Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

Drummer Mikey 'Boo' Richards at his home in Meadowbrook, St Andrew. - Photo by Krista Henry

Mikey 'Boo' Richards has been marching to his own beat for more than 30 years. A now legendary drummer, Richards has worked with all the greats in Jamaican music, making an impact and watching it grow. Born with a natural inclination to play drums, Richards never underwent formal training, but can catch and mould any beat. It was while fooling around in the studio that Richards developed his passion for music. The Sunday Gleaner caught up with Richards recently at his home.

How did you get the 'Boo' nickname?

Well, I got dat in di recording studio. Whenever yuh recording a song and yuh not doing it fast enough dem just seh yuh a boo.

How did you learn how to play drums?

"My father (Leonard 'Alejandro' Richards) was a drummer and he wanted to teach me, but mi neva really waan learn.

Why didn't you want to learn?

I never really see music as my career. I was really small, yuh know, and all I wanted is to do tings dat likkle boys do. But him a see wha mi nah see and him a seh this is what yuh fi do. Mi used to watch him teach Lloyd Knibbs from Skatalites and others; mi neva stay round and mek him tell me to stay round di drums and ting. Mi neva really learn from anyone. I figure cause of di genes dats what really tek me across. He had friends like Adams who play keyboards and Ernie Ranglin. Mi kinda grow up around dem.

Do you play any other instruments?

Percussive instruments yes, but up to this day I sorry I didn't really play keyboards as I should. Another thing I sorry about is dat I didn't let my father teach me how to play drums. He had this Latin background and if I knew it then like how I love it now I can imagine what it would have perceived to be. If I knew keyboards di way I wanted to I could express myself the way I could as a musician, 'cause when yuh play keyboards or a guitar it can do a lot more than just playing a drums.

How did you get started?

Well, I just start fool round Adams, house. He saw where I could play drums. He formed a trio; he played keyboards, his nephew played upright bass and I played drums and we did a gig. That was just then, then I start play drums and practise and I realised I liked it and could deal wid it. There was this band called the Mighty Diamonds, they wanted a drummer and they took me. I went in a crowd called In Crowd, started out by making the group. After dat I was in Now Generation, that is really where I met the Wailers. I never and went in di studios and started recording, I never toured with Bob Marley, but I recorded with him. I left there and branched out wid Jimmy Cliff. I record and tour also wid Culture. I record wid Third World, the first album they did, but it didn't come out.

Who are your influences?

In those days everybody used to listen to foreign drummers. You had dis foreign drummer Billy Cobham, mi used to like him. It so happens I met him in Jamaica. He came to do a concert and we became friends and he even asked me to come up on stage and play wid him. Dat was a highlight of my life.

What type of music do you perform?

Being a Jamaican drummer I wanted to be a reggae drummer more than anything else. Dis is my culture and if I waan do sumting in drumming I should do it as a reggae drummer. I also wanted to add di Latin flavour from my fadda. I try fi establish myself, my signature. I kinda put a stamp on di Jamaican music in my era. I would try not to play what was there but fix it my way. Dat was what put mi across - and di steadiness of my playing.

Has electric drumming taken over?

Electric drumming had its era, it came and went. People still fool wid it, but every time sumting new wid drum come about yuh find where di manual drumming come back. The electric drumming is more a sound, but it still come back to manual drumming. Di last session I did was December 2007, which was manual.

What is your most memorable experience in your career?

I remember I did dis song wid Lorna Bennett, Breakfast In Bed. The style of drumming at dat time was different from what I played and alien. It was accepted and made a big hit all over. I did a song wid Ernie Smith, Life Is Just For Living. That also took off. "

Who is the most memorable artiste that you have worked with?

There is dis jazz guy, Herbie Mann, he plays flute. We were on a tour wid Jimmy Cliff and he came in and seh Herbie Mann want us to a album wid him. He's a jazz man and for reggae people to do an album wid him great. We did it and di album just fly, weh couple platinum. He enjoyed it so much he came back to Jamaica di next year for us to record wid him again; dat record produced platinum again. Di album we did Jimmy Cliff, that album went gold.

Do you have a connection with Sly Dunbar?

Yeah, mi good fren. Every time I see him him talk big 'bout me. Wi share tings all di time. He tells other drummers seh me a di greatest. If I was still active tings I would be doing di whole of dem would have to be digesting it.

What do you think of his talent and other Jamaican drummers?

Well, there are drummers I look up to in Jamaica like Sly, Desi Jones, Carlton Barrett who played wid Wailers, Calvin McKenzie.

Do you still play now?

I play, but not all dat often.

I heard you were sick. With what?

Dem seh mi get one minor stroke and dat was freaky, but mi just relax still.

Do you think that being a drummer, you get as much recognition for your work that you would like?

Yeah I think so. Yuh have a lot of drummers and is not all of dem yuh can remember.