The Wailers Inspire Through Life and Song
photo by Charley Akers
One Love for People and the Planet by Meredith Montgomery
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s the Wailers tour the U.S. this spring and summer, including a beachside set at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores on May 22, their music will lift spirits and spread the same positive vibes that it has for decades. Together with Bob Marley, the Wailers have sold over 250 million albums, and for many people around the world, their catalog of songs defines reggae music. According to Wailers lead singer Dwayne “Danglin” Anglin, the music is “timeless because it is based on real people, real situations, real experiences. The message of the music and the mood that it sets are the two things that give it a certain uniqueness, a profoundness and relevance that will sustain through all time.” Rastafarianism is the foundation of reggae and the inspiration behind the spiritually and socially driven lyrics in Bob Marley and the Wailers’ music. “We believe in love and harmony and wherever these two things are lacking, Rastafari is trying to instill them,” Anglin says. Their deep respect for the environment lies in an
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understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. With a commitment to peaceful interactions between plants, animals, mankind and the natural elements, oneness can be achieved. Anglin describes natural living as the less abusive choice—both to the environment and to one’s own life. “If you pollute the air, then the water will be polluted as well, and if you drink the water, the water will in turn pollute the body, and if the body is polluted then the body deteriorates. It’s a cycle,” he says, “and you have to protect each other and each aspect of the cycle so that all elements on earth can coexist effectively.”
The singer’s peaceful lifestyle involves a natural, plant-based diet. “Plants and vegetables only need natural resources to grow, but when artificial elements are added as mankind attempts to manipulate nature’s timeline, there is no real nutritious value in what is grown, leading to corruption of mind, body and soul,” says Anglin. He notes that a desire for power can also drive manipulation when instead “we should just move as one people and ignore everything that is physical and everything that is visual, knowing that the spiritual is the most important.” Beyond singing about social consciousness, the Wailers help feed thou-
Music is a universal means of expression and we are lucky to have a direct line to the people so we can influence and encourage and inspire people to do good and to live well. -Dwayne "Danglin" Anglin
Gulf Coast Alabama/Mississippi Edition
www.HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com