Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter
Rock band Downstairs. Seated is Brian Jones (Giako-Ma), wiith Bas (left) and Andrew Campbell (standing). Alvin Peart completes the line-up. - Contributed
WHEN MANY think of rock music, images of head bangers in white face powder, eyes lined in black and reddened lips puckered, spring to mind.
That extreme persona may soon be joined by that of a fashionable Jamaican bopping to rock, as more and more reggae and dancehall acts seem to be moving toward a fusion with the guitar-heavy beat.
The 'Wipe Out', a recently released rhythm which features the vocals of many top dancehall artistes, is the latest example of the trend.
INFLUENCED BY
OTHER MUSIC FORMS
The co-producer of the rhythm, Albert 'Jigsy' Forbes of Danga Zone Entertainment, says dancehall has always been influenced by other forms of music.
"I was watching a movie with the whole old Beach Boy sound and I liked the song. It is bringing a different vibe in the dancehall ... it is creating a new genre, really. It is the sixth bar and not on the eighth bar rhythm. Right now it is creating an impact in dancehall still," he said.
Forbes says he used live instruments on the track, done by Daseca, and though the beat is different, it is still dancehall because of the artistes on it. These include Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Spragga Benz, Vybz Kartel, Beenie Man, Ce'Cile and Lady Saw.
"Actually, everyone in the industry wanted to voice on it, but not everyone can hold on it still," Forbes said.
ALWAYS EXISTED
Jeffery Moss-Solomon, a member of the rock-reggae band Rootz Underground, says the fusion between rock and reggae has always existed.
"I don't think there is any such thing as undiluted reggae. Rhythm and blues is where it all started then you have ska, rocksteady, then that's how reggae came up. Back in the day all Jamaicans used to play was rock and roll and then reggae came later. But all music is intertwined really," he said.
He says the group is influenced by prominent Jamaican artistes, including Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. "Those guys were very rock oriented as well, and they were influenced by the sounds of Eric Clapton. Peter Tosh even did a song with Mick Jagger back then. Bob Marley and Tosh were a more rock version of what the music was like at the time," he said.
Tosh and Jagger of the Rolling Stones teamed up to do (You Gotta Walk) Don't Look Back on Tosh's 1978 album, Bush Doctor. Fly by Supercat and Sugar Ray brought deejaying into the rock world in the late 1990s, while No Doubt is known for their constant flirtation with reggae music. The results are Hey Baby with Bounty Killer and Underneath It All with Lady Saw, both of which garnered international praise.
ROCK COVERS
Is It Rolling Bob: A Reggae Tribute to Bob Dylan has reggae performers covering some of Dylan's. Beres Hammond does Just Like A Woman, Luciano takes on Knockin' On Heaven's Door and Sizzla gives his interpretation of Subterranean Homesick Blues.
The album, which is available at Amazon.com, received a number of favourable reviews.
Rock is also getting more prominence in Jamaica. Rootz Underground was formed in 2002 and Moss-Solomon says then the group's music was 'underground' as their name suggests, but over time Jamaicans have come to accept the music that they and many other rock bands offer.
He says this is due to globalisation. "Rock is not something that is native to Jamaica. Years ago, only people who could afford to travel or had satellite dishes were really exposed to rock music. Nowadays, with cable and things like that, more and more people are being exposed to it and bands like us are starting to emerge and are becoming mainstream," he said.
UPTOWN MARKET
Forbes agrees and says he wants to break into the uptown market. "Yes, I am trying to break into every market there is right now. People will accept it wherever they are from, whether it is uptown, downtown or wherever," he said.
Though the rhythm is an obvious change from what fans and some artistes are accustomed to, the topics are on familiar territory. Forbes places Buju Banton with Me An' Unnuh, Elephant Man's Naw Stray and Spragga's No Entry in the 'gangster' category. Then there is Beenie Man's Put Yuh Han Up Innah Di Air and Lady Saw's Squeeze Me.
Ce'Cile, whose song on the 'Wipe Out' is entitled Goody, says she wanted to do a song with international appeal. "I wanted to do something that if I am in America performing the song in a club they can relate to it, and if I am here they can relate to it as well," she said.
'UNDILUTED DANCEHALL'
She says she is not sure what direction reggae/dancehall is taking or if there is such a thing as 'undiluted dancehall'.
Moss-Solomon cited the success of the Jamaican leg of Global Battle of the Bands, held last November at Backyaad on Constant Spring Road, as an example of rock being embraced by what is deemed a predominantly dancehall/reggae society. "In Battle of the Bands, over half the bands there had a rock flair. Some were mostly reggae, others were mixed," he said.
Other groups such as Downstairs, Black Zebra and, From the Deep also put some reggae into their predominant rock and, based on the showing at Battle of the Bands, their music strikes a chord in the concert going public.
To what extent dancehall will accomodate rock remains to be seen, but so far it does not seem that the attempts to press metal in the land of drum and bass will be a wipe out.
