Mutabaruka: Reggae's Poet Laureate

Mutabaruka
Originally uploaded by hzphotography

Right now I am sitting at the computer and listening to some old tracks by Mutabaruka. Muta, for short, is a poet who rhymes over reggae and dub beats. His 1982 recording "Check It" was radical at the time it was recorded. Rap was in it's infancy, and the idea of speaking poetry and singing over the track seemed strange to many. When I hear his early stuff, it still sounds current, urgent as it did in the early 80's.
From his book of poetry, The Next Poems he states:
“My poems,” Mutabaruka has said, “are to show you the
problems that face us in the world and then motivate you to find solutions to these problems – I don’t think I could show people how to get out of their problems with poems, but at least I could motivate actions.”
His rhymes are creative, humorous, sad; they run the gamut of human emotions and deal with many different topics. If you really are looking for something different, thought-provoking and interesting, check him out. His website is: www.mutabaruka.com

The Dirty Dozen Year End Round Up: The Twelve Most Popular Stories on The Dissident Times for '08

These are the most popular stories voted on by your little mouse-clicking fingers. A little schizo, but so is our blog, our readers and that's okay. Man does not live by punk and politics alone! In a world where Al Franken is a maverick, and John McCain is on Saturday Night Live, anything can happen. What a great year.
Drum Roll please:

1. Henry Rollins Spoken Word Tour of 2008 There seemed to be mucho interest in what Henry has to say, as this was the top article of the year. Henry is a rennaissance man and all-round interesting character. Little did I know during his Black Flag days that he would go on to have a successful career as a talk show host and spoken word artist. I was lucky enough to meet Henry back in '86. He was "intelligent and intense". That is how I always describe him. He has a busy mind, a great sense of humor, and a vitality that is always refreshing.
2. Ten Essential Punk Albums You Should Own. This article was one of my "Ten Essential" series that I like to write to help expose people to new music and artists. I tried to get 30 years of punk and boil it down to the 10 best albums. I could have made it the Top 100, as it was hard to narrow down the list. I tried to pay homage to as many styles of punk from different locales and eras as I could.
3. Anti-Flag Playing a free show at the Republican National Convention. A lot of hits on this came from ground zero itself, Minneapolis. Don't be confused, they were not doing a gig at the RNC, but at a different venue. The concert also featured Rage Against the Machine and others, and was great by many accounts.
4. Story of the Year Releases New Album. This seems like it should be number one, as "story of the year", but it managed a respectable #4 on the list. The St. Louis band turns out tasteful licks with just enough hard edge, good lyrics and hummable melodies to keep you tuning in. The new cd satisfies in several categories. Buy it.
5. New Release of Eva Cassidy material. Who is Eva? She is a jazz/folk/pop singer from DC that died 10 years ago. She had such a powerful voice that it will haunt you. Why else would bloggers like me be talking about her 10 years after her death. She had a purity and natural talent that stands tall even after all these years. Celebrate her life and get some Eva. I know this is a punk blog mostly, but give in to your tender side, bro. I think I love her.
6. Fender's New Joe Strummer Telecaster. Here is an amalgam of everything I love. Punk-The Clash-Fender guitars-Street art. The only way it could be more appealing to me is if it had a picture of my kids on it, got 50 miles per gallon and smelled like pizza.
7. MXPX celebrates 16 years in-yer-face. This article was a nice little howdy do to a punk band that I have always liked. They are straightforward, melodic, classic punk and a nicer bunch of boys you will not find. Happy 16th, MXPX!
8. Live CD: The Clash at Shea Stadium. The Clash at their best in a live concert cd at Shea Stadium. The band sounds tight, vibrant and as important as ever. Buy this disc too or ask Santa to get it for you. I love the Sandinista and London Calling era, and I love this too.
9. Unknown Hinson's Live CD in the works. For the uninitiated, Unknown Hinson is half vampire, half pyschobilly master of the Telecaster. He comes to town a couple of times a year looking for fresh blood. Nice sparse tunes done full-blown rockabilly style, with Unknown's unique delivery. This is priceless stuff!
10. Camper Van Beethoven retrospective Camper Van was there before indie had a name. Their stuff was quirky and different. This article was just a little roundup of a band that I remember fondly from the late 80s and early 90s. I think I accused an old roomy of stealing that CD, but I found it again in a cd folder since the article was written. What is the statute of limitations on libel?
11. Ten Essential Reggae Artists to Know. I never claimed to be a reggae expert, but I do like the music. Here, I just wanted to pay respect to some Reggae artists I felt have had a big influence on the genre over the years. I always loved how bands like Black Uhuru could sound so hopeful and so sad at the same time. There are tons of great reggae bands out there, and this was my list of ones I found worth the listen.
12. The Urges- Psych Ward New cd that merges the atonal and tuneful, the straight ahead with the psychedeilc. It is nice to see newer bands coming out with worthy takes on classic genres, and taking the music to new places in the process.
    
    So that, my friends, is it. Have a great new year, keep your ears open to new music, and contact us with your favorites and opinions on our favorites. May 2009 rock and rock hard!
    
    
    

Ten Essential Reggae Artists to Know

Like my list of essential Blues artists, here is a list of reggae artists that I feel are "must haves" for any startup reggae collection. If you want to expand your musical knowledge and add a new style to your CD collection, here are a few suggestions in the reggae genre. In no particular order, here are some reggae artists I feel have had much influence in their field.
1. Bob Marley
The most influential reggae artist, known throughout the world. Bob Marley transcended musical influence and was also a social influence in the world.Simple, plaintive tunes that spoke to the masses about oppression, racism, and freedom. "Legend" is a great disc to start with. Dig a little deeper and add "Uprising" and "Rastaman Vibration". There are a lot of interesting books and DVDs about Marley and his influence in reggae and beyond.
2. Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru (Swahili for "Freedom) incorporated modern beats and electronic drums in their sound. They were THE band of the 80s and early 90s. Great songwriting, excellent grooves and an instantly recognizable sound were the trademark of Uhuru. My favorite albums were "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", "Iron Storm" and "Red". There is an "Ultimate Collection" available as well.
3. Mutabaruka
Dub poet and reggae artist, Muta's words are as great in print as they are to a reggae beat. I recommend "Check It" which was recorded in the early 80s, but still has an urgency for today, as well as his "Greatest Hits" collection that is available. Mutabaruka mixes pain, humor, politics and many other emotions into his raves. Do yourself a favor and check out his stuff.
4. Aswad
My favorite CD is "Hulet" although Aswad has always maintained a great, tight reggae groove filled with excellent musicianship. Aswad has often incorporated smooth R&B influences into their music and have had crossover appeal because of this.
5. Sly and Robbie
Sly and Robbie have appeared on countless reggae recordings over the years. They have also recorded with Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Playing together for many years has allowed them to have a remarkably tight Bass and Drums sound that lays down a thick groove. Having Sly and Robbie on the recording is like the reggae "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval". You know it is quality stuff. Their own CD "Friends" won a Grammy in 1999.
6. Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh cut his teeth with Bob Marley and the Wailers early on. Going out on his own in the 70's, "Legalize It" was a dangerous, subversive thought, and Peter Tosh had it on his album cover, standing in front of a pile o' weed... Other than that, the recording was excellent and thoughful. This CD is a must for an understanding of reggae back in the day. Powerful stuff. His "No Nuclear War" is another great one, and won the 1988 Grammy for Best Reggae Album. His "Captured Live" album is also a good one.
7. Bunny Wailer
Another Bob Marley and the Wailers graduate, Bunny Wailer was the softer of the reggae sound, producing "Roots" reggae that is thoughtful and soulful. "Blackheart Man" is a great example of his sound and soul. Over the years he has won 3 Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album. "Time Will Tell" was one such CD and was a tribute to Marley.
8. Burning Spear
Nominated for 11 Grammy Awards over the years, Burning Spear has produced consistantly excellent music over the years. Burning Spear hails from the same town as Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey, Spear advocates messages of honesty, peace, and love, along with the religious and political messages of Rastafarianism and black unity. "People of the World", "Resistance" and "Rasta Business" are all excellent, although all of Spear's material is of high quality.
9. Toots and the Maytals
Here is another group that goes all the way back to the beginning of time, or at least seems to. They are as influential as Marley musically although not socially or politically. The group appeared on one of reggae's greatest soundtracks, - "The Harder They Come", a 1972 film starring Jimmy Cliff .On Vanity Fair's Top 10 Best Soundtracks of all time. Their material has even been recorded by The Clash.
10. Jimmy Cliff
Cliff's career took off at age 14 with "Hurricane Hattie". "Hard Road to Travel" was another influential early recording. "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" and "Vietnam" were both well received early material as well. He won a Grammy in 1985 with "Cliff Hanger". He has been active in both reggae and pop music and had many hits. His music has been covered by artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Cliff has collaborated with many pop, rock and R&B artists.

Hope this little guide will get you interested in expanding your musical pallate. Reggae is great soulful music and everyone should have some in their library. Happy Listening!