Review

Mestar, Onanon and Toki Wilson

28 April 2007, The Backstage

The Backstage can be a big empty concrete box when you have to start early. This is how it was for Toki Wilson, who has been teaching himself how to play the ukulele, and treated a very supportive audience to several classics from his songbook. Interesting stuff. Toki’s ukulele style is very much in the “island ukulele orchestra” mould, with cheerfully frantic strumming and very well signposted double times. Still, I’d like to see some more experimentation, maybe shove a pickup in there and make some strange noises, or add another couple of players and do the orchestra thing.
Toki has made a name for himself in the last couple of years playing guitar and singing with reggae band Irie Eyes. The rest of his set was made up of Iries numbers and a couple of trips down memory lane to visit the grunge house where Toki grew up. Toki can be very shy on stage as a soloist, but this doesn’t take anything away from a very powerful voice and a pop sensibility that helps him overcome the banality that can befall many reggae writers. A real standout song is his ‘30,000 people,’ about the sole, criminal survivor of a Caribbean volcanic eruption. If Toki were Wellingtonian, and had the right friends, there is every chance somebody would have made a lavalava with his face on it by now.

Source: http://www.dunedinmusic.com/reviews/53

Reggae – a Brief History

Originally published in Tearaway Magazine (1990s)

MENTO

One of the styles of music which influenced the rise of ’ska’ in the late ’50s. Mento was a style of blues-oriented folk music.

SKA

Originated around the ’50s and ’60s ’ska’ became Jamaica’s own unique music style. Nobody is exactly sure who pioneered ska – but the ‘Skatalites’ are the most famous ska band – and still going strong!

ROCK STEADY

Came about in the late ’60s. This was a slowed down version of ska with a rock feel.

ROOTS REGGAE

This is a broader term for all the reggae-styles mentioned here, but with more of a rock influence. Roots reggae was best known in the ’70s and ’80s – especially with the rise in popularity of Bob Marley.

HOT-TIPS: Culture, Judy Mowatt , Black Uhuru, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Peter Tosh.

DUB

First began with reggae/rock-steady bands doing sound-checks at gigs. The instrumental style of playing caught on and soon bands began taking vocal tracks from the A-sides of their records – would pump-up the bass, add echo effects on the instruments, and sample the vocals. This remixed ‘version’ track would then usually appear on the B-side of the record. These days dub music is made using computer programmes (perhaps making dub reggae’s equivalent to techno).

HOT-TIPS: Mad Professor, Dub Syndicate, Sly & Robbie, Jah Shaka, Alpha & Omega.

DANCEHALL

One of the most popular forms of reggae music today dancehall originated from ‘toasting’ and DJs. ‘Toasting’ is where a reggae singer would chant or sing over the top of existing dub tracks. This was then followed by the DJ-style which was more rap-oriented and is more the style we hear today (as known as ‘raggamuffin’).

HOT-TIPS: Buju Banton, Eek-A-Mouse, Terror Fabulous, Apache Indian.

JUNGLE / DRUM’N’BASS

A style of fast-moving music pioneered by DJ’s mixing hardcore house, breakbeats, hip-hop, and ragga chants. Earlier known as ‘Gangsta Rave’ this frantic music runs at around 160 beats per minute, but is usually layered over the top of slower tempos, allowing dancers to choose the speed they prefer.

HOT TIPS: Peshay, Alex Reece, Goldie. NB – Most of the best is under obscure names!

BHANGRA / BHUNGLE / BHANGLE

Afusion of raggamuffin with the yoots (youth culture) dance music of the European Asian community. This music (known as ‘Bhangra’) features raggamuffin vocals, jungle breakbeats, wild tabla drums, and Indian-style chants all interweaved into a dancehall frenzy. Perhaps some of the fastest jungle breakbeat known, it often exceeds 175 bpm.

HOT TIPS: Bindi, Sasha, Bally Sagoo.

REGGAE = RASTA?

To be a reggae-lover doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a Rasta – or even the other way around infact (there are apparently many Rasta’s who love country music in Jamaica!). So just what is a ‘Rasta’ anyway…?

It all began at the beginning of this century when a Negro-rights activist from Jamaica called Marcus Garvey said “Look to Africa, where a black king shall be crowned”. Soon after Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned and became the emperor of Ethiopia. Marcus Garvey started an organisation with the aim to help black people in the western world go back to their homeland in Africa.

It was their belief that Africa was the true Zion, and that white Christian missionaries had altered the Scriptures to conceal the fact that Adam, Eve and Jesus were infact black. This was the beginning of the Rasta movement. ‘Rasta’ is of course short for ‘Ras Tafari’, the original name of the Ethiopian emperor. Reggae is the popular music of the Rastafarian movement.

Your Guide World Wise

This article originally appeared in Tearaway Magazine (1990s)

Explore what diverse sounds the world has on offer!

Most record stores now have an ‘Ethnic’ or ‘World Music’ section and will usually be happy to let you have a preview listen.

To help you avoid the junk here’s a rough guide to hunting-out the top world music labels:

REALWORLD

Recordings from this popular label (owned by mega-star Peter Gabriel) feature music from just about everywhere, and showcases nearly every musical style in existence! Realworld release a hot new album nearly every month.

Hot Tips: Sheila Chandra (India/UK. Extraordinary mesmerizing voice), Toto La Momposina y sus Tambores (Colombia. Wild Latin percussion and singing).

GREEN LINNET

The top label for all your Celtic music from Europe, Quebec and beyond. A huge selection is available in quality record shops throughout NZ, or you can order from them direct.

Hot Tips: The Celts Rise Again (Celtic compilation), Matt Molloy (Ireland. Energetic flute music), La Bottine Souriante (Quebec/Canada. Fun folk).

XENOPHILE

A recent offshoot of Green Linnet, set-up to meet the growing demand for ethnic music.

Hot Tips: Francisco Ulloa (Dominican Republic. The fastest accordian player in the world), Abana Ba Nasery (Kenya. Guitar and Fanta bottle music – yes really!)

ROUNDER

Just recently available in NZ, this label is full of surprises and variety. There’s folk, blues, reggae, and some of the best in global music.

Hot Tips: Bonga (Angola. Awesome Afro-Latin grooves), Conjunto! (Texas-Mexican border music – crazy, tacky, untold fun!).

COOKING VINYL

If you’re new to world music then this is a good place to start. Especially check out the Cooking Vinyl ‘PLANETE’ series of albums featuring ragga (Europe/Africa/Caribbean), reggae (Africa/Caribbean), rai music (Algeria), and zouk (Caribbean/Africa).

Hot tip: Oysterband ( Foot-stomping Irish melodies! Voted the UK’s top folk group).

MANGO

Division of Island Records. World-beat for the masses.

Hot Tips: Dub Clash (Jamaica/UK. Wicked dub compilation). Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart (UK / WORLD. Prolific funky grooves).

RYKODISC/HANNABAL

A quality label for those with a broad taste in music (jazz, reggae, blues, ambient) – there’s something for you!

Hot Tips: 3 Mustaphas 3 (Hungary/Balkana. Wild – awesome – and my favourite!), Gyuto Monks (Tibet. Relax to the funky monks doing the chant thang).

LUAKA BOP

These albums are compiled by ex-Talking Head David Byrne. Specialises in music mainly from South America, but other places as well. It’ll soon become obvious where Byrne got his influences from!

EARTHWORKS

Features the best of African music, plus a couple from the Carribean.

Hot Tips: The Indestructible Beat of Soweto (South Africa. Jive music which will make you move!), Rai Rebels (Algeria. Trance-like vocals, and that addictive rai rhythm).

NATION

Usually found in the ‘Imports’ section. This label is at the forefront of what is termed ‘Tribal’ music, a mind-bending combination of European trance dance beats, with ethnic rhythms and vocals.

FRONTLINE

West-Indie reggae classics from the ’70s.

Hot Tips: The Gladiators, U Roy, Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru.