dean and what a magician he was behind a kit and his incredible ability to make any band sound better. {I have seen him make shitty bands sound good and great bands greater}
Raffa’s skill was the most unique thing I had ever seen and we are all innately aware that that level of skill cannot be taught, yet a young protégé could “feel” it. I had contacted Raffa maybe three to four months prior to his passing about the concept
So then, right away, I know who a go deh pon bass if Raffa deh pon drum
Garry Lowe
Years later, I am reaching out to one of Canada’s greats, to come speak / perform at a Feel Reggae Seminar and of course he says yes
IBA aka IBADAN aka Garry Lowe was sometimes a real raggamufin, rough neck
Duh cross him
RaLion reminded me of the time a soundman was not able to bring the constant, piercing, feedback sound, popping up every couple of minutes for like ½ hour straight. Never to be seen before or since, Garry Lowe went to a microphone and cuss nuff, fuck, rass and claaat and kick bwoy inna face, if dat fassyhole soundbwoy nuh fix dat ting soon
I was like, “Alrighty then”
Years later, it is one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. No one else wanted to say anything. Garry did not shy away from that responsibility nor the necessary language it took to fix the situation
He was also a wise councillor. One of the few people that could reprimand or praise with one look
A man who I would quietly seek council from or with and felt a proudness vibe, knowing him
Big Sugar became my band {whatever that means}
Whenever “Digging A Hole” would play, I would run to the TV like a little kid, just to watch de big Lion pon bass
He wasn’t the tallest man yet his presence was BIG
How big?
I watched a white bwoy, Canadian white rock and roll band, somehow move from Hugo Boss sponsorship to the colors of the ites, gold and green of RasTafari
Each year RasTafari shone more with the band’s appearance{s}
Garry’s presence is so big that RasTafari, who he is, lead a rock and roll concept towards RasTafari
Not by words but by deeds
He elevated me
It was clear that RasTafari is his guide and passage through life
He requested that his last ceremony be by RasTafari elders and singers and players of instruments. Xola provided that service
That service elevated the room
It elevated I n I
He seemed to do that for Big Sugar
He certainly did it for his children
I saw his daughters cuddle up to him enough to know that they knew of his love for them and all of his children
He constantly spoke about his children
This lion elevated his community
So proud to have been in his presence and traveled time and roads with him
It’s his earth date 28th December
There’s going to be a celebration of his musical life
As usual, I’m having a convo with Mojah and I say that I owe Garry a shout and he, Mojah was talking to Garry about some tunes that they were working on / recording
Next day I shouted him and he told me that he was in Texas
His voice was soft
Different
We talked for a while
I was filling him on my Feel Reggae concept a few years earlier because of Raffa. I did not know Raffa Dean was terminally ill at the time
I just thought that, from my experience{s} around live music / reggae music, I had never seen anything like Raffa Dean and what a magician he was behind a kit and his incredible ability to make any band sound better. {I have seen him make shitty bands sound good and great bands greater}
Raffa’s skill was the most unique thing I had ever seen and we are all innately aware that that level of skill cannot be taught, yet a young protégé could “feel” it. I had contacted Raffa maybe three to four months prior to his passing about the concept
So then, right away, I know who a go deh pon bass if Raffa deh pon drum
Garry Lowe
Years later, I am reaching out to one of Canada’s greats, to come speak / perform at a Feel Reggae Seminar and of course he says yes
IBA aka IBADAN aka Garry Lowe was sometimes a real raggamufin, rough neck
Duh cross him
RaLion reminded me of the time a soundman was not able to bring the constant, piercing, feedback sound, popping up every couple of minutes for like ½ hour straight. Never to be seen before or since, Garry Lowe went to a microphone and cuss nuff, fuck, rass and claaat and kick bwoy inna face, if dat fassyhole soundbwoy nuh fix dat ting soon
I was like, “Alrighty then”
Years later, it is one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed. No one else wanted to say anything. Garry did not shy away from that responsibility nor the necessary language it took to fix the situation
He was also a wise councillor. One of the few people that could reprimand or praise with one look
A man who I would quietly seek council from or with and felt a proudness vibe, knowing him
Big Sugar became my band {whatever that means}
Whenever “Digging A Hole” would play, I would run to the TV like a little kid, just to watch de big Lion pon bass
He wasn’t the tallest man yet his presence was BIG
How big?
I watched a white bwoy, Canadian white rock and roll band, somehow move from Hugo Boss sponsorship to the colors of the ites, gold and green of RasTafari
Each year RasTafari shone more with the band’s appearance{s}
Garry’s presence is so big that RasTafari, who he is, lead a rock and roll concept towards RasTafari
Not by words but by deeds
He elevated me
It was clear that RasTafari is his guide and passage through life
He requested that his last ceremony be by RasTafari elders and singers and players of instruments. Xola provided that service
That service elevated the room
It elevated I n I
He seemed to do that for Big Sugar
He certainly did it for his children
I saw his daughters cuddle up to him enough to know that they knew of his love for them and all of his children
He constantly spoke about his children
This lion elevated his community
So proud to have been in his presence and traveled time and roads with him
It’s his earth date 28th December
There’s going to be a celebration of his musical life
I can see that chin popping on this tune
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