BURNING SPEAR: AFRICAN TEACHER

BURNING SPEAR: AFRICAN TEACHER

Burning Spear has in the past 25+ years achieved many acclaims as a reggae musician. He is known to many as the African teacher; the elder statesman of reggae; a cultural ambassador; a preacher; a rastaman. The main themes incorporated into his music are the teachings of Marcus Garvey, African roots, Rastafarian beliefs, and consciousness, especially black consciousness. Spear's sound is said to be hypnotic and trance-like (Bloodlines, Davis and Simon, 1992, 53-55). His lyrics are simple, but the resonant sound of Spear's voice, along with the drum and bass, intensifies the listening experience to its fullest. His music is meant to be heard in every part of your body; to carry the listener to a higher state of being; to uplift. In Newsday, Elena Oumano wrote:"At its heights, reggae music transforms the loss rage and love of 2 million former slaves/colonials into"dread"consciousness, and international revolution of the mind against blind acceptance of the world as it is, rocking affirmation of the power of the underclass to elevate the human spirit,"(Oumano, 1991, p 17). Spear's reggae has, since the beginning, continued to reach this height.

Winston Rodney, Burning Spear's Christian name, was born on March 1, 1945. He was born in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica (Messer, 1995, 1). Burning Spear was quoted to have said this about his background;"I'm not a man with a musical background. I was a flexible man who was there until Jah call I,"(qtd. in Messer, 1995, 2). He takes his name from the Kenya freedom fighter, Jomo Kenyatta, who was also called Burning Spear (Bloodlines, Davis and Simon, 1992, 54).

Spear's musical career began in 1969 when he ran into Bob Marley deep in the outdoors of St. Ann's. It could be said that Marley and Spear were led to each other on that day in January. Marley was traveling to his farm via a donkey. Spear was headed the opposite direction. When their paths crossed, Bob brought his donkey to a halt and climbed down. The two began talking, and Bob rolled a spliff. They sat in the grass, smoking, talking of Rastafari, African roots, and reggae music. Burning Spear mentioned that he was interested in getting involved in the music business. Marley told Spear to go to Studio One, which was the label Marley had been working with and which Coxsone Dodd owned. Marley told Spear to tell the producers that he had sent him.