Reggae Love #2 ~ Big Youth
I was born in Jamaica so I believe reggae and RasTafari were infused into I man through osmosis as well as Jamaica’s rich African heritage through drum, rhythm, song and dance, a base to I n I mandingo soul within I and others since creation
Natural ting
I was then infused with a sense of 'Jamaicaness', meaning that were are blazed with straight, deep honesty within some of our approaches to life situations, morals and integrity and sometimes, if you don’t like the truth, don’t ask a Jamaican the question
This ‘aggressive’ truth has us in all aspects of life and through reggae music I have learned from many of these truth sayers’s lyrical content
One such person is Big Youth
Radical revolutionary, proud mandingo
Rastafari is a natural ting
It flowed through the psyche of the Jamaican population because we are naturally built to fight colonialism
Wickedness in high and low places
When I heard Big Youth as a young teenager playing football with my idrins, we were all inundated with this musical sound - in hindsight, I am now aware that I was 'feeling' the energy of RasTafari flowing through Big Youth and many of the performers of the time - as at the ball park, any ball park but especially up at Golden Aces the music was pumping while we were training or playing a game
Big Youth's freedom was admired by all of us youths
I used to live at Central Avenue / Constant Spring / Shortwood Road and Big Youth used to live nearby and would blaze out to Constant Spring Road on his S-90, locks flying and a huge smile
These many moons later I further ovastand why Big Youth was 'black balled' on radio and I n I respect is even greater
"Cool Breeze" alongside the Paragons is a instant get-up-and-dance tune yet he has too many hits to count
"Every Nigger is a Star" is a musical anthem that should be blazing all over Brazil in the favelas, all of North America and Africa
He turned a hugely negative word 'feeling' into massive empowerment
A living legend to be revered
Five Star Reggae Love to the Mighty Big Youth... RasTafari soldier
Check out the following interview and know the reality of who and what this Lion is
A very soulful rendition