Uprising Roots lights a 'Skyfiya'

Published: Sunday | March 27, 2011

Uprising Roots Band members Lloyd 'Akinsanyah' Palmer (left), Ruel 'Pot-a-Rice' Ashburn (second left), Rashaun 'Blackush' McAnuff (second right) and Joseph 'Junior Congo' Sutherland at their Fairbourne Avenue, east Kingston, headquarters. The band has released its debut album, Skyfiya. - Photo by Mel Cooke

Within a neat border of similarly sized white stones, a fire smoulders at the Fairbourne Avenue, east Kingston, base of Uprising Roots Band. The three logs currently serving their final glowing hours are shifted intermittently with a long metal pole, curved at the end which goes into the fire, by band members.
There have been many logs before those heading steadily towards ash close to midday on Tuesday, as the fire was lit on December 3, 2008, and has never been out since. That was almost a year before the band did Know Yourself, the first song completed for their debut album Skyfiya, which was officially launched on Monday, March 14.
And just as they intend to feed as many logs as necessary to the fire to keep it burning, Uprising Roots' members plan any number of albums - all for themselves.
Band members Rashaun 'Blackush' McAnuff (lead vocals, drums), Lloyd 'Akinsanyah' Palmer (dub poet, keyboards), Ruel 'Pot-a-Rice' Ashburn (bass, engineer) and Joseph 'Congo Jr' Sutherland (percussions) are comfortable close to the fire as they explain the making of Skyfiya. Jeffrey 'Keyzy' also plays keyboards and Vania 'Colours' Isaacs does harmony.
Blackush says the idea of doing an album was broached by the band's manager after they did 'Breakfast with the Stars' at CTV when Jimmy Cliff was the featured guest. The matter was put in stark terms - that they had better do an album because musicians were at risk for suffering.
Frustration and 'suffaration'
"Him say one of you learn to sing," Blackush said. "Me did love vocals. Akinsanyah was in his dub poetry." Pot-a-Rice says there was also a guitarist, Mojo, who was upset that the group didn't have an album for themselves.
Uprising Roots had already experienced the frustration - and 'suffaration' - of investing their time and talent with an artiste, only to be left behind when the income-generating tours came. Akinsanyah points out that the quality of some artistes, including Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Tarrus Riley, is directly related to the band members. Also, Uprising Roots had sought for a lead singer in vain. "From we start we always a look for a artiste to tour with, to lead I an' I," Blackush said.
So they came together and did Know Yourself, the other 12 tracks on Skyfiya evolving from the band as a unit subsequently. Blackush steps from under the shade of the mango tree into the sunlight and spreads his arms as he explains the solar origins of Skyfiya.
"We assassinate we ego," Blackush said of the unified approach to the project.
And they also established a specific routine. Blackush said "In the beginning when we decided to do an album, we had a serious discipline for 52 days." That included getting up at 4 a.m. each day "before the glory of the morning come" and walking out to Rockfort Mineral Bath.
They would watch the sun rise over the mountains, Brightest Light coming from that experience.
Steamers is rooted in the experience around the fire.
The horns on Uprising Roots' debut album are especially striking and Pot-a-Rice says that Steamers was first done with synthesiser horns. Then it was done over with Jamaican hornsmen, along with Skyfia and Brightest Light.
However, although they wanted more songs to get the wind instrument treatment they could not pay for it.
Special moment
Then someone from France-based Makasound, with whom Uprising Roots already had connections, heard the tracks that were already done when he visited Uprising Roots' base. He carried a copy of the songs back to France, where Fiya Horns player Rico got interested in the album, eventually paying his way to Jamaica to record on the set.
"When Rico come is the hardest me ever work as a engineer. Me have to beg him mercy," Pot-a-Rice said. He played several horn tracks and also flute on Blessings.
Then Rico asked for tracks to take back home and played on those as well.
"The horns make the album different, make it special," Pot-a-Rice said.
And the band sees itself as part of a special moment in Jamaican music, pointing out that there are a number of other bands working as self-contained units. Among them are Dubtonic, Raging Fyah, Rootz Underground and I-Cient-Cy Mau and the Mau Mau Warriors.
"What we see is a positive movement coming forward with the musicians as artistes," Akinsanyah said.
Blackush quoted the scripture, that "the players and singers of instruments will be there", but quipped "some singer a gwaan like a singer alone. Them no learn 'bout equal rights and justice".
Uprising Roots plays the Negril One Love series next Tuesday, along with Third World. Akinsanyah says the band is now "very selective" about playing as a backing band.
"We not committed to that anymore," he said.
And Pot-a-Rice said "We ready fe record right now. We going do a whole heap a album and release them as time go on."
- MC

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http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110320/ent/ent5.html

Uprising Roots Band launches 'Skyfiya' album

Sadeke Brooks, Staff Reporter

The Uprising Roots Band performing at their album launch held at the Bob Marley Museum, Hope Road, on Monday, March14. - Winston Sill photos
After a long wait, guests finally got the opportunity to get a taste of songs from The Uprising Roots Band's CD called Skyfiya at its recent launch.
Although scheduled to start at 6 p.m., preparation for the event did not end until about 7:30 p.m., at which point the event started. There were numerous performances and speeches prior to the band's presence on stage.
With incense and 'herbs' in the air, the band, which comprises Rashawn 'Kush' McAnuff, Ruel 'Pot A Rice' Ashburn, Lloyd 'Akinsanya' Palmer, Joseph 'Junior' Sutherland and Winston 'Bopee' Bowen, sang songs like Blessings and Marcus Garvey. As they performed, members of the audience danced to their every beat.
To start the event, Mama G did the libation which included the breaking of a coconut, shouts of Rastafari and cheers from the audience. She was followed by the band's manager, Darren Hamilton, who gave an overview of the Rockfort-based band and its album.
This was followed by Lee Tafari who did songs like Road Don't Easy and Crab Inna Barrel, with the latter getting the bigger response. The singer was rather expressive as he danced in his chair. Musicologist Herbie Miller spoke and Field Marshall sang.
Dr Carolyn Cooper praised the album, which she says has songs that explore a wide range of themes and also has recurring images of fire.
"Big respect to Uprising Root for this magnificent CD," she said.
Vania got the audience singing along and dancing as she sang I'm A Warrior. Later, Dr Kadamawe K'nife spoke passionately about the album and about the music industry. He was followed by Earth Warrior who sang In The City.

Dr Kadamawe K'nife spoke passionately about the album.

Vania got the audience singing along and dancing as she sang I'm A Warrior.

Mama G at the Uprising Roots Band album launch

Uprising Roots upholds east Kingston tradition

BY BASIL WALTERS Observer staff reporter

Friday, March 18, 2011

THE high esteem in which the Rockfort community in east Kingston is held for its musical heritage was celebrated at the launch of the Uprising Roots' debut album Skyfiya at the Bob Marley Museum on Monday evening.

Director/curator of the Jamaica Music Museum, Herbie Miller highlighted the musical tradition of that Corporate Area community, which has spawned a slew of pre-eminent local musicians including the Gaynair brothers, 'Bra' (Wilton) and Bobby, Tommy McCook, Dizzy Johnny Moore and Don Drummond.

Members of the reggae band Roots Uprising which has launched their album Skyfiya.

Members of the reggae band Roots Uprising which has launched their album Skyfiya. 1/1

Stressing the musical worth of that end of the city, he recalled that the incubator was the Alpha Boys School and the finishing school was the legendary Count Ossie's Drummers from Warieka Hills, which would later become Mystic Revelation of Rastafari.

"Uprising Roots is now extending that tradition, not only because freedom of expression has become so liberal, but also because technology has developed to the point where new bands without great financial backing can establish their own recording facility and record their own music," Miller added before declaring, "It is with that confidence that I declare Uprising Roots future masters of Jamaica's rich musical heritage. I consider them a first-rate band that will continue to uplift the reputation of East Kingston as an incubator, college and finishing institution for more generations of some of Jamaica's best musical ambassadors."

A lot of love and positive energies marked the unveiling of Skyfiya. Rastafari queen mother, Mama Gloria Simms lamented, "It reach the point where we need to rise again within the music to a new dimension," before conducting the African ritual of offering libation using a dried coconut.

"Producing really good organic music, that has a number of benefits. Meaning, that outside of the sound that it gives, it also shows to those communities that the creative industry is also real. Is $749 billions that is the value of the industry, which has grown the most during the recession and has gained about 18 per cent from the year 2000. There is no industry that Jamaica engages in that brings in that kind of revenue. And the most innovative and creative youths out there are the youths from those communities," UWI lecturer Dr Kadamawe K'nife attested.

Uprising Roots' drummer/lead vocalist Rashawn 'Kush' McAnuff's roots run even deeper. He is the son of reggae veteran Winston 'Electric Dread' McAnuff with whom he started his career by touring with him.

On bass is Ruel Ashbourne, aka Pot a Rice, who at an early age first learned to play the drum, later moving on to the guitar, keyboard and eventually the bass. On keyboard is dub poet Lloyd 'Akinsanya' Palmer; Joseph Sutherland better known as Junior, is the percussionist and veteran guitarist Winston 'Bopee' Bowen formerly of the 809 Band, completes the quartet.

The Uprising Roots aggregation was conceived on New Year's Day, 2006, in a yard where the core members met and began jamming together. Skyfiya is produced by The Uprising Roots except track 11. The CD contains the tracks, King Rastafari, Blessings, Brightest Light, Steamers, Know Yourself, Most Royal, Marcus Garvey, Who Caan Hear, Positive, Shining So Bright, Krash Like Lightening, Brighter Days and of course, the title track — Skyfiya

Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Uprising-Roots-upholds-east-Kingston-tradition_8535739#ixzz1H3wohp11