2000 is around the corner, and a glimpse of what could be coming was demonstrated by PerryLee, Mad Professor and 'Robotics' in Pfefferberg ...Samples a go go... 'Wo YO' still ringing out twenty minutes after curtains had been drawn!! Did Perry really 'sing'? Well... Perry would not be himself if he did not put in some really slack vibes into the show. For ethico-moralo reasons, I will not print a really wicked line which is also supposed to be the name of the song....Leave them man in their business!!! Full house to see and hear the 'I am a madman' in Berlin but next show up in Hamburg was not so full up. Got a glimpse of some of this year's acts featuring at SUMFEST in Jamaica. Nuff niceness..... but as usual, Empty Vee showed most of the dancehall artists and although the living greats like Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt were given a chance to say something, the spotlight was definitely on to the 'other' side of reggae.

To be continued.......

For a couple years now, Ras Perez & the Reggae Ambassadubs has become synonymous with reggae based in Berlin.People who have seen this band must remember certain particularities. Two dreadren, (Bass & Drums) an' two Sistren; (keys, voc.,perc., voc.). There is a noticeable absence of guitarist(e)!! It becomes quite clear however that Ras Perez is the (red) bassist-lead singer. Who he is and where he comes from cannot be easily guessed unless one knows him through his CD or hears his story from himself (which is what we intend to do here). I arrived late but that did not seem to disturb him.

Ras P: Yes I Tilou...greetings!! Come in man, I thought you had a traffic jam session.
I sat down and put my walkman straight into recording mode because I did not want to miss anything. I had been forewarned but already I was hearing about "Traffic Jam Session!!!???!!
TLL: Nah man, today Sunday de roads clear... I jus wake up late.
Ras P: Sun what?? It raining cats and flies out dere.
TLL: Yes, but you know what I mean...stop splitting hairs and leh we start the interview.
RAS P: I ready already.
TLL: People would like to know about your early musical influences, since on your CD you say you started in 67. Some people who listen to you were not born then. What can you tell them were your early musical influences?
Ras P: Well...as long as I can remember, I was attracted to sounds from very small. I liked the birds how they sang and I considered horses and donkeys to have the "jazzy" side of animal sounds compared to the birds which I checked as being in the "pop" category!!!
TLL: What? Ras P: Yah man, before I talk about listening to radio or learning to play instrument, I must say that I was really fascinated when listening to animals "talk", "sing" or "cry".
TLL: Yeah, I see where you coming from, but people would like to know about stuff like if you come from a musical family, or if you listened to what was you favourite music over the radio if you had that possibility, or what was the musical ambience around you, say up to when you were ten or so.
Ras P: Yah Yah...it's good you mention that possibility thing for radio because when I was growing up in Dominica, Grand Bay to be more precise, I remember when there were only three or four radios in the village and our family was one of them that had. Of course we are talking about before the great transistor revolution and I was lucky to be able to stay home and listen to almost anywhere in the world ...except Dominica of course!!
TLL: Your family.....how many of you and their interest in music?
Ras P: My parents lived together at the time and I am the middle one with an elder sister and a younger brother.
TLL: Eh, Eh Centrally placed eh? Your sister and brother, do they play music too?

MORE RAW FACTS contd
featuring RAW performing artists will be hosted by "Be here now", an all ages smoke-free venues in Ashville, on September 5th and 6th. For complete information about RAW, those interested can contact its founder Papa Pilgrim at the following address: 1057 Denver Street, Salt Lake City, UTAH, 84111, USA. Phone/Fax: 801-355-1405; e-mail pilgrim@xmission.com. To date there 336 RAW members with known e-mail and a further 101 with known web site. So, don't watch us grow. Grow with us!!!!!

SUMMER contd
Berlin's Hanf Parade kicked off to a good start with local and outta town massives in full support but nothing to be compared with Love (sic) Parade that drew a million technoheads and sold 'nuff beers and cold water thirsty ravers!!! Love parade is what it is and Hanf is something else. It is still a known fact that some herbs products dealers tend to distance themselves from hard core smokers. A double-sided affair. Yes, it would be good for the Government to relax ganja laws so that the -0%THC-content weed could be planted abundantly and sell lots of hanf clothes or soap whatever the 21st century yuppies decide the style to be. So the parade went on and Makwerhu was among the bands that played somewhere that day. Berlin seems to lack a good open space to put up a nice concert in the TU Mensa ...gone by days or what? Local acts were more or less out of stage view this summer....Every weekend or so one of the main groups was always out to play somewhere else than Berlin. Are we tired of hearing our boys or are they tired of playing to us? There is still some work to be done by both parties to ensure that the reggae vibes is forwarded with due respect to JAH and the people who yearn and crave to be imbibed by the vibes of this music. In the next issue a local promoter frees up his mind and has some things to say to aspiring artists inna de city.

TWH TODAY .................................................................... by The Dreaditor
Since the fall or its infamous wall, Berlin has had to come to grips with a new reality. There is no more 'east' and 'West'. People just slide through where points used to be checked before (Charlie). So it's all 'West' now, and the changes and adjustments were felt everywhere. Kreuzberg happens to be centrally located and land/property there as well as everywhere else in now very highly valued. On Wilhelm Str. 9, Tommy Weissbecker Haus stands like a reminder of Berlin's radicalism, and we all wonder whether it is here to stay or will one day be transformed into a sleek modern job like Willy's mansion just within smoke smell distance up the street. As we mentioned in our last issue, everyone has some kind of concept about what this place is supposed to be, but hardly an inkling of an idea about its runnings. It is a place conceived to demonstrate that communal living can work in spite of all the hardships that usually accompany the almost impossible task of trying to organise chaos. The house 'Constitution' is very precise in allowing each individual to stretch forth towards one's creative limits while at the same time paying due respect to the excesses of others. It works!!! On a sunny afternoon or even certain nights, one can relax to soothing reggae sounds coming from the practise sessions of either Ras Donovan, Ras Perez or any of the local outfits in the cellar brushing up for an upcoming gig. Soon to be featured in the Café downstairs (Linie 1) will be local weekend reggae happenings. Yes folks.... twice a month on weekends starting mid October. Rootical sounds and small but effective live presentations will be on the musical menu. More times and it's gonna be cold, so when you'll want to check out good reggae on a weekend, don't forget to check out the Linie 1 and find out who's slated....Nuff new talents will be discovered there ...I tell you!!

MORE RAW FACTS

Yes I, lots of happenings inna de city this summer. The East of Germany floods but Berlin has had more than its usual share of sun this year. Yaam moved to a new location on Curvy Str. and the Sunday massive turn out to check vibes. Same thing but a different setting...lots of space for freeing up oneself and toning up the mind for.....Monday!! Big up to Tom and his crew anyway.Arena now 'controls' the former site so I guess that everybody's happy now. Record crowd to see and hear Luciano, Ziggy and Spear in Tempodrom...heavy duty vibes ...Spear does have a thrust. More about that show in another section. This year's July 21st 'Fete de la Musique' was not as upbeat as last year's initial tryout. With quasi-mystical foresight, the organisers set up less outside stages as if they knew in advance that heavy rain was coming that day!! Yes folks, it did rain cats and dogs throughout 'ganz' Deutschland that day. Another funny happening was the fact that most bands had paying gigs on that very same day and all chose to go to play where the pay was. That's life!! A report from Cottbus tells us that a Reggae Dub Fest was completely washed out although the crowd remained and pranced under the showers....of blessing.... Mot less that thirteen (13) Soundsystems outta Berlin clashed in May in Tempodrom!!! Sound after Sound after Sound but the vibes were just irie....Concrete Jungle, Sounds Dimension, Urban Bass, Black Liberation Sound, Heart Attack Sound Sisters to name a few of them. Culture and the Dub Mystic Band were in top form in Pfefferberg at the end of May. Guaranteed roots and Kulcha......Big up.. Dean and Dexter....irie!!! Early June saw the younger Marleys on stage in Huxley's. Goos show, ..but no crowd for a place of that size...It was advertised though!!! Early July, Israel Vibration were also in Huxley's with Radics but it was not the kind of mash up crowd that you would expect....Still de boys dem tight!! On the local sound side of things, Liberation Corner has just reopened after one month cool out. Hafis will be there spinning as usual on Frinights!! George Cool now steady at Acud Club in the eastern part of the city. Check the man every Thursdays and Saturdays nights for what I consider a balance reggae menu...stoned or not, you will end up checking the positive vibes. Ruff Ryder (Keith Damage or Keith Kamus ..dj-selekta extrodinaire) is back in town and featured at this year's JA Independence Fest in Pfefferberg.