Music-Feature Article
10
The Music
With the explosion of Midnite (Rastafaria, Afrikan Roots Lab) on the West Coast in the early 2000's, the interest and intrigue in this new island sound grew. But the V.I.'s music is nothing new. Today, the opportunity to record and release it on such a broad scale is what's new. Bambu Station took advantage of these opportunities to avoid being a slave to the big studios, the suits or the engineers. They do it all themselves. None of them had ever pressed a record button before 2001 when they bought their first console. Three months later, with Phil Merchant and Laurent "Tippy" Alfred, they recorded their first album, One Day (2003). They sat on it for a year while they recorded artists Niyorah, Yah Shiloh I, Natty Empress, IBA Jah Lion, Dezarie, Anhk Watep, Rafijah and the Star Lion Family, to put together a compilation album, Talking Roots Volume I (2002).
Jalani and Andy both had solo songs that rounded up this award-winning album and allowed themselves to be exposed and introduce some of the great talents
of the V.I. They continued to hone their
skills; teaching themselves, asking questions, approaching others who have been doing music, and going through much trial and error.
One Day's release was a smash hit amongst roots reggae fans all around the globe. As motion set in, they were soon in the studio recording IBA Jah Lion's album, Children of the Nile (2003). Then the follow-up compilation album, Talking Roots Volume II (2005), featuring hit singles by Ras Bumpa, Pressure, Lady Passion, Jahmann, IjahMenelik, Ibednego, Danny I, Black Culture, Bashan, Army and Tuff Lion. Continuing with their ongoing mission, they released their next album, Break the Soil (2006), followed by Children of Exodus (2010).
Reggae music has gone through many transitions since the days of a single microphone and a 4-track recorder; from the dub masters of the 70's to the Casio synthesizer of the 80's, to the Dancehall of the 90's and into the digital age of the millennium where there is no need for musicians, just one engineer.
The comradery that belonged to the bands of the roots era (i.e.: Culture, Israel Vibration, Inner Circle, The Gladiators, The Mighty Diamonds) is what made roots music what it is. Although some may have thought it was lost to today's new high-tech riddims, it still dwells in the V.I. strong. "People have a stereotype of reggae music; perpetrated by the artist, perpetrated by the industry, perpetrated by more we's", Jalani feels. " We have contributed to that perception, so, hopefully doing (festivals and such) will help (non-listeners of reggae) see works impacting the community. They have to respect the music and the contribution."