By Bret Lueder
Special to The Action News
Lead singer of premiere Jamaican vocal harmony trio describes power of reggae music
By Bret Lueder
Special to The Action News
Have you ever wondered how it is possible for such a tiny island as Jamaica to have produced a music that has become so popular worldwide? Reggae music has gone international. But this is no coincidence to the legendary lead singer of one of Jamaica's most renowned roots reggae vocal harmony trios the Itals.
His name is Keith Porter. He and various incarnations of the Itals vocal trio
have been singing about the positive tenets of the spiritual practice of Rastafari
through reggae music for over thirty years. Porter said that reggae music has
swept over the Earth because it is instilled with the energy of almost 400 years
of oppression. And although the practice of Rastafari is most closely related
to the freedom and oppression of African peoples around the world, he said,
it is also a general cry for the freedom of all suppressed peoples.
This concept is particularly important in Jamaica where people of all colors
are packed and organized into an oppressive class structure. The people with
the darkest skin are on the bottom while greater amounts of status are more
easily gained with lighter skin. Indeed, many writers have called Jamaica the
Ellis Island of the Caribbean for exactly this reason: its stifling social class
structure mimics that of any of the colonized indigenous cultures. According
to Porter, it is Jamaica's unique combination of oppressed races, crammed onto
such a small island, which gives reggae music its potent power.
"The energy rises up where it is needed most," said Porter, "All
the slaves would come through Jamaica first before going anywhere else. And
each one would leave a little behind. Others stayed. So it is the variety of
people that gives reggae its power. We Jamaicans tell it like it is and this
makes us strong."
In other words, lower class Jamaicans, many of which are descendants of former
slaves and the overwhelming majority of the population have been mistreated
by their colonial masters and modern-day elitists for so long that they are
not afraid to "tell it like it is." This fearlessness is the root
of their power. But the words are only part of it, he said. The words become
more pronounced when they are attached to a "riddim."
"The riddim helps people to awaken to the message," assured Porter.
"The riddim is the vehicle for the positive message. This is why I have
been singing and writing songs for over thirty years, because it is upful [righteous]
to teach people consciousness. I try to show people through my music that truthfulness
is who a person is. Each time someone is being straightforward and honest, they
are giving thanks to the supreme source of life."
Classic Rastafari influenced work from the Itals includes '81's "Brutal
Out Deh," '83's "Give Me Power" and '87's " Rasta Philosophy."
Most of their early work was recorded in the form of singles and 45's which
has recently been released as a compilation titled "Early Recordings '71-'79."
So why did it take the Itals ten years before they released their first full-length
studio album ("Brutal Out Deh")?
"You've got to be careful in this business," said Porter. "Some
studios like to pirate the music and make all the money. So I took the time
and learned about the industry. We will be having a new album out this spring
but this is why it has taken so long since our last album and why we didn't
release our first album until '81."
The Itals most recent album, '98's "Modern Age," is its sixth studio
LP and yet another example of Porter's "straightforward" lyrics. Uplifting
tunes like "Render Love," "Happen Before The Time" and "In
A Dis Ya Time" ride the various riddims into the listener's souls imbuing
them with positivity, he said. "People need the positiveness," said
Porter, " because that is the energy that will free our minds. It is plain
to see and people need to wake up. I write about these things because they're
true."
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