Dubtonic and Uprising Roots both played pleasing sets

adrian frater

WESTERN BUREAU:
Ace deejay Bounty Killer decisively dismissed the notion that he can't help but being 'cross, angry and miserable' when he surprised fans with an incredible 'culture-lace' set at Western Consciousness 2011, which climaxed at Paradise Park, in Westmoreland, early Sunday morning.
With fans already in a tizzy following earlier high-calibre performances by the likes of the time-less Freddie McGregor, Luciano, reggae icon King Sounds, D'Angel, the classy Dubtonic, risqué female deejay Tanya Stephens and House of Leeds recording star Iyahblazze, the nattily attired Bounty Killer, clad in his trademark full black, hit the stage with authority, declaring himself, "Rodney Pryce (his correct name) in hi-definition."
good songs
Bounty Killer soon had the fans rocking gleefully to his lyrics as, in between declaring that, 'a long time me a sing good songs but it's like them like when me get cross, angry and miserable,' he rolled steadfastly through songs like, Poor People Fed-up, Cyaa Believe Me Eye, Originality, Down In The Ghetto and Before Dem Seek God.
After declaring that, "they can take away my visa but they can't stop my voice from leave yah," Bounty Killer got even hotter, reeling off, Born As A Sufferer, The Country Mash-Up, Book,Cellular and Too Dangerous, before taking a break to encouraged parents to send their children to both regular school and Sunday school, arguing that the children should be exposed to God as well as a good education.
After a lyrics-filled half hour, Bounty Killer exited the stage. However, the appreciative fans demanded more and the clearly pleased deejay unleashed, Gimme Back Me Hennessey, and after briefly speaking about his recent run-ins with the law, fired off the song, Stronger, as his parting shot.
Beenie Man, who closed the show in the aftermath of Bounty Killer's stellar performance, was quite generous in congratulating his former arch-rival, getting the crowd to join him in applauding the performance. Following that, Beenie Man played a tidy set, reeling off several hits as he enjoyed himself with the fans, especially the ladies.
After watching fellow female deejay star D'Angel playing a restrained set during which she held her own with songs like, Hot Gal A Road, First Lady, and Time Of My Life, a less than subtle Tanya Stephens came close to the edge on a few occasions with her thought-provoking lyrics.
"I will be celebrating the un-celibacy of rasta tonight", the lyrically astute Tanya Stephens bypassed and in some instances switched words as she skilfully delivered songs like, Cyaa Handle De Ride, Goggle, Mr. Mention, Bomb Wuk, Tek Him Back, These Streets and It's A Pity, in a non-controversial manner.
London-based King Sounds was velvety smooth. Sharing his set with deejay Supa Sass he was absolutely masterful. Clad in full white and looking almost biblical with his flowing white beard, the veteran singer was as crisp as a compact disc, churning out hits such as, Book of Rules, Games People Play, Give Dem Love and I Shall Sing, which was complemented by the blazing lyrics of Supa Sass.
Reggae messengers
Reggae messengers Luciano and Big Ship captain Freddie McGregor were both masterful and composed in their respective sets. Luciano was quite clinical in his cover of Peter Tosh's, Legalize It, during which he puffed on a spliff, much to the delight of the fans while the elder statesman McGregor, kept them dancing with songs like, Africa, Push Come to Shove and Big Ship.
From a roots music perspective, House of Leeds recording star Iyahblazze and Lutan Fire, who is recovering from a recent bout of illness, were both very good. Lutan Fire was crisp on songs like, St Jago Dela Vega and Blood Stain while Iyahblazze got an encore after belting out, What If, Rasta and Woman I Need.
On a night when musical instruments were solidly represented, top-flight show band, the potent Dubtonic and Uprising Roots both played pleasing sets, combining sweet vocals with soul-stirring instrumental delivery. After their set, Dubtonic left no doubt why they were recently voted the top reggae band in the world.
With others acts like the solid Droop Lion, the velvet-smooth Hezron, the lyrically potent Little Hero, a mature-sounding Harry Toddler, the resurgent Turbulence, the Canada-based Jah Cutter and the deejay policeman Stamma T also chiming in with good performances, it would appear that promoter Worrell King got the mix just right.

Horns, harmony, arrangement make 'Skyfiya' memorable

Published: Friday | April 1, 2011

Uprising Roots band

Thematically and lyrically, Uprising Roots band's debut CD, Skyfiya, is at best unremarkable and at worst trite. It sticks to the accustomed topics of spirituality (King Rastafari, Blessings), marijuana (Steamers), self-determination (Positive), Garvey (Marcus Garvey) and respect for women (Most Royal).
There is, of course, a reason why they are well-worn topics, but the band does not explore them in new and interesting ways.
However, musically, especially in its horn arrangements and the utilisation of harmony, along with the interplay of lead singer Blackush and dub poet/keyboard player Akinsanyah, the album is outstanding. And the roots rock reggae of Uprising Roots is a perfect bedrock for the plain-style singing of drummer/lead singer Blackush. He does not engage in mind-blowing vocal pyrotechnics, but his voice is well suited to the material and the excellently delivered roots reggae music.
However, it is the horns that are guaranteed to blow the listener away. They come early, in the opening track King Rastafari, and are part of the album to the very last drop. The horns are rich, layered and well placed, and especially strong on the title track.
The interplay of lead and harmony singers, strong throughout, is especially striking on Shinin' So Bright, where Blackush urges "stop the killing" and the harmony completes the line with "it's a brand new day". And Blackush and Akinsanyah complement each other on many tracks, the singer observing in Know Yourself, "every day it's the same thing/on the corner keep yapping/no Gully or no Gaza cyaa get we out/King Selassie a him run the rout", before the poet advises "we have potential and ability/our thought create the reality".
The singer/poet combination is also used to decent effect on Most Royal, Marcus Garvey, Positive and Shinin' So Bright.
One gets the feeling of listening to a self-contained unit in which the members are in lockstep with each other. The all-important live feel is underscored by the instruction to 'record now' at the very start.
Uprising Roots shows a definite preference for things solar as the sun - and in some cases waking up early to experience its first rays - are addressed on the title track, Brighter Days, Shinin' So Bright and Brightest Light.
Roots music does not mean routine and, along with the horns, harmony and poetry to go with the singing, there are changes in pace on Skyfiya to keep the listener engaged. So the title track is uptempo, while Steamers is one of the many steady rockers on the album and Brighter Days closes the set on a Binghi note.
And it is a good set, despite the definite lyrical and thematic 'same old, same old', as the roots rockers of the band is suited to the lead singer's vocal style. Plus, don't forget those horns.
- Mel Cooke

Track listing
1. King Rastafari
2. Blessings
3. Skyfiya
4. Brightest Light
5. Steamers
6. Know Yourself
7. Most Royal
8. Marcus Garvey
9. Who Can't Hear
10. Positive
11. Shinin' So Bright
12. Krash Like Lightning
13. Brighter Days

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

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

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