ROOTICAL VIBES - Berlin Reggae Runnings

Greetings to one and all in these telling times that we now find ouselves. In spite of all, the vibes continue to move ever forward in the name of JAH. Works and more works are becoming more and more manifest throughout all spectra. Years come and go as far back as everyone can remember, so 2005 was just another one gone by. Reggaewise was not too bad. Good shows and productions were there, but not blasting in the face like the "popular" mashdowns that scream at our faces everywhere everyday. It's nice to know that there are a good number of online areas where anyone interested can get a cyber taste of Reggae Berlin. Local vibes seem for the time to be confined, or restricted to the Dee J scene. Small openings some times in places like Yaam or the Junction Bar...otherwise is a hussle...no real "Clubs" where at least once a month you can dub it out. Some guys have tried, but the vans are usually parked outside, because reggae place equals grass smoking place, and so the eternal 'blem comes up...what 2 do??...

Yes I, greetings to one and all...looks like the cycle gone by again (for the most of us) and we are at that time when all kinds of resolutions trys to assert themselves inside our minds because we are now outta X-mas auto-program mode and are ready for the new stuff....or are we? Well, after taking a close look, 2005 did pass by in the same style as before, from a musical and specific reggae point of view. Same festivals featuring mainly the same acts...just a little mix up over the years. Looks like a reflection of all what seems to be happening in the world. A couple years ago was more upbeat, but since that "War on Terra" started, it affected one and all. Some fatalists have already predicted the coming end of the "entertainment" business and society as we now know it. This past year saw a record proliferation of junk misic and videos in our faces. If T.V. was equipped with "smell-o-meters" or something so, I wonder how the so called stations would smell after these clips that they keep on shoving into our eyes/ears/(nose?)...Underskirt underskirt and underskirt and then again with no class or respect. People may think what they want, but there is a difference betwen snaking thru a riddim and seeing these painted and directed dollies who are there only to earn a day's pay. Sad but true, the industry took its foot this year to the max. Shame on those who sit at the deciding desks.They say is what sells, but people can only buy what is available for sale.Under-reported was the fact that reggae did relatively well this year...vibes in Ethiopia, Gentle hit #1 in Germany with a conscious reggae song, "Jamaika Coalition" was uttered zillions of times over German T.V. and among the folk, after the tied results of national elections. The forces that keep pushing their winey and short or no-skirted dolls think that by doing so they will prevent people from noticing the roots.....but time will show. After all that wining, they must get tired and will need a rest. JAH will be there, waiting for them.

Kabwitt

How to cross over the Mainstream

Watering the Roots of Reggae

Creole Lesson #4

Cadence guitar & keyboard techniques

The Reggae Drummer Shortage

Yo...In the grand order of things, everything has his/her ot its place. Forgetting this truth sometimes leads to misconceptions and an inability to understand our paticular world. Rootsreggae and Dub are among the pilars of the foundations of modern conscious music, most of which is unknown to the ear tuned in to popular music. Instruments used for the expression of this artform can range from the remotely antique to the most modern. Roots folk will use the available instrument like a functional tool. It is in fact an "instrument" to channel the creative energies. Rootsmusic musicians/people cannot, do not and will/would not play or produce music "for the charts". In that sense it will always be like the roots of a tree. Unseen by those who enjoy the fruits, but still being the essence and backbone of the entity called tree producing fruits which is the main reason why fruitree exists...check? Look like we are in a period of drought and the fruits are not no juicy but dryish. Or it could be like when people tie their swine under a mango tree. Forget it this year...worms like hell in de mango!! They poisoning the roots!!! That's why all conscious people have to be aware. Roots music will remain underground...an underground whose existence is becoming more and more evident but less functional in the shaping of the fruit "light" to be given to the public at large.

Touloulou

Tapping is the most abused and misused guitar technique out there today...... Brian H

A good Dub should always have surprises and be unpredictable at the first hearing.... M Pro

Dépi en lékol yo kyonné nou, yo fè nou kwè nou hodd Lamaywik... Chubby

Million miles from reality...no care for me no care for you..... Bro. B

IMPRESSUM

Editor and Publisher

Ras Perez

Rootical Vibes is a timely paper checking on reggae and related scenes, in and around Berlin.

Contributors:

Kabwitt, Touloulou, Ras Zékal, Ari Ree, Dr. O. T. Yozott

e-mail: info@rasperez.de

Tel: 01634424551

Hi all... modern man has felt it necessary to classify each and every single thing in the world...and music has not escaped.What does "world music" as a category mean? Isn't everything recorded here on "Terra"? Maybe some takes have been done in space for experimental purposes, but it would be safe to say that most if not all CDs avaialable for sale or free is "world" music. Why certain are referred to as such and others not? Answers are hard to come by. Labels are given and the public has to accept without questions.Who's responsible? Steele Pulse ask that question long time ago!! There is also the case of "Ethnic" music.Maybe this has something to do with country of origin, although I've never heard about a country and western artist from inglan', or for that matter, a rock band from Trinidad, which is one of the world's most cosmopolitan countries....well, we have to leave it there and agree that all music is world music unless we get some UFO distribution connections....Virgin will be first, because maybe Richy dem already start to plan that, if/when/if..they build a future (soon) Spaceport in Arizona.

Ras Zékal

Greetings.........life and death has been around as long as we can remember, but since there is no one who has experienced death to talk about it, we have to depend on all kinds of prescriptions and perceptions in order to prevent ouselves from falling sick and eventually kicking in. Better to focus on effective living than causes of sickness. Feeling good and irie is the opposite of down and sick. Joyful sounds will spontaneouly burst from our beings when we feel good under whatever circumstances. When we hear the sounds we love to hear, we feel better, and if we feel low, our favourite tune will help us regain strength. Plants do respond to music during the early stages of growth and can be pretty much "annoyed" if certain sounds predominate during that period. Humankind is no exception to the rules of harmony. Knowledge is necessary for the diagnosis and remedy of ills so we need the advice of a "Dr." who knows how to treat maladies. Most of us are sick...and tired of all the lies and deceptions that we are bombarded daily with....and so it is quite natural that we take some medicine to make us feel better and gain some lost strength. In today's world, the "cure" must be proscribed and authourised by designated bodies. We are slowly and surely losing the right and ability to cure ourselves on our own. Marinol pill o.k., but the plant is a problem. Something wrong somewhere.

Ari Ree

Well yes, not much was visible on the outside of things, but some runnings did take place during the past times but then again, little or no mention in the "big" press. Seed came up with another controversial video to push a relatively good song...but so is the business. Yaam started to bring in National and local acts this year...open air sessions in the summer and inside at the "winter location"...Good vibes pass there this year...most of the well-known names from "West" Germany came thru....Sunday jam is now a regular scene, and buffs stroll in as early as late afternoon. Looks like the "Yaamagement" finally wised up and did the right thing...big up to Ortwin, Malik and the rest of a really nice bunch of guys and gals.More of the same is promised for '06, so things look like they're moving somewhere. Sound Operator and Producer Sira Panther (Bionic Sounds...one of the city's premiere purveyors of the widest selection of reggae and roots) has also been hard at work producing and releasing some good vibes with local artist Mehdiman and Daddy Freddy..."shook shimmie 'n shake" was included on the Riddim Magazine CD#17...it's worth a check. New releases for 2006 are expected from Tribal Notes,Ras Perez, Masoud, Ras (recently nominated for a German reggae Grammy in the 'best singer' category) Donovan, Tiki (Paul Saint Hilaire) and Jeff Fontaine. Give thanks....

The Dreaditor

Cha...well, some may have already made up their minds about the authenticity of a "live" show when samples are used.....and regardless of where you stand on the issue (providing it is overstood), it just becomes a reality that things have reached a certain "point of no return" for the better or the worser. I an I always get blown away by these shows. The context always seems to be giving me some problems. All flows nicely, but to come and talk about "performance" afterwards always have me dumbfounded. Performance what!?!?! On the other hand a show is just about three hours duration so when economic factors show their face, mister tricknology just come up with the short-term answer. I don't see why the future shows will not be only imagery and no live substance in the form of living performers. Other issues have "spoken" about this problem, but concertgoers are usually inattentive to details. The WBR just pulled it off nicely...it was fun, though, when what's happening is known and can be checked to see how well the players are tuned to the loops. The intros are usually blowmindy...bassman acting like is he that there...drumroll and everything then comes to view...but again, big crowd, big P.A....I suppose everybody happy....we'll see y'all next year again.

Dr. O. T. Yozott