Tiken Jah Fakoly - Africain a Paris

My spring break was radical.

My friend, Anetxus, and I loaded up her car with our surfboards and camping gear and drove from Donostia, Euskal Herria to Ericeira, Portugal.  We left with our hearts set on escaping the torrential Basque rains and scoring some good waves.  The drive was long and beautiful.  We saw the steep, green, Basque mountains give way to the vast Spanish Meseta and then the rolling Portuguese mountains, topped with windmills, fall into the Atlantic sea. 

We entertained ourselves was by sharing music.  One of the CDs that I liked most was l'Africain by Tiken Jah Fakoly, a reggae maestro from the Ivory Coast.  He bumps his roots reggae in French, English, and some different African languages.  Social and political commentary are central themes in his music. He was even banned from Senegal after talking shit about the president.

The dude rocks and we jammed out to him for hours.  The surf in Portugal was out of control!  The camping was great, we skated a bunch, drank about 8,000 Super Bocks, and ate way too much bread and nuts.  All in all, it was a radical trip!  

And for the record, I got nothing against Sting...I actually like his stuff...but I think that Tilken's jam is much funkier.

04- Africain à Paris.mp3  Download Here!

Lucky Dube-Slave

Some artists personify the dreams of an entire nation. Unofficial spokespeople of millions, they come to represent the hopes and feelings of a people at a certain period of time. And although I am by no means an expert on this, the music of Lucky Dube seemed to be that exact outlet for the majority of South Africans I met last summer.

Dube (pronouned doo-beh) got into reggae after releasing four albums in mbaqanga, Zulu pop music. Finding similarities in the political undertones of Jamaican reggae with the day-to-day oppression he noticed all around him in apartheid South Africa, Dube moved to reggae as the outlet of his messages. Quickly becoming wildly popular in South Africa, Lucky then went on to become one of the most beloved reggae artists in the world, breaking into the world music scene just as the apartheid system fell. While travelling around South Africa, we were told by almost everyone we met to check out his music. Although most of his songs couldn't quite meet the vast expectations we had by then, this song did and more. Perhaps it's the rocksteady beat, perhaps the vibrant steel drum. Might be the uplifting chorus. Whatever it is, this is a powerful jamandahalf, reflecting Dube's mindset, and by extension, that of many South Africans during that dark period of South African history.


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Lucky Dube Slave (South Africa)

Tanya Stephens-It's A Pity

"It's A Pity" exudes longing like few others. On top of a grooving reggae beat mixed with some sounds that dubstep has gratuitously borrowed from, Tanya imagines a life with a man who already has a wife. "It's A Pity" sounds kinda like the Jamaican precursor to Adele's hit "Someone Like You," with Tanya Stephens smart lyrics baring her soul to this mystery man. You can picture her writing a long letter to her John Doe, with each verse varying from outright desperation to even diplomacy (Tanya admits that if she can't have him, she could share). The intensity with which Tanya delivers her lines borders on rapping and she conquers the beat like few rappers can, making it the perfect postman to deliver her letter of longing.

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Tanya Stephens It's A Pity

Bob Marley-One Cup of Coffee

The greatest are almost never late bloomers. From modern artists like Nas, to historical greats like Mozart, the true best always seem to not want to wait for the older generation to get out of the way, but begin exploring their prodigious talents as soon as they can. And although most of his defining music came over a decade after this jamandahalf, this song is a young Bob giving a glimpse of later greatness.

"One Cup of Coffee" is not polished nor very intricate; the beat is simple and plodding, the instruments sound a little dull. But there's something about this song that has made it a clear favorite on the great Songs of Freedom collection. Only 17 when this song came out, Bob sings a story well beyond his years about breaking up with the mother of his children, but staying around for one more cup of coffee before he leaves forever. That last cup could have been drank while reminiscing about the good times, or maybe it was drank in awkward silence, Bob never tells us. Tinted with regret, and a melancholy song if there ever was one, Bob's young talent shines, grappling convincingly with such an adult topic. Before there was the Bob Marley that the entire world knows, there was a young man under the pseudonym Bobby Martell trying to make it in a big world. This song was just a sweet taste of things to come. 

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Buju Banton-Magic City

We don't feature nearly enough reggae on this blog. Although other genres of music may be more popular worldwide, I would bet that reggae is the least disliked genre. There is simply no way to hate on its feel-good rhythms; it's impossible to not like the involuntary body sway that a reggae record seems to bring out in each of us. What I love is that some of the biggest reggae heads I've met are the least "reggae looking" (if such a thing exists) people you can imagine. They have just fallen in love with the genre, just like an incredibly wide variety of people across the world have.

An all time favorite is "Magic City" by Buju Banton. Carrying the banner of optimism like only a reggae jam can, "Magic City" is about a place where things are bright, things are alive, life is good. Buju says in an interview that this magic city is the place where you are right now. That there is no reason trying to find the mythical El Dorado when it doesn't exist, that each and every one of our situations is, in its own way, magic. First released in 2004 as a single, but most recently included in Buju's latest record, Rasta Got Soul, "Magic City" sounds just as fresh now as it did six years ago. And the message never fades. My favorite lines of the song go:

"Ay, yeah I was depressed, frustrated and lonely

Then a voice from nowhere came and consoled me

Now do the best you can, you stand up and be a man"

because in some ways, reggae is like a good friend. Always there to make ya feel good, but when we most need it, not afraid to give you a little push, telling you to keep going, to not give up, to always find the beauty in our day to day lives. And that's something I can dig.

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 Buju Banton - Magic City (JamandaHalf.com) by jamand1/2 

Bob Marley-Sun is Shining

In a lot of the world, my little town included, it's starting to get cold, rainy, and shitty. I wake up every morning to a day that's slightly colder than the last, and a rain that seems slightly more wet than the day before. On my morning walk to school I try and pump myself up as much as possible, almost as if I'm on the way to a big basketball game. Ahh, life after college. My perennial morning favorite is this jamandahalf by the eternal great Bob Marley. Every time I kick this track it reminds me that 1. it's definitely sunny somewhere, and 2.just because the sun is hidden, doesn't mean its not shining. Bob is more internationally loved than any artist out there, and this song keeps the sun shining for people from Helsinki to Portland. And for that, it's a jamandahalf.

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Natiruts-Liberdade Pra Dentro Da Cabeca

Griffdawg hits us up from Brazil (where he's working at a hostel/playing soccer/looking at booty all day) to share a little Brazilian culture with us....Thanks griff. Don't work too hard now brother ;-)

I love Brazil for its vibrant culture, beautiful natural resources, fiery hot chicks, buttery waves, dope soccer, and radical music. For this post, I will discuss the latter. Music is omnipresent in Brazilian society, you hear it everywhere you go.  It is very influential. I work with a guy who said he learned how to speak  English by listening to Bob Marley records. I believe him, he's Rasta.  

Brazilians love reggae. Reggae mimics the laid back lifestyle of the Brazilian people. One of Brazil’s most celebrated reggae contingents goes by the moniker Natiruts (Leks-Natty Roots?). The band  formed in Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, in 1996 and has been sending out irie vibrations through the atmosphere ever since. Everyone loves Natiruts. I hear people listening to or just singing their music everyday. The song “Liberdade pra dentro da cabeca” is a true reggae anthem. Whenever people hear this song they join arms and burst into a huge sing-a-long. Liberdade pra dentro da cabeca harps on a common theme music as it literally translates to: freedom inside the head.  

The Slickers - Johnny Too Bad

 

Often times people misinterpret reggae music: they label it as a product of weed culture, as lacking substantial themes, as all sounding the same...if you are one of these people (which I know you are not) prepare to free yourself from ignorance.  The Slickers may not be one of the best known groups out there, but they achieved a certain level of success behind this super jam "Johnny Too Bad."  Following its release, they were forever immortalized when their song was used in Perry Henzel's 1972 film The Harder They Come starring reggae legend Jimmy Cliff.  The film introduced me to The Slickers as well as other dope artists like Desmond Dekker, Scotty, and The Maytals when I saw it back in my younger youth.  This article may be about a Jam and a Half but it could easily be a "Flic and a Half" as The Harder They Come masterly portrays the sentiments and themes its soundtrack presents.

"Johnny Too Bad" presents a youth that has turned to a life of crime, as well as the social implications of the culture that such choices produce...in 8 lines!  I dare you to name another genre that can get a point across in less.  But while the lyrical material may be heavy, The Slickers keep the jam light with a rocksteady style characteristic of the late 1960's Jamaica.  Add in a serious organ solo and you have rhythmic piece of soulful social commentary.  So enjoy the track, and all reggae, for the fantastic music that it is; and if you get a chance find a copy of The Harder They Come.  As a forewarning, you might not be able to understand any of the words in the movie, in fact, unless you are from Jamaica you wont understand any of it (outside of the music).  But the soundtrack prefaces the scenes of the movie to give you an understanding of the plot, and either way the flic is so dope that you dont even need to know what the hell they're saying. Trust us.

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Bob Marley-Acoustic Medley

We've been online for a couple months now, aiming to bring you a eclectic taste of our (and our buddies') favorite music. We've posted about obscure artists and some more mainstream ones across lots of genres. But one artist that we have somehow managed to not post about despite listening to almost everyday is the great Bob Marley.

With a discography as deep and rich as Bob's, everyone has a favorite song. Bob really has jams for days and days and days, and although some of them are overplayed, none of them has become cliche. Marley's timeless music will likely stand as a pinnacle of a genre. No matter how many artists try, no one will ever match the elegance of Bob.

Although I could write jamandahalfs on almost all of his songs, the Acoustic Medley found on Sounds of Freedom is a personal favorite of mine. Going through seven songs, "Guava Jelly/This Train/Cornerstone/Comma Comma/Dewdrops/Stir It Up/I'm Hurting Inside," showcasing some of his lesser known songs (other than Stir It Up), Bob gives the listener a private concert for over 12 minutes. Over a simple guitar riff Bob shows what a master he really was, whether singing about redemption (This Train) or crooning a simple love song (Guava Jelly). Bob's vision and lyrics are spotlighted without the backdrop of his normal band and shine brighter than ever. 


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Steel Pulse - Man No Sober

Yooooooooooooooo its been too long since I reached out to all you good people through the blogosphere, but this is the beginning of a new season and a fresh start. One of the things that I believe JamandaHalf stands for is diversity. The more types of music you listen to the bigger your world becomes and that is why I am so upset. There is not a single reggae song on these pages...and it makes me sick. Which is the reason I turn to an all time classic roots group and SD favorite: Steel Pulse.

The legendary band out of Birmingham, England has been an inspirational force in the reggae world since they formed in 1975 known best for their politically intelligent subject matter and super irie-funky flavor.  Powered by lead singer David Hinds the Pulse simply puts on one of he greatest shows music has to offer, as a large portion of San Diego and I know from experience many times over. While not one of their most famous jams, Man No Sober is a track that embodies the spirit of Steel Pulse. To construct a critical piece of social commentary while laying down some of the thickest licks around is an everyday thang to a group that has been doin it for decades. The band paints a window of connection to the world in which they live and let the rest of us get up and dance to it. This is what it takes to truly harness the power of music allowing people a glimpse into faraway lands. So crank it up and enjoy!!

That being said diversity is all the more reason to get involved, send us your favorite tunes and expand all of our minds no matter who you are.  Send us something that makes a difference in your life and we will get to see your world too 




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