Carolyn Johnson, Freelance Writer 
Toots Hibbert was all the rage at the final night of the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, as he delivered a commanding performance on January 30, 2005, in Montego Bay, St. James - FILE PHOTO
FREDERICK NATHANIEL 'Toots' Hibbert has been credited with coining the word 'reggae', after his 1968 single Do the Reggay. It was not unfamiliar territory, as four years after independence, Toots became the first winner of an annual competition that would grow to symbolise the celebration of a proud people.
And nearly four decades later he won the 2004 Reggae Grammy with True Love, a video for Still Is Still Moving to Me with Willie Nelson helping to bring him closer to a younger audience.
Toots says he entered the then Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Song competition (now Popular Song Contest) because he believed he could write a good song. "I heard it was a competition for anyone who could write a good song, not so much sing, but if you can sing it so happen to be better," he said.
He teamed up with his friends Jerry Mathias and Rally Gordon, becoming Toots and the Maytals and entered, winning with Bam Bam. He said that year many great artistes entered, including Derrick Harriott, The Wailers and Desmond Dekker.
"Bam Bam is like I write about myself," he said, quoting the lyrics:
"I want you to know that I am the man who/Fight for the right, not for the wrong".
"Me defend rights; it's all about defending rights," Toots said.
GOOD LYRICS
Toots says the inspiration behind the winning song was simple. He wanted to write the "perfect song that has good lyrics that everybody would have to bow to." For him the definition of good lyrics is a song that is fit for airplay, good for children and everybody.
Bam Bam was later rewritten for the 1973 film The Harder They Come. "It is an honour. They honoured me when they asked us to do it. We didn't get any money, but we did it," he said, laughing as he remembered. "Its not anything much we changed," he said, but pointed that the song got a different feel and meaning as it was appropriate for the movie. Still, "the first cut is the deepest," he said.
Whenever he writes, Toots says his aim is always to tell a story and write the perfect song. "If you don't tell a story it won't be a good song," he said. As such, three years after that first win, in 1969 Toots and the Maytals won the competition again with Sweet and Dandy. This song is about the Johnsons' wedding, where everybody came to celebrate, but there was hardly enough at the wedding to feed everyone because the couple is poor. It is a situation Toots says he sees all the time.
This song was also featured in The Harder They Come and appears on the soundtrack.
Toots and the Maytals were again winners of the Festival Song competition in 1972 with Pomps and Pride.
WRITING SONGS
Forty years after his first win, Toots has both recommendations and suggestions for the competition that launched him on the big music stage. "My career has been helped because of JCDC. It helps your career when you young and once you can write a good song. These people writing songs nowadays get them money, but not their career. They need to spend time writing the songs," the veteran singer said.
Toots believes that success begins with writing a good song, and feels that this aspect of the music industry is being neglected.
"We didn't get much money, probably £3 for the three of us. I couldn't buy a bicycle or a bike. Maybe you could buy a merino or a shirt or little more. What I get from JCDC it was more than that, (but) you don't want anyone to write a better song. Nowadays dem write all 10 songs in one minute," he said, implying that this affects quality.
"Reggae goes with cultural words and good lyrics. You caan talk no nursery rhymes and words people caan listen to," Toots said. He says because of his background he refuses to sing certain songs. "I have to sing songs that give good understanding and blessing," he said.
Toots says he has never worked with any of the artistes from the JCDC competition, but they are his friends. "I dying for some of them to ask me. As a producer and musician our songs arrange different from what arranging nowadays," he said.
NO NEW RHYTHM
Toots says there is no new rhythm, but reworking of older rhythms. He believes that older artistes could work with the younger ones, helping to develop their talents. Personally, he
"definitely would create the atmosphere for young artistes who want to reach somewhere".
While Toots recommends the JCDC competition to budding artistes, he says the quality of entries into the competition has fallen. "They trying, but what they need to do is lean off the drum machine and computer," he said. (A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments).
He says that even though these devices might help artistes to be more consistent, it results in them losing lots of practice.
He suggests that instead they should revert to real musicians who can create for particular voices. He mentioned Johnny Moore as one of these great musicians of old.
Toots and the Maytals have come a long way since his 1966 'buss', winning the 2004 Reggae Grammy, their first, for True Love.
Still pursuing his love, Toots says he has a few tours planned. Among them is the Rolling Stones and Toots and the Maytals tour, which he says he is invited to do each year.
Also in the pipeline are plans for an album next year, which he is currently working with Sly and Robbie. "I think it is going to be good," he said. So far he says he has a single in rotation, Tribute to Ray Charles.
After more than 40 years in the music business, Toots Hibbert says he has no intention of retiring. Instead, he says his dream is to build a non-profit foundation for youth to develop their
musical skills.
"I am not really that old. When my voice leave me that's it, but I don't want ma voice to leave me an me nuh mek nuh money yet," he said, laughing.
