Pronounced "Kulcha...."

Yes, yes... I know it's been a while, especially considering that the only two items on my schedule are: (in no particular order)

- Waiting for my Work Permit to be Approved

and

- Waiting for the Sweet Release of Death.

I've been trying to keep busy by drinking until I forget to kill myself. And napping. And doing my best to polish off the 60 pack of Eggo Waffles that my mom bought at Costco to stifle my sister's complaints that I'm "eating all of her food."



Well, the joke is on her, because I'm using her syrup.

Anyway, here we go.

Culture. Culture is the contemporary equivalent of the "Roots Reggae" we discussed earlier. The terms are used interchangeably, which is accurate and accepted. Modern Culture music is the logical extension of the movement with which Bob Marley was associated so many years ago.

Culture is melodic music, usually played at a relaxed tempo. The syncopated rhythms and bubbling bass lines make as danceable as it is "head-nod-able..."

The lyrical focus is very positive, focusing on Rastafarianism, Cleanliness, Civil Rights, Love, Ganja, and Peace. (More on rastafarianism later...) Culture's sound has changed very little since Marley's heyday. Updates have been limited almost exclusively to technological advances in instruments and recording techniques. Form and Content have stayed very constant, and the genre has remained very pure. The lack of real commerical success outside of the Caribbean has been the principal factor in this, and believe it has most certainly benefitted the genre.

There are incredibly gifted musicians in the Culture scene now, including Richie Spice, Jah Cure, Marlon Asher, and Tarrus Riley... there are dozens more, of course, but I don't want to look like I'm showing off by rattling down a list of fifty guys you'll never hear about ever again.

SO, I'm eating all of Laura's syrup and butter, and here are some video clips of these artists to give you a feel for the soul and sound of "Culture Reggae."

Here's Tarrus Riley's video for the Smash Hit "She's Royal" which has become the summer anthem for girls all over the Caribbean (including Kristi, who honks the horn and sings loudly whenever this track gets played in Cayman....)



Incredible, right?

Here's one of our favorites, Richie Spice, performing the amazing "Earth A Run Red," which was one of the biggest reggae tunes of 2005.



....and finally, Jah Cure's "Longing For," a HUGE hit on the "Drop Leaf" riddim.



Alright, that's probably enough for now.... Stay tuned for more on riddims, Singjays, Dancehall, Rastafarianism, and me falling down the stairs.

Know Yuh History

Reggae Music is much more than Bob Marley and Marijuana. Reggae has a very intricate history, rich with cultural influences from all over the world. I'll give a brief, very abridged history:

In the 1950’s, Jamaica was pumping the sounds of American R’n’B music. On clear nights, Jamaican radio towers could pick up the signals coming from New Orleans and Florida. The sounds of Doo-Wop, R&B, emerging Rock n' Roll, and Gospel influenced the traditional Calypso sound, creating popular new sounds.

"Ska" was one of the first of these new styles. It maintained a quick tempo, and was unique for its syncopated up-beat played by the guitar. Prince Buster is considered the first to create this and play it for the masses with his sound system.

Here's a short clip of Jamaican Superstar Jimmy Cliff playing a soundsystem party in the heyday of Ska:




The "Sound System" is a portable sound system (usually on the backs of a truck) to play this music for block parties and outside gatherings. Because many Jamaicans did not have access to personal radios, these sound systems were the only way to hear new music, and thus became very significant social gatherings.

By the mid-60’s, a new form of music was evolving and taking over popularity in Jamaica called Rock Steady. With this style, the beat was slowed down and the emphasis was shifted to vocals. This slowed down tempo also left more room for the bass line to leave holes in its rhythm, as opposed to the walking lines heard in ska. This is the stage that Bob Marley and the Wailers first made an appearance, along with The Melodians, John Holt, The Heptones, and many others.

Here's an example of the Rocksteady sound: "Crying Over You" by the incredible Ken Boothe.



I know, I know.... by FAR the most exciting video clip ever.... I kind of like it, though. Anyway...

The 70’s saw the creation and international success of Roots Reggae. This is the sub-genre most often thought of when Reggae is mentioned. With this style, the tempo was slowed down even more, and the electric bass was lower and more prominent in the mix. Along with this change in musical approach was the increased intensity and depth of the lyrical content. Influenced by suffering, corrupt politicians and police, and the religion of Rastafari, the lyrics of Roots music ranged from powerful protest music to beautiful spiritual music. It had a passion that moved (and still moves) people around the globe.

Bob Marley is synonymous with Roots Reggae, so here's another Wailers clip: Africa Unite Live from Santa Barbara.



So, now you have an idea... I'm crazy for Reggae but am in no way an expert. There is still much studying, listening, and dancing left to do!

Stay tuned for more on modern Reggae, Rastafarianism, Dubplate Culture, and anything else I can get into while the stanking house is NOT selling...

The Heartbeat of a People....

I've been completely obsessed with Reggae Music for years.

I first heard "Stir It Up" on a trip to Cayman in 1992.

Here's a clip of the Wailers playing it on the old BBC program "The Old Grey Whistle Test":




The beautiful simplicity and infectiously bouncing bass hypnotized me. Immediately upon our return to KC I bought Bob Marley and the Wailers' incredible "Babylon By Bus," which remains one of my very favorite albums to this day.


I followed that up with "Legend," "Catch a Fire," and several other Wailers recordings. I started buying albums by Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, who along with Marley founded the Wailers, and loved everything I heard.



I kept listening to Bob all through college (doesn't everyone?) Pretty much all of the Reggae that I heard was from the 70's, and it never occurred to me to check out new stuff.

I also got into collecting vinyl records in college, and read some articles about how all of the current Jamaican singles are (still to this day) pressed into 7" 45 rpm records and distributed for radio play. I thought it would be cool to try to find some when we were back in Cayman.

So, in 2002, we were down visiting for Thanksgiving, and I started looking for records.

I found a place called "Tha Flava," and its proprietor Chuck Taylor was very patient and helpful in educating me on all of the different styles and artists. I bought about 50 records on the first visit, and about 150 over the next two visits. Chuck would also email me mp3's of new artists to check out since Kansas City's reggae scene left a little to be desired.

A year later Hurricane Ivan flooded "Tha Flava" and prompted Chuck Taylor to move to New York City, and we've since lost contact with one another.

In my desperate search for new reggae records, I found an online store called "Ernie B's Reggae," (ebreggae.com). A very user-friendly menu and incredibly low prices made this my new favorite website, and I spent what now seems like way too much money there... However, they'd get the very latest stuff right form Jamaica, so I was hearing exactly what was burning up Jamaican Dancehalls. Best Buy's "World Music" section really couldn't compete, you know?

I can neither confirm nor deny Limewire's replacement of Ernie B's as my primary source of new Reggae music.... anyway....

I'll profile some of the different genres and styles of Reggae Music, along with supplemental information that will hopefully enhance understanding and enjoying the music I've come to love (and obsess, as you'll soon see) about.

Blessings....

..and P.S.

Today is our 6th wedding anniversary, which somehow makes me even Less happy to be camping out in Blue Springs....



Kristi's parents are visiting her down in Cayman, so they're celebrating with dinner at The Lighthouse at Breakers, the greatest restaurant on the planet.



I'm celebrating with D'Bronx, the greatest pizza on the planet... though the setting may not be quite as spectacular....

And Now for Something Completely Different.....

Cheers to the Monty Python fans who picked that one up....

Anyway, this gorgeous gem is a "Keith Mango," and was the final mango of 2007 for me...

Zelma Lee, our friend and matriarch of Whistling Duck farms on North Side, has set aside a few for Kristi as they ripen.


Zelma Lee explained the old technique that farmers use for surviving late-season storms: When a big storm threatens to prematurely end the growing season of any of their staple crops, the entire farm staff flies into action. They pick anything that looks like it would ripen within the next 2-3 weeks, and store it inside in baskets. Much will skip "ripe" and move directly to "rotten," but some will riped almost as nicely as if they were left in the field.

In this case, it was mangoes. Several late-season mangoes, like the Keith, were just approaching readiness as Hurricane Dean set it's eye on a path toward the Cayman Islands. Though Dean cut south at the last second, North Side and East End dealt with very high winds and rough sea, the salty spray from which settles on and kills foliage.

The very very few remaining mangoes are in extremely high demand, and the incredible Zelma Lee has set several aside for Kristi.



The Keith is sweet and firm, with very little fiber... it has a round, honey-sweet flavor, and will keep me dreaming of mangoes until next April.

Since I've been hiding out at my sister's house in Blue Springs, I've found very little on which to report. Cinnamon Bread? Sonic Drinks? Court TV? I doubt my accounts of these staples of my daily routine would be inspirational enough to bookmark....

BUT, Kristi, while listening to me scream about some awesome new Reggae track I found, suggested that I write about Reggae music. It's from the Caribbean, so it would keep with the theme we've developed here.... probably more than the Waffle House pictures, even.....

SO, stay tuned for several posts about Reggae Music and Culture.... that's the "Completely Different" "Something" to which the title of the posts refers.... Me droning on and on about mangoes is decidedly 'NOT' different....

I promise the Reggae Stuff will be more entertaining and informative than tales of my daily Route 44 drink concoction. (Any other Vanilla-Diet-Grape-Coke-with-four-limes-and-four-cherries fans out there???? HOLLA!!!)

Vacancy....

Well, shucks.... I am excrutiatingly UN-occupied these days, and trying to come up with stuff to do is giving me Brain Bubbles.

I had my Doctors Visit today. It went well, if "well" entails getting both Urine and Blood on yourself.

The Caymanian Work Permit requires a Chest Xray, Urinalysis, VDRL, and HIV tests. They don't ask if I've ever killed anyone or if I've ever burned down a building, which are definitely things that I would ask if I was letting someone work in my country. No, no, they just want to know if I smoke or carry diseases. Well, their decision, they can deal with the consequences.

***NOTE - If anyone from the Caymanian Work Permit Board is among the 6 or 7 people that ever see this, that last paragraph was my sad attempt at "humor." I haven't killed anyone or burned down a building, but I'll do both if you deny me. HARD!!!

Anyway, to prevent any mixup with the, um... specimen, I was instructed to write my name on the side of the plastic cup. They should have specified the order in which the writing and peeing should occur, especially since the cups don't have lids.

The bleeding was my fault... I ripped the cotton ball off early, so we'll call it even.... I guess.

My incredible friend, Dr. Bryan Hughes, was extremely helpful and made me feel like a princess. I MEAN PRINCE!!! A PRINCE!!!!

So, the test results should be in and the work permit should be mailed off by the weekend.... That will make me happy.

Other exciting points this week were:



Getting a Ten O'Clock Waffle from Waffle House on Sunday night with sister Carly and her friend, Alexandra.

Lunch at Bua Thai with Ben Hooper, another incredible friend who peer pressures me into ordering my Garlic Pepper Tofu "Thai Hot." I cry like Nora watching the Hallmark Hall of Fame, but still can't stop myself from ordering.

The sweet Thai lady even sliced up a habanero from her garden for us to add to our meals. I can't tell if she did this because she likes us or hates us... either way, I thnk it's better that I ate it AFTER my tests were run...

Pricing dumpsters to clear a brush pile behind the house.

Yes, I know, my life is so exciting that no one even notices the fact that I'm not writing about Cayman or mangoes or the sea.... right.


Okay, enough. Check back soon updates on folding laundry, making peanut butter sandwiches, and Sonic drinks.