Burning Spear

Reggae legend Burning Spear is not impressed with contemporary reggae, saying Jamaican producers need to get back to basics if the music is to return to its glory days.

In an interview with Canada's Winnipeg Free Press newspaper last week, Spear said, "The music needs direction."

Spear, whose real name is Winston Rodney, told the Free Press that young producers have reduced reggae from an organic sound to an artificial beat.

"The music has changed," Spear said. "There's a different flavour, taste and type of arrangement. There's less musicians playing their instruments; it's a programming thing now. The kids are singing off-key."`

The 64-year-old Spear said it is critical for the Jamaican government to step in and rescue the music by setting up a national recording studio and encourage budding producers and musicians to record the traditional way.

Traditional reggae

"We need more traditional reggae - the youth of today are not looking in that direction and not going with that," Spear stated. "We need a stronger voice. I think a lot of people in Jamaica don't know the strength of this music and what the music has done for people all over the world."

Along with Bob Marley, the St Ann-born Spear was one of the leading lights of the roots-reggae explosion of the 1970s. He is best known for songs like Marcus Garvey and Slavery Days and the 1975 album, Marcus Garvey.

Spear, a two-time Grammy Awards winner, recorded those songs with the cream of Jamaican musicians at the Randy's studio. The techno-driven Sleng Teng beat of 1985 spawned numerous hit songs and influenced local producers to bypass musicians for mainly economic reasons.

Today, few local artistes record live.