Chuck Fender presents a copy of his new album, 'The Living Fire', to Pauline Bent-Hall of the National Library of Jamaica. -photos by Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

A few droplets of rain fell on those gathered at Weekenz, Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew, on Wednesday evening. But the Living Fire of Chuck Fender's latest album would not be doused, the rain holding up until just after the official launch, hosted by Dennis Howard, was over.

There were blessings of the non-shower kind from Ras Sydney DaSilva, president of the Rastafari Centralisation Organisation, and blessings of the musical kind from president of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians, Desi Young.

"I must confess I am not one of the people who light the cardboard at the stage shows and ting, but I have always been enthusiastic about Chuck Fender," Young said.

"This is the industry that has the potential to assist the youths to rise from nothing to something of status in the country," Young said. He said, however, that to facilitate the process of development "you a go need people who believe in Jamaica, love being a Jamaican, love how me talk an' appreciate our music is the strongest force in the world of music for the past 50 years."

Need to believe

Young said the people, such as trainers, managers and booking agents, "need to believe in the power of this and love Jamaica or you might find that the involvement of certain people might turn back the work that certain fireburners do for the past 50 years."

Guest speaker, Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niaah, lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, asked Chuck Fender to stand where she could see him as her address, entitled 'Freedom of Speech for the Living Fire', was for him.

"Oonu know Chuck Fender? Oonu really know Chuck Fender?" she asked, saying that she first saw him perform at a Rebel Salute concert some time ago. "Him did gwaan good," she said, noting that he got a few forwards, while stimulating thought.

And in listening to The Living Fire she kept coming back to the third track, Freedom of Speech. She related its connection to Gash Dem, which precedes it on the album, that song being banned, and Fender subsequently doing Freedom of Speech to announce he was not going to succumb to the pressure.

Lyrically different

Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niaah speaks at the launch of 'The Living Fire' at Weekenz, Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew, on Wednesday evening.

Niaah related the responses to her about Fender, noting "there were some who did not know your work", a they live in Jamaica for some reason they do not know about the country's culture. From those who did know of Chuck Fender, the reaction spanned "lyrically he is different" to "he sounds committed to Rasta", and "he is one of the first artistes to make an audience at a stage show hold hands".

Then there was "me like the love song with Cherine Anderson". That song, Coming Over, is track 10 on the album.

Importantly, all said that Fender's work stays true to his purpose.

Niaah ended by quoting the chorus of Gash Dem and advising "just remember to gash responsibly" to chuckles.

Treasure of Greensleeves emphasised how good and pleasant it is to work with Chuck Fender, before the deejay gave thanks all around. "We put a lot of work into it," he said of The Living Fire. "All these inspirations come from greater divine, from greater power," he said, adding that the lyrics come from the struggles of the people out there. "We look forward to doing some more positive songs ... trying to eradicate senseless killing, child abuse and the negative things out there," Fender said, as speech gave way to song with Gash Dem, the start of a somewhat extended performance segment that closed the album launch.

Pauline Bent-Hall of the National Library of Jamaica accepted a copy of the album, while Black Pearl and Fitzroy 'Rocky' Francis also expressed their appreciation and encouraged Fender.