After 35 years in the music business, Winston Rodney, aka Burning Spear, is finally doing things his way. Two years ago, he and his wife, Sonia Rodney, formed Burning Spear Records. The result is a flood of re-releases from the man who, along with Bob Marley, is responsible for bringing to the world the Jamaican sound, and the Rastafari faith: a belief that Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975) was a manifestation of God, combined with ideas of black self-empowerment and a back-to-Africa movement rooted in the teachings of Jamaican nationalist Marcus Garvey.
Now, talking with a living legend is one thing. Talking with a living legend who practices a faith that involves the regular consumption of a certain plant known to have mind-altering properties is another. Mix all of that in with a poor phone connection, heavy Jamaican accent, the sleepiness that comes with being a 56-year-old on the road and an unclear understanding of Rastafari from a white, suburban-raised man. With all that in mind, here then are five questions with Burning Spear.
How has your music changed as you've aged? Do you still feel the fires burning as strongly?
Things are more easy for me not dealing with no more record companies. I've a better understanding about how much of my records been sold and when and how and who. I start to gain a lot more understanding based upon the business side of the music business. As a person, I've been in the business since 1969 and I never remember getting an honest count based upon how many records been sold for Burning Spear.
What made the time right in 2003 for Jah No Dead: An Introduction to Burning Spear? Are you trying to reach out to a new generation?
At all times it's going to be new generation. It's going to be generation upon generation of generation in generation. It's going to be there in the history of music. So generation after generation in generation upon generation will come through and they will read about what was taking place.
Do you think Rastafari has been commercialized over the years?
There's a lot of people who commercialize it because they just understand about it. Maybe they also don't know that Rastafari's a way of life, and one also must choose to live that life. Of course, in the time right now there's a lot of commercialized. It's not a good thing, but this is all people see. You have fashion, possible a little political flavor in it, plus that way down commercial aspect. Every other person wearing dread. Many years ago if you had tell some people that dreadlocks is the way, maybe they'd be thinking that you crazy. Today, everybody. It's not because all these people feel Jah and know about Jah and decide to live the way of life.
Do you blame the popularity of reggae for it?
Reggae really don't have anything to do with that. To do with people commercializing Rastafari. Reggae don't have anything to do with that. But it's not like reggae music's really talking about that, saying that one can commercialize Rastafari. It's the way that people see to live their life. People don't always try to think about what would be related, and the only thing they could see that would be related is for everyone to start to wear dread. Some people just go buy it and put it in. A lot of people you see today with dread is like the put-in thing. It's not a thing that come the way it should. It's not a nature thing. They go to all these places and get it put in. It's really a fashion thing. It's not about the works of His Majesty, it's not about Rastafari, it's not about the way of life.
What do you think the important causes are for blacks today? Is there still oppression or have the issues changed?
The cause? Maybe I don't quite understand it.
Well, so much of reggae and so much of Rastafari is about the way blacks have been oppressed over the centuries.
Reggae music don't really focus on one thing, you know. If reggae music is speaking about the struggle of people, and the suffering, it don't mean black people. It mean people in general. But there are so many different people carrying the nationality and religion who have been through this in their own way. It's not like this music really talking about the struggle of black people or the struggle of Jamaican people. It's talking about the struggle of all the people. People in general.
Do you think there are any issues about American youth you'd like to comment on?
Huh?
Is there anything about American youth, any problems, difficulties you see from a more spiritual or religious perspective.
[garbled]
I'm sorry?
Maybe I don't understand.
Well, the initial question was going to be about the state of black American youth. But you say that you want your music to be for all people. That race isn't really an issue?
Races?
Race is not an issue.
Huh?
Race. The color of a person's skin, their background, is not an issue with your music. You want it to appeal to all people. It's not just directed toward African-Americans.
So what is it you're saying?
I wanted to ask if you see any sorts of problems or issues with black American youth today.
Black American youth today?
Yeah.
When you're going to comment about youth, you have to comment about youth in general.
Right. That's what I was asking.
There are so many youths in America today, let's not talk about black American or white American. Let's talk about youth. Which is I think the right way to go about it. Today, youth is not like when I was growing up as a youth, or possibly when you were growing up as a youth. Youth today is totally different. And the reason why a lot of these youth is so different is because the amount of things there to attract them. You know, a lot of things set up to attract all these youth and prevent them sometime from really doing the right thing or using the right word, or reflects themselves the way they're supposed to be reflects on themselves. Today, youth is ups and downs, because some youth knows what they do at a different time and a different location. And that's what creates a big difference. But youths going to be youths.