I didn't become an anthropologist to sit on my broad base in a cosy office :-D
Good heavens, Brian! What a globetrotter you are. In-croy-able, mon pote.
Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio-jazz. I think he is from Jimma which is the jazz city in Ethiopia. I was in Dessie which is almost exactly the opposite direction to Jimma, where I worked for a couple of weeks. Their rock music was mind blowing in Dessie. I did field trips to Lalibela, Mek'ele and Gondar (lost my heart in Gondar, but that is another story for another time) and found traditional music, Ethiopian classical music and the Ethiopian Symphony Orchestra playing Bizet's Carmen in the grounds of Fasilides Castle in the medieval city at Gondar (not a great version but what mind blower!).
Wow, Brian. This is wonderful. I adore Ethiopian music, too. It sounds so distinctive and mysterious, probably as a result of the different scale they use. I'm a big fan of Mulatu Astatke and love Eritrea's Asmara All Stars. France's own Akale Wube play a very authentic version of Ethiojazz. Mar-vellous! Thanks a bunch.
One of my great loves is Ethiopia. Try this: Rasta's Gangs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xJBMYt96jM
Then try searching youtube for some of their jazz, blues and mainline reggae bands. Wow stuff.
Great dialogue, gentlemen. I loved your description of Jamaica and our finest boys in blue, Brian. I agree wholeheartedly with you, Peter. The Wailers are synonymous with reggae to many people, but I too found them samey and much prefer the likes of Burning Spear and Augustus Pablo. I also had 'Grave New World' by The Strawbs. I think I must have sold it, but I vividly remember Blake's little pink naked man on the cover. Bruce, thank you very much for the link. I really like this helping of Seggae! I love the way it has been slightly permutated on its journey around the world. There's a French singer/group who call themselves Mo' Kalamity and they play some of the most charming and infectious reggae I've heard for years. Happy skanking!
Yep, in my heap I have quite a few I have hung on to for the sleeves. Music, errrrm.. don't bother.
Quite enjoy Bob Marley but much prefer the late great Peter Tosh who gave us a more varied collection of Reggae, Ska and R & B sound. The Wailers were ok but a little 'samey' for me personally.
The Wailers album cover reminded me of some thoughts just yesterday when playing some oldie vynyls. Flicking through the collection I was struck or probably reminded about how 'interesting' some of the '70 s album covers were.
Probably the most famous of the album cover designers was the E J Day Group though my favourite has to be the cover and inlay of The Strawbs' 'Grave New World' with the front cover of a works by William Blake and the inlay done by private graphic designers. The iconic Dark Side of the Moon cover was done by the intriguingly named Storm Thorgerson. Another favourite is the Alice Cooper album 'Schools Out' designed by the Mcneill Press and consists of a 'build your own' school desk complete with legs and graffiti with the album sleeve a pair of paper panties !
Sometimes the album covers are/were more interesting than the music !
Great Bruce! Enjoyed that.
We've got "Seggae" in Mauritius...half Sega-half Reggae.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VduAri2PrKo&list=RDU27HRq5i2Ac&index=15
My late ex had a contract for six months in Jamaica. What she saw, heard and later bought was breath-taking. Even my one month visit to her on the way home from Peru was music action. That was mid-70s. Marley was already famous but nowhere near his zenith, Tosh was brilliant and Bunny Wailer had become one of the many. To go to Trench Town to see live music was about as exciting as anything could be in the world. I never had anything on me, no valuables or money at least, because the Yardies would have it. They asked, they never got, but I was straight with them, telling them I just wanted to see music and have no fuss. Then they would argue about where I should go! None of it ever bad, well unless you are using the lingo from that time when it was 'bad'... I had below shoulder length ringlets in those days, but used to plait them which was the only acceptable way of having long hair in the Andean region where lots of indigenos have always had it. The Jamaicans want to dreadlock me, but I did eventually allow one of the women to do me dozens of little thin plaits that I put in a big bunch. Anyway, I kept them in and on a trip down to London a bit later was hauled into West End Central on suspicion because of the Barnet Fair. I was clean BUT I had my passport with me which had the Jamaican entry and exit stamps to show I had recently spent a month there. No amount of interviewing would convince them I had been visiting my missus on the way home and had mainly let her get on with her work but amused myself going to see music. When I told them I did not use illegal substances and did not even like rum they would not believe me. So I sat it out. Meanwhile, they had tipped off my local constabulary who were obliged to 'raid' my house where they found a lot of books and certainly lots of music but then because I had lots of classical and a cello leaning against the back of an armchair they expressed benefits of the doubt.
Then West End Central actually asked me what I had been doing, Peru, Jamaica, hair and what I do for a living, etc. I gave them that in two minutes then began to extol the virtues of Caribbean music. That is when they got bored with me and sent me on my way.
Conclusion: cops had no taste in reggae at the time. Did they ever?