Latest news with #BurningSpear
New York Times
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Max Romeo, Leading Voice in the Heyday of Roots Reggae, Dies at 80
Max Romeo, a reggae singer whose earliest hits dripped with sexual innuendo, but who then switched to a soulful, politically engaged message that provided a soundtrack to the class struggles of 1970s Jamaica and made him a mainstay on the international tour circuit, died on April 11 outside Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. He was 80. Errol Michael Henry, a lawyer who represented Mr. Romeo, said the cause of his death, in a hospital, was heart complications. Mr. Romeo, whose real surname was Smith, was among the last of a generation of Jamaican musicians who came to prominence in the 1970s, among them Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Burning Spear. Their sound, known as roots reggae, centered on the lives of ordinary people in Jamaica, blended with a heavy dollop of Black liberation and Rastafarianism. Until then, reggae had been seen, at least beyond Jamaica, as a musical novelty focused on fleeting love and sex. But the 1970s musicians' political message and laid-back sound, combined with their open marijuana use, gave reggae a new and lasting cultural resonance. Mr. Romeo's career tracked that transition. He began as a clean-cut crooner in Jamaica, part of a trio called the Emotions. After setting out on his own, he found success with raunchy songs like 'Wet Dream,' a 1968 track so explicit that many radio stations refused to play it. Nevertheless, it spent 25 weeks on the British singles chart, peaking at No. 10. Similar songs followed, several with titles involving a feline euphemism that can't be printed in a family newspaper. As a result, he came to be known as 'the original rude boy of reggae.' But Mr. Romeo was unhappy. He later told interviewers that he had been forced to record the songs by his producers. 'So after I see the glory of it, I give them a barrage of songs like that,' he told the Jamaican interviewer Teach Dem in 2023. 'But then 1971, you know, I just pulled up and say, 'Wait, I can't have a catalog like this for my grandchildren.'' He embraced Rastafarianism, grew out his hair and began recording songs about the political and class conflicts rocking Jamaica in the early 1970s. Songs like 'Revelation Time' and 'Chase the Devil' became anthems for the left-wing People's National Party and its leader, Michael Manley. Mr. Romeo stumped for Mr. Manley during his successful 1972 run for prime minister. Mr. Romeo hit his stride in the mid-1970s, thanks to a fruitful collaboration with the reggae producer Lee (Scratch) Perry. Together they created what is widely considered Mr. Romeo's best album, 'War Ina Babylon' (1976), which included 'Chase the Devil,' perhaps his best-known song. As Jamaican politics changed through the decade, rifts grew between the Manley government and many of the leading roots musicians, including Mr. Romeo. After recording a string of songs critical of the People's National Party, he feared retribution and moved to New York City. The political storms eventually passed, and he returned to Jamaica in 1989. By then recognized as a paragon of reggae, Mr. Romeo recorded 17 more studio albums over the next 30 years and maintained a heavy tour schedule; on his last tour, in 2023, he performed in 56 cities. His music took hold in other ways as well, with snippets of his lyrics appearing as samples on dance tracks and rap songs — 'Chase the Devil,' for example, shows up prominently in the Prodigy's 'Out of Space' (1992) and Jay-Z's 'Lucifer' (2003). Maxwell Livingston Smith was born on Nov. 22, 1944, in Alexandria, a town in north-central Jamaica. His mother, Emily Morris, moved to Britain when he was 8, after which he and his father, Irvin Smith, a chef, moved to Kingston. Unhappy at home, Max ran away at 14 and spent several years living on the streets. He found work as a runner for a Kingston record label, delivering singles to local radio stations. One day the label's owner heard him singing and offered to record a song he had written, 'I'll Buy You a Rainbow.' It became a hit in Kingston in 1965, and it put his career in motion. Around the same time he adopted the stage name Max Romeo, drawing on his reputation as a charmer (and his insistence that the name Max Smith lacked a certain appeal). He briefly formed the Emotions with the singers Keith Knight and Lloyd Shakespeare, the brother of the bassist Robbie Shakespeare; he also performed with the Hippy Boys, a band that included the bassist Aston Barrett, known as Family Man, later of the Wailers. Despite his lasting popularity in Jamaica and Europe, Mr. Romeo did not find similar success in the United States, even during his decade in New York. It was not without trying. He contributed songs to the 1980 Broadway musical 'Reggae,' produced by Michael Butler, who had also produced 'Hair.' He sang backup on 'Dance,' a track on the Rolling Stones' 1980 album, 'Emotional Rescue'; in return, a year later Keith Richards played on and helped produce his album 'Holding Out My Love to You.' None of it caught on. He continued to turn out albums during the 1980s, but he also worked in a record store to make money. Finally, in 1989, a friend persuaded him to return to Jamaica, and even let him live at his house for a year. Mr. Romeo's survivors include his wife, Charm; 11 children, including his daughter Xana and his son Azizzi, themselves famous singers; three sisters; three brothers; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Like other roots reggae artists, Mr. Romeo remained committed to his Rastafarian beliefs,; they were, he said, his core motivation for making music. 'I made a pledge to Jah that every time I open my mouth, I must be giving praise,' he told Counterpunch magazine in 2019. 'Every time I move my hand, it must be something positive. But it's always about Rastafari. And I cling to that until today. That's my faith.'
The Guardian
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Chaka Khan on Prince, poetry and wild, wonderful nights: ‘No one's done anything but craziness at 4am'
Can you remember the precise moment you realised you had a gift as a vocalist? SalfordRed64I was doing a talent show at the Burning Spear in Chicago. My group, the Crystallettes, graced many a nightclub stage in competitions, and every time either us or [fellow Chicago girl group] the Emotions would win. But I remember singing some Aretha Franklin songs and people in the audience were throwing money on the stage, and they started calling me 'little Aretha'. That's when I connected the dots: 'Oh, I see what this is all about.' I realised I didn't have to become a teacher or a whatever I wanted to be when I grew up back then – I could be a singer! You have so much confidence and you just knew you and [the band] Rufus were going to make it big. Where does that confidence come from? stifwhiffWhen I was with Rufus, I knew I loved what we were doing, and I could only hope and pray everyone else loved it like I did. That's all you can ask for. And that's still how I am about the music I make. I have confidence in everything I do – all the time. And that is a necessary thing to have if you want success – if you've created something and you want everyone to love it, you have to love it first. And that's applicable to everything in life, not just music. Your cover of Joni Mitchell's Hejira was unbelievable. I've read about your planned Mitchell album for a long time. Are you still planning to release it? Jroel72I love Joni – she's helped me out of a lot of rough spots, just with her music. We're great friends, and have been for many, many years. I first met her when I did a little ad-lib on her song Dreamland. She knows how to get a good collaboration going, and she always has a great rhythm section – my all-time favourite songs of hers are the ones where Jaco [Pastorius] is playing bass, God bless his soul. I am indeed working on a CD of some of my favourite songs by her, and it'll be out … soon. I saw you in [stage musical] Mama, I Want To Sing! many years ago (which you were very good in). Do you have any ambitions to return to the stage? jaelliottNo. I'm glad you saw it and enjoyed it, but I got zonked out from doing that. [Acting on stage] is just too much hard work; I don't need to do it and it's just not my favourite thing to do – music is. I never get bored with songs and music and melody. I'm lucky to be doing something that feeds me and nurtures me and makes me feel good. How often do you play the drums now? KnobtwidllerI love playing drums. I just don't often get the chance to play, unless I'm jamming at the club with somebody – and I don't go out clubbing much these days. I love any drummer who's in the pocket. Buddy Miles was my favourite, growing up, and my dad turned me on to Max Roach when I was a kid. My dad inspired me to play drums; he used to play congas. When I was a little girl, my sister and I used to go with him to the park, where they'd have a drum circle going, and we'd join in and have a great time. I can also play a little bass, and I took flute and violin in school for hot minutes. But I'm really a drummer. I'm going to just start doing some drums, some beats, on my recordings. Like Sugar [from 2019] is an absolute banger. Any plans to release more music soon? snak3spanI'm working on it right now! Sia and I are working on an amazing project, and I hope the first single will come out some time this summer. I'm always working on music. And Sia is amazing – she's my goddaughter! This is something we've been working on for a year now, and it's killing us, because we keep coming up with more great music to do! We can't finish, because we've got so much to give. It's beautiful. I once heard you write poetry in your spare time. Have you given thought to compiling it and releasing a poetry book? JulesTheDreamerI've talked about doing a poetry book; I just can't find all the scrap paper I've been writing my poems on! When I'm in creative mode, I need somebody to snatch those papers up before I go on to the next sheet! But I've got to start putting all that junk together and see if it inspires anybody, because sometimes the most disorganised stuff can be the best you've written. Life is inspiration to me – it's like a bag of chips and popcorn, a major mix. I'm never at a loss of stuff to write about. I loved your version of A Night in Tunisia. Would you take such an innovative approach to other jazz standards? And when did you start loving jazz music? User28I've done plenty of jazz standards. I've loved jazz since I was a toddler – my mother and father were jazz fanatics. I heard everything from the Art Ensemble of Chicago – which was, you know, out there – to Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis. And I worked with Miles. He and Prince were very similar – big thinkers. Miles was always looking to grow. Prince was, too. The three of us collaborated on Sticky Wicked, on my CK album in 1988, and it was a beautiful combination. What's your favourite Stevie Wonder song? What was he like to work with? EddieChorepostI Was Made to Love Her. That song just wipes me out. I covered it as well [as I Was Made to Love Him]. Another genius. You performed once at Gay Pride in London in Kennington Park. My first Pride – I was a young lesbian, 19 or 20. The power of your voice blasting across the field was incredible. Firstly, thank you. It felt like the gays were being blessed by you. Do you remember being there? And have you always been a champion of the LGBTQ+ community? FoolishBoyI've always been a champion. I'm so sorry, I don't remember that day; it sounds remarkable. I'm so glad you were able to bathe in that wonderful feeling. I'm a champion of anyone who is having a problem getting their point across, of living their life, their love, the way they want or need to. If they are struggling to be heard, to be loved, to be understood, I'm behind them. What was performing with Prince like? GeeSNZ64It was like working with myself, more than anyone else I've worked with. Sia's bringing up a close third, behind Prince and Miles Davis. Quincy Jones, too: he oozed inspiration and shared it. Prince just grabbed ideas out of the air and left you wondering: 'Where did you get that?' He was a really deep and beautiful thinker. We worked on a lot of songs, and they're all going to be on a CD I'm soon to release – there's a lot of red tape that's been in the way, but we've cleared it. It's him and me and Larry Graham, together. Way back in 1995, you sang with Prince at his Wembley Arena aftershow party at the Astoria. I remember that he came out at around 4am and you and George Benson joined him, and it was a great night. Other than that my memory is hazy. What do you remember of that night? WhistlebumpMy memory is at least as hazy as yours, I bet – probably more. Four o'clock in the morning? No one's doing anything but craziness at four in the morning! So I'm sure it was like a wild, wonderful night. And don't look for the little details; just remember the big feeling you had. That's how I handle my memories. I don't remember a lot of what I did. And thank God! I'm a 'next!' person. Life is about what's happening now, what's coming next. I've done a lot in my life, and over half of it I don't remember. Did I ever keep a diary? Oh, hell no. That takes a special kind of patience. Does the fact that music is a universal language prove we all have a lot more in common than we realise? Twist27Absolutely. Music is the language of the angels – when I sing, I feel oneness with all creation, oneness with God, with everything. It's a remarkable thing. And maybe it sounds a bit cuckoo, but it's the truth. When everything comes together – the instruments, the vocal – that's the sound of angels speaking. Chaka Khan will perform at the Hampton Court Palace festival on 18 June. Her Manifestation Planner and Journal is out now
Axios
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Ballantyne events guide 2025: Concerts, festivals and things to do
Ballantyne, once a corporate office park in south Charlotte, is quickly becoming a destination for outdoor concerts, seasonal festivals and a growing lineup of new restaurants. What's happening: We've rounded up the biggest events coming to Ballantyne this year — from live music to food fests — plus a few favorite spots to hit while you're in the area. Zoom in: At the center of it all is The Bowl at Ballantyne, a recently developed walkable town center with shops, restaurants, fitness studios and events. Most events are at The Bowl or in Ballantyne's Backyard, a nearby 100-acre community park full of green space and walking trails. Festivals and markets From BBQ tastings to holiday light shows, here are four major festivals and open-air markets happening in Ballantyne between now and the end of the year. 🛍 Shop local vendors at the Bowl Street Pop-Up Market on April 5, 10am–3pm. The outdoor market will take place on the first Saturday of the month from April to November. 🍖 Try over 60 beers, 40 bourbons and lots of BBQ at the Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Fest in Ballantyne's Backyard on May 17, noon–6pm. General admission is $45. 🥃 Find whiskey bars and open-fire cooking at the Whiskey, Wine and Fire Fest in Ballantyne's Backyard on Oct. 25, 5–9pm. General admission is $59. 🎄 Feel the Christmas spirit at the Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular in Ballantyne's Backyard. 2025 dates haven't been announced, but the display typically runs most of December. Concerts The AMP is Ballantyne's 3,500-seat outdoor music venue, and the 2025 lineup is stacked. From country icons to reggae legends, here are some shows to put on your radar. April 23: Chris Young June 7: The Beach Boys Aug 22: Ben Rector Sept 21: Ziggy Marley & Burning Spear Fitness/parks and rec Ballantyne boasts more than 20 parks and ponds and over 20 miles of walking paths and bike lanes. 🏃🏻♂️Set a new personal record in the 21st annual Run! Ballantyne 8K, 5K & Fun Run on April 5 at 7:30am. ☀️ Soak up the spring sun with a picnic, walk or bike ride at parks like Stream Park, Brixham Park, or Ballantyne's Backyard. So much to do, so little time If you're just in Ballantyne for a short time, here are some suggestions to get a quick taste of the neighborhood. ☕ Start with a coffee from Fly Kid Fly. 🎯 Pretend you're on a TV game show with your friends at Game Show Battle Rooms.
