Bunny Wailer didn't sell out

How enlightening it is to watch the documentary Marley, about the life of Bob Marley, that came out last year.  My own previous knowledge of Bob was limited:  it's really my sister Reba who is more the reggae listener.  After all, she is the one who wrote a college paper on Rastafarianism and has seen a lot of reggae.

I was particularly moved by what one of his original band members, Bunny Wailer, said regarding the early career.  When Bob was getting big and his promoters wanted him to tour around, Bunny Wailer felt that much of the requests were going to compromise the spiritual nature of their music.  He wasn't interested in playing in dance halls.  He wanted to stay true to the Rastafarian spirituality of the music.   I have great respect for that statement.  Aside from the fact that he is a three time Grammy winner and learder in world music, I dig Mr. Wailer's look.

from Wikipedia

So today in spin class when a modern rap tune came on which sounds like it sampled Queen's classic "Another One Bites the Dust," I couldn't help but wonder if Jah B, as Mr. Wailer is also known as, would agree with me that this tune reeks of mysogyny and materialism that degrades the women and the human spirit.




For purely illustrative purposes here is the tune by The Sugarhill Gang I heard in spin class.  I do not honor or respect it, but it is for solely educational purposes that I place it here.  I say it's drek.  It's nah good vibes, evil!



 If you want to know the truth, both tunes sampled "Good Times" by Chic, but still...
 

When I read that Bunny Wailer is also known as Jah B and a leader in world music, it got me thinking of other Jah musicians I have known of.  One who is a very private person and whose name I can't even write here at the moment.  I respect his privacy.  Another is Rocker T, a Rainbow family musician who has the most beautiful tune "Thank Jah Most of All" and for whom I yet again thank our brother Adam for sharing his Happy Tape with me.  I am losing hope of ever going to Rainbow.  I don't think I could actually hack it at this point.  I need an aero bed at the minimum.  I'm not exactly into roughing it any more.



Now if that were remixed into a faster version , that would surely make a great spin tune, and none of that garbage that reinforces negative stereotypes of women in contemporary rap.

School's Definitely Out...ABC, 123

With summer vacation in full swing, I loved hearing this 2009 remix of the Jackson 5's ABC from their Remix Suite.  With the reggae beat, this got me in the happy mood for summer.





Then again, Boogie on Reggae Woman is pretty good, too.





Even better when sung by my favorite band.

 

Shake Sugaree and how nice it is to be with your brothers and sisters, including Matisyahu

Not to be confused with (fellow MOT) Danny Meyer's Shake Shack (no doubt:  treif and not kosher, but you can learn how to make their Shack Burger at home), tonight, in memory of Jerry Garcia (he died 15 years ago, August 9, 1995) we were listening to the Dead's Shake Sugaree.




 I got to thinking how the Dead sang about themes such as American love, loss, and heartbreak, and how this song is connected deep deep within our roots.

Elizabeth Cotten wrote the original Shake Sugaree. This woman knew how to sing and write the blues.  She was a real southern church-goin' mama. 

Here is a nice blog about Elizabeth Cotten.
She must've been connected in some way to the generations of African American women who followed the drinking gourd and had wisdom from their mamas and just by being connected to the earth.

Speaking of being connected to the earth, The Topsy Turvy Bus,

we have heard, plans to be in the lots for the 8/17/10 Phish show at Jones Beach theater.  This will be a great time to learn what the Jewish Climate Change Campaign Tour was all about.  Or maybe what Teva Learning Center is all about (shh...this visit to enlighten Jews and the world about caring for the earth is officially off the books and not really a Teva event...I mean, where is the bus even to be found on the home page?  That's another story...)  We could always chat with the folks about Eden Village Camp.  Maybe we could give each other a hug.  Or be nice.  Or just Speak Nicely. 


Here's a little history of the bus, with an interivew with Ben Cohen from Ben & Jerry's, at the end.



Or maybe, before the show, we can hang out in front of the bus and sing a good old fashioned hinay matov, arm in arm, camp-style.



Now if we could only beat-box like Matisyahu, we'd be golden..