Sound magazine

SOUNDSO SOUNDSO SOUNDSO SOUNDSO SOUNDSO SOUNDSO SOUNDSO SOUNDSO Issue no. 23 May 2018 INR 170 Issue no. 23 May 2018

Issue no. 23 May 2018 INR 170 Issue no. 23 May 2018

Reggae Sundays?

“Yeah Yeah”

A

ll that a good Sunday morning needs is a classic masala omelette with two slices of crunchy butter toast and a perfectly brewed coffee. But it all becomes perfect when you have music that grooves your soul. Vintage music in its original beauty is hard to find these days.

But sitting in café Mondegar

I heard some beats which moved me the second they hit my ears. A perfect blend of jazz and Rhythm & Blues with those beats floating somewhere between the bass and the downbeat drum with a dash of electronic beats got stuck in my mind and I knew the only solution to this was to go and ask the waiters

whose music they were playing. And of course, it had to be the legend ‘Earl Gateshead’, the man who made his name by mixing first press vinyl and rare dub plates. Earl creates rare sounds which relaxes the mind along with spreading the message of love from Jamaica from the golden era of Reggae.

The subtleties and nuances of each form of music is deeply rooted in its origin. You can transform your circumstances while listening to music- a haggard girl drowning in copious amounts of work can find the last bout of music she never knew she had by listening to upbeat Jamaican music and feeling the beats of drums coupled with the deep soothing voices.

Achieving calmness and energy at the same time is a different experience altogether. And this what reggae helped me with. At certain moments in your life, especially the ones particularly chaotic, we all need a serene presence and this genre of music is it. Bob Marley is

the one I began with and it’s surprising how quickly I delved into the genre. It matters what these songs are trying to convey, too.

These lyrics originate from a country crippled by slavery and racist and colonial oppression.

These seemingly calm lyrics is a source of a resolute fight that is against this oppression and these issues circle around poverty, racism, colonial domination and others specific to Jamaicans.

My experience with Reggae has not only helped me understand these deeper intricacies of the lyrics and their meanings, but the lyrics found their own definition in my life. It helps me breathe and move into a mindspace that relaxes and helps me concentrate all at once.

It’s the perfect way to unwind!

With a unique voice on the microphone and “Yeah-Yeah” as his catchphrase, Earl Gateshead made and spread his name right through Reggae music. A real DJ's identity lives within their collection and Earl’s collection is like a box of rare jewels; with first press vinyl and rare dub plates makes an open heart for new sounds.

Creating a unique balance between quality vinyl sounds and new fresh music, Earl creates a perfect mix that his audience could enjoy while relaxing, not forgetting to spread the positive message of love, from Jamaica’s golden era of Reggae music, at the same time.

Earl Started DJ-ing in the 1970s when he played Reggae

records between punk bands in Brixton. Today, Earl tours the world, always playing original, first-press vinyl, which he maintains as his best sound. He was the first European, to build his own sound system, which he installed at the world-famous Dive Bar, in Soho, London.

Gradually becoming the “Reggae specialist” in the club, he started to organise a series of events called “Reggae Nights” in other London clubs and it was these series of concerts through which he started receiving worldwide attention.

I will remember that perfect winter evening at Hauz Khas Village when the cold felt surprisingly relaxing in the subtle yet bold red, gold and green interiors of Raasta which is inspired by the simplicity, love and freedom of the Rastafarian culture. As a part of seasonal DJ Dan Wilshire’s music festival ‘One Love’ where Reggae artists from across the world play at different platforms throughout the globe, spread their message of the love and respect for Jah as a united community. The artists played in

The origins of the word Reggae is rooted in the term “rags”, this itself highlights the social political background this form of music has.

“During the 1970s reggae had become an international style that was particularly popular in Britain, the United States, and Africa. It was appreciated a voice of advocacy of the oppressed. In the mid-1960s, Jamaican musicians realized the country's political shift from gaining its independence in 1962. Ska represented Jamaica's political movement in its slow tempo and energetic rhythms reflected the optimism of its independence from Britain. Afterwards, Ska has developed into rock-steady and evolved into what we hear presently, reggae. Reggae remains one of the weapons of choice for the

the beautiful Carrabin rooftop setup of Raasta where when the sun went down the LEDs on the glass panels and the gas heaters lit the place orange and yellow and from where the view of the crowded roads of Delhi also looked like a beautiful sea of lights. People from all walks and ages got into the mood as the night went on and they swung to the beats of the song boys swaying their cigarettes and beer bottles in the air to celebrate the beauty of the beats.

urban poor, whose “lyrical gun,” in the words from traditional reggae artists, such Peter Tosh, Beres Hammond, Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley earned them a measure of respectability.” It is evident that Reggae is far more than spiritually calming music, it’s a revolution of the people who’ve been suppressed for long. It searches for a God or “Jah” and talks of love and the spiritual journey but it is as much about revolution and rebellion. It’s a form of protest, but most often about the difficult conditions Jamaicans live in. But, it's increasingly politicised lyrics that advocates for social justice doesn’t neglect its overall serene nature which speaks of love and spirituality.

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