4 minute read
Lively Up Yourself
Dread Junction
Lively Up Yourself
Written by Vince Carnovale Photo by Annie Shillington Design by Lyndon Pike
One of Australia’s foremost, knowledgeable and respected DJ identities in the reggae music business, Prince Vince has hosted “Dread Junction” a fortnightly 2-hour reggae program on Fine Music Sydney since 2010. It’s been described as ‘Australia’s hottest 2-hour reggae show’ with Prince Vince presenting a strictly Roots & Culture selection featuring the best riddims, new & old exclusive rare cuts and tunes originating from Jamaican culture dating right back to the early 60’s as well as the sounds of now!
But what is so great about reggae music is that much of what exists in popular music today started in Jamaica.
To put things into perspective, it’s worth going back in time before the rise of Bob Marley and the Wailers to trace the origins & roots of reggae. In the 50’s Jamaicans were listening closely to Miami and New Orleans radio. Rock ‘n Roll & R&B was the order of the day. But whilst catchy, nothing at that time was embracing the African heritage, there was little notion then in America of Afrocentricity. At the end of the 50’s different local sound system operators like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid and Prince Buster rose to prominence and started to cut their own records. The local sound systems in Jamaica were really taking off and this drove the local recording business, with their need to have the latest hot recording. The emergence of the effervescent beat of ska was simultaneously brewing in the early 60’s. At this time the colony of Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962. In Jamaica, this date is celebrated as Independence Day, a national holiday.
Rocksteady is a sensational rhythm which slowed down the beat during the mid/late 60’s. Reggae is considered to have hit the town having been formulated around 1967/68. Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945, in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica. In 1963, Marley and his friends Peter Tosh & Bunny Wailer formed the Wailing Wailers. The Wailers’ big break came in 1972, when they landed a contract with Island Records. They took the world by storm. The rest is Legend.
Prince Vince presents Dread Junction on alternative Wednesday mornings fortnightly on Fine Music Sydney from Midnight – 2am. You will always hear the best in reggae including the old favourites but also featuring latest releases from Jamaica, the UK, Europe, America and from our very own Downunder.
Wednesday 1 October at Midnight
Why Summer Latin Jazz is Cool
Part 3 in the Why Jazz is Cool series
Written by Leita Hutchings Illustration by Leita Hutchings
Ever thought how close Latin rhythms are to the rhythm of a heartbeat? Take the syncopation the heart-beat; a regular 3-3 beat, where the 3rd beat is silent. Now listen to “Lagrimas Negras” by Aldo Lope Gavillian and Sexteto Cubavana; there’s a literal jumping across a mid-beat, just like a heart-beat. It’s not a matter of art imitating life; it’s a perfect fusion of art and life.
The first few guitar bars of Lagrimas Negras SOUNDS like sunlight sparkling! And the tzzzk tzzzk of the Guiro is so close to high summer buzzing of Cicadas. How about the 50s madness when they “discovered” Latin jazz? Imagine! While everyone’s crooning to Frank Sinatra and dancing to Glen Miller, Latin jazz was “discovered”. Then, amongst an explosion of discovery; new fads happening all at once, there was the incredible leap from bobby sox, Aeroplane Jelly and post war conservatism; to the smouldering sensuality of Latinos and their music, along with Beatniks; Rockabilly, and Elvis Presley. The only musical genre to have endured, without interruption, was Latin Jazz. Their unique rhythms; well documented, like the Tressillo and habanera rhythms; introduced all sorts of new rhythms to the musicians vernacular; bossa nova, rhumba, salsa (no, not the food!).
I learnt the trick of Latin dancing in Cuba; you mark the beat with your knees, not your feet. That’s why your hips start swinging. So you’re listening to some fabulous Latin jazz; your heartbeat and your breathing are in syncopation with the music; your hips are swinging, and there’s a great culture all around you, of sharing and good will. No wonder they’re always smiling and enjoying life; what a fabulous trick! In the middle of the day, you retire to a beautifully tiled, elegantly cool courtyard and drink “soft” mojitos to beat the heat … in a Hotel that Sinatra stayed in; there’s so many Hotels in Cuba that boast Sinatra stayed there. And while you’re reading or eating or sipping another Mojito, another exquisite Cuban group starts up some soulful or spritely jazz, and the spirit of dancing and sharing is palpable. This summer; with the sun burning your hair, or dancing on the lawn; could there be anything better than Latin jazz, bare feet, tanned limbs, and a season of blistering hot days? I’m already anticipating sitting under a shady tree, a pair of super cool sunnies, wet hair drops evaporating off the skin … maybe a cool mojito in hand. What a great way to handle the coming months.
