Music-Feature Article
9
Inside The Station
by Francesco Thomas
Bambu Station is a roots reggae band originally formed in 1996 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The members, from St. Thomas and St. Croix, came together to present to the world the creative ideas they shared and to permit others an opportunity to present themselves. Andre "Andy" Llanos, Tuff Lion and Jalani Horton decided to put their talents together to broadcast positive frequencies, positive energy, positive actions, positive word, sound and spirit into our lives and decided they were going to bring as many others, with the same vision, along with them.
Natural Mystic sat with Jalani Horton on a couple of occasions over the last few years since Bambu Station made their first trek to California. Our first interaction was their first appearance at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival. I had just finished practicing my licks and I was putting together some incense for my meditation, when Jalani approached and ever so politely introduced himself and asked if he could use the binghi drum I had been practicing on. The One Love Family booth was right next to the side-stage in which Bambu Station was scheduled to go on next. I informed him that the binghi drum in question belonged to our faithful Editor-in Chief,
but that I felt he would be honored if he used it on stage. He was extremely grateful and carried it away with great joy. When he returned it after their amazing set, he gave thanks with great humility and promised us an interview. We caught up with him a few months later on the Mendocino coast and then again this past February in "Gold Country" California. He was more than happy to sit with us and share his time and ideals.
When asked him about Bambu Station's music, he told us; "Our music is intensely personal. It reaches out to you in a very personal way.... purposely. Bambu Stations music strives to speak; or take the step, the next step from the generations before us... Bob (Marley), Peter (Tosh), Bunny (Wailer), Aswad, Third World, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear. They identified issues of their day and they identified issues that affect us today. I feel like, in writing psalms, that the issues have been identified. Now what are the solutions? So, what I write now is mainly solution oriented. It may not offer a solution, but I am trying to open discussion, provoke discussion, provoke thought, and be open so that there can be a discussion."
cont'd on next page