Two guys sit at a bar on a cruise ship having a conversation about Jamaica, the place they’re cruise is headed for, and this country’s fame for its marijuana...
“Well, they’re not only famous for that, they’re famous for some of their musicians”
“Well yeah, Bob of course, but what was he famous for..”
“He was famous for writing a good tune.”
“Ah yeah, you know, but if you said to somebody, ‘Bob Marley’ they’d say ‘smoking a joint.’ They wouldn’t say ‘Bob Marley and uh uh..’ they wouldn’t go straight into his songs, man, they wouldn’t. Every picture you’ve ever seen of Bob Marley isn’t him recording a song or, or playing a guitar. Its him with a fat doobie.”
The man shrugs his shoulders matter-of-factly, taking another sip of his beer.
This dialogue comes from a scene out of the recently released indie film “Wah Do Dem,” written and directed by Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner. This scene struck me by the way it illuminates the notion that there are many around the world that commonly and instinctually associate reggae music, such as that of the late Robert Nesta Marley (more affectionately known as Bob), purely with the smoking of cannabis and the propagandist image of the stoner culture. Though marijuana is a religious part of the reggae culture, with my blog, I hope to share a perspective that the real root and essence of reggae music lies in its highly spiritual philosophies and countercultural values communicating messages of unity, righteous living, equality, hope, and love in its truest sense - unconditional and all-encompassing.
I was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi and am currently going to school in southern California for a degree in film production, hoping to one day return to Hawaiʻi to make feature films. Growing up in the islands, reggae and hawaiian music was always around me. However, it wasn’t until high school that I really started paying attention to reggae music or even getting into it. I knew the popular Bob Marley songs and a bunch of Jawaiian music (a mix of reggae and contemporary hawaiian music) that the radio stations played. But this all changed in high school when a friend introduced me to a band from Arlington, Virginia by the name S.O.J.A. (or Soldiers Of Jah Army), who at this time was still very underground and not yet widely known. Their sound was new and fresh yet carried a heavy roots vibe with potent and highly conscious lyrics relevant to the current issues facing our world today. It was music that encouraged me to broaden my mind, introducing new perspectives. It was something I could truly relate to and feel. I was hooked and couldn’t let go. My love for this roots reggae only grew.
Iʻd like to introduce on this blog contemporary reggae artists, mainly from America, to discuss the issues these artists bring to light with relevance to current as well as historical events. Also, to see how these artists are using the vessel of reggae music to address the issues most relevant to them. And, of course, for us to hopefully share with each other some great music!
Aloha a Mālama Pono,
Messenjah
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