Burning Spear
Encyclopedia
Winston Rodney, OD
(born 1 March 1945), also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots
reggae
singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement
messages.
, Jamaica
, as were reggae
singer Bob Marley
and political activist Marcus Garvey
who both had a great influence on Rodney's life: Garvey in his philosophy, which Burning Spear greatly took to, and Marley in directly helping Burning Spear get started in the music industry (by some accounts) by introducing him to Clement Dodd. Rodney met Marley at the latter's farm in 1969, and having told him that he wanted to get into the music business, Marley advised him to start at Dodd's Studio One label. Reggae
singer Larry Marshall claimed that it was he, while visiting St. Ann's Bay with Jackie Mittoo
, who was approached by Rodney, and gave him this advice, and arranged the introduction.
Burning Spear was originally Rodney's group, named after Jomo Kenyatta
, the first Prime Minister and President of an independent Kenya
, and including bass singer Rupert Willington. This duo auditioned for Dodd in 1969, and recorded the debut single "Door Peep". They were joined by tenor Delroy Hinds (brother of Justin Hinds
). The trio recorded several more singles for Dodd, and two albums, before they moved on to work with Jack Ruby
in 1975. Their first recording with Ruby, "Marcus Garvey", was intended as an exclusive track for Ruby's Ocho Rios
-based Hi-Power sound system, but was released as a single, giving them an immediate hit, and was followed by "Slavery Days". These recordings featured the backing band The Black Disciples, which included Earl "Chinna" Smith, Valentine Chin
, Robbie Shakespeare and Leroy Wallace. The group worked with Ruby on their third album, Marcus Garvey
(1976), which was immediately successful and led to a deal with Island Records
to give the album a wider release. Island remixed and altered the speed of some of the tracks, much to the annoyance of fans and the group, leading Rodney to set up his own Spear label for future releases where he would have full control, although further releases followed on Island including a dub
album (Garvey's Ghost) and the Man in the Hills
album. In late 1976, Rodney split from both Ruby and group members Willington and Hinds, and from that point on used the name Burning Spear for himself alone. Dry and Heavy followed in 1977, self-produced but still on Island, and with a sizeable following by now in the United Kingdom, he performed in London that year with members of Aswad acting as his backing band for a sold-out show at the Rainbow Theatre, which was recorded and released as Live!. Aswad also provided backing on his next studio album, Social Living (1978), which also featured Sly Dunbar
and Rico Rodriguez
. A dub version of the album, Living Dub (1979), was mixed by Sylvan Morris. His profile was raised further by an appearance in the film Rockers, performing "Jah no Dead".
In 1980, Rodney left Island Records, and set up the Burning Spear label, which he signed to EMI
, debuting on the label with Hail H.I.M.
, recorded at Marley's Tuff Gong
studio and co-produced by Aston Barrett
. A Sylvan Morris dub version followed in the form of Living Dub Volume Two. In 1982, Rodney signed with Heartbeat Records
with a series of well-received albums following, including the 1985 Grammy
-nominated Resistance. He returned to Island in the early 1990s, releasing two albums before rejoining Heartbeat.
Burning Spear tours extensively, and several live albums have been issued. His 1999 album, Calling Rastafari
brought his first Grammy Award in 2000, a feat which he repeated with Jah Is Real
in 2009.
In the mid 1990s, he set up the Burning Music Production company, handling his own bookings, and in 2002, he and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, restarted Burning Spear Records, giving him a greater degree of artistic control. Since the mid-1990s, he has been based in Queens, New York.
Burning Spear was awarded the Order of Distinction
in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007.
The Track "We Are Going" was featured in cycling documentary "Roam" by The Collective.
Nominations for Best Reggae Album
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
(born 1 March 1945), also known as Burning Spear, is a Jamaican roots
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement
Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement or Rasta is a new religious movement that arose in the 1930s in Jamaica, which at the time was a country with a predominantly Christian culture where 98% of the people were the black descendants of slaves. Its adherents worship Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia , as God...
messages.
History
Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint AnnSaint Ann Parish, Jamaica
Saint Ann is the largest parish in Jamaica. It is situated on the north coast of the island, in the county of Middlesex, roughly halfway between the eastern and western ends of the island. It is often called 'the Garden Parish of Jamaica' on account of its natural beauty...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, as were reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and political activist Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
who both had a great influence on Rodney's life: Garvey in his philosophy, which Burning Spear greatly took to, and Marley in directly helping Burning Spear get started in the music industry (by some accounts) by introducing him to Clement Dodd. Rodney met Marley at the latter's farm in 1969, and having told him that he wanted to get into the music business, Marley advised him to start at Dodd's Studio One label. Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
singer Larry Marshall claimed that it was he, while visiting St. Ann's Bay with Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo
Jackie Mittoo was a Jamaican keyboardist, songwriter and musical director. He was a founding member of The Skatalites and was a mentor to many younger performers, primarily through his work as musical director for the Studio One record label.-Biography:He was born Donat Roy Mittoo in Browns Town,...
, who was approached by Rodney, and gave him this advice, and arranged the introduction.
Burning Spear was originally Rodney's group, named after Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyattapron.] served as the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya. He is considered the founding father of the Kenyan nation....
, the first Prime Minister and President of an independent Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and including bass singer Rupert Willington. This duo auditioned for Dodd in 1969, and recorded the debut single "Door Peep". They were joined by tenor Delroy Hinds (brother of Justin Hinds
Justin Hinds
Justin Hinds was a Jamaican ska vocalist, with his backing singers the Dominoes.He is best known for his work with Duke Reid's Treasure Isle Records, where his most notable song, "Carry Go Bring Come" recorded in late 1963, went to number one in Jamaica...
). The trio recorded several more singles for Dodd, and two albums, before they moved on to work with Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby (record producer)
Lawrence Lindo , better known as Jack Ruby, was a Jamaican record producer and sound system operator, best known for his 1970s productions of artists such as Burning Spear....
in 1975. Their first recording with Ruby, "Marcus Garvey", was intended as an exclusive track for Ruby's Ocho Rios
Ocho Rios
Ocho Ríos is a town in the parish of Saint Ann on the north coast of Jamaica. Although he landed in many spots along the Jamaican coast, many believe that Christopher Columbus first set foot on land in Ocho Rios...
-based Hi-Power sound system, but was released as a single, giving them an immediate hit, and was followed by "Slavery Days". These recordings featured the backing band The Black Disciples, which included Earl "Chinna" Smith, Valentine Chin
Valentine Chin
Albert Valentine "Tony" Chin is a Jamaican guitarist, who has collaborated with many reggae artists including Burning Spear and Johnny Clarke. Chin is an original member of The Soul Syndicate, a backing band on countless reggae tracks, which evolved from The Rhythm Raiders. They recorded for Keith...
, Robbie Shakespeare and Leroy Wallace. The group worked with Ruby on their third album, Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey (album)
Marcus Garvey is the third album by the reggae singer Burning Spear, released in 1975 on Island Records, ILPS 9377. The album is named after the Jamaican National Hero Marcus Garvey...
(1976), which was immediately successful and led to a deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
to give the album a wider release. Island remixed and altered the speed of some of the tracks, much to the annoyance of fans and the group, leading Rodney to set up his own Spear label for future releases where he would have full control, although further releases followed on Island including a dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
album (Garvey's Ghost) and the Man in the Hills
Man in the Hills
Man in the Hills is a reggae album by Jamaican musician Burning Spear , released in 1976 on Island Records. Man in the Hills was follow-up to the seminal Marcus Garvey; Man in the Hills is usually considered a worthy follow-up, though less innovative and incendiary...
album. In late 1976, Rodney split from both Ruby and group members Willington and Hinds, and from that point on used the name Burning Spear for himself alone. Dry and Heavy followed in 1977, self-produced but still on Island, and with a sizeable following by now in the United Kingdom, he performed in London that year with members of Aswad acting as his backing band for a sold-out show at the Rainbow Theatre, which was recorded and released as Live!. Aswad also provided backing on his next studio album, Social Living (1978), which also featured Sly Dunbar
Sly Dunbar
Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
and Rico Rodriguez
Rico Rodriguez
Rico Rodriguez MBE , also known as Reco or El Reco, is a ska and reggae trombonist. He has recorded with many producers, including Karl Pitterson, Prince Buster, and Lloyd 'Matador' Daley...
. A dub version of the album, Living Dub (1979), was mixed by Sylvan Morris. His profile was raised further by an appearance in the film Rockers, performing "Jah no Dead".
In 1980, Rodney left Island Records, and set up the Burning Spear label, which he signed to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, debuting on the label with Hail H.I.M.
Hail H.I.M.
-Track listing:#"Hail H.I.M." #"Columbus" #"Road Foggy" #"Follow Marcus Garvey" #"Jah See and Know" #"African Teacher" #"African Postman" #"Cry Blood Africans" #"Jah A Guh Raid"...
, recorded at Marley's Tuff Gong
Tuff Gong
Tuff Gong is a record label that was formed by the reggae group The Wailers in 1970 and named after Bob Marley's nickname, which was in turn an echo of that given to founder of the Rastafari movement, Leonard "The Gong" Howell. The first single on the label was "Run For Cover" by The Wailers...
studio and co-produced by Aston Barrett
Aston Barrett
Aston Barrett , often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, is a Jamaican bass player and Rastafarian.-Biography:...
. A Sylvan Morris dub version followed in the form of Living Dub Volume Two. In 1982, Rodney signed with Heartbeat Records
Heartbeat Records
Heartbeat Records is an independent record label based in Burlington , Massachusetts. The label specializes in Jamaican music. Founded by reggae music enthusiasts Bill Nowlin and Duncan Brown, the label's first release was a vinyl LP reissue of Linton Kwesi Johnson's Dread Beat an' Blood...
with a series of well-received albums following, including the 1985 Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-nominated Resistance. He returned to Island in the early 1990s, releasing two albums before rejoining Heartbeat.
Burning Spear tours extensively, and several live albums have been issued. His 1999 album, Calling Rastafari
Calling Rastafari
Calling Rastafari is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000.-Track listing:#"As It Is" – 4:56#"Hallelujah" – 6:51#"House of Reggae" – 4:37...
brought his first Grammy Award in 2000, a feat which he repeated with Jah Is Real
Jah Is Real
Jah Is Real is a 2008 album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear. It won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.-Track listing:#"The Cruise"#"Step It"#"You Were Wrong"#"Run For Your Life"#"Jah Is Real"#"People In High Places"#"One Africa"...
in 2009.
In the mid 1990s, he set up the Burning Music Production company, handling his own bookings, and in 2002, he and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, restarted Burning Spear Records, giving him a greater degree of artistic control. Since the mid-1990s, he has been based in Queens, New York.
Burning Spear was awarded the Order of Distinction
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
in the rank of Officer on October 15, 2007.
The Track "We Are Going" was featured in cycling documentary "Roam" by The Collective.
Awards
Burning Spear has won two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album; one at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000 for Calling Rastafari, and one for 2009's Jah Is Real. He has been nominated for a total of 12 Grammy Awards.Nominations for Best Reggae Album
- 1986 ResistanceResistance (Burning Spear album)Resistance is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 27th Grammy Awards in 1985. Resistance, Spear's first release for Heartbeat, is regarded as one of Burning Spear's most solid albums, and reflects the atmospheric...
- 1988 People of the WorldPeople of the WorldPeople of the World is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 30th Grammy Awards in 1988.-Track listing:#"We Are Going"#"This Experience"#"Seville Land"...
- 1990 Live in Paris Zenith '88Live In Paris Zenith '88Live in Paris Zenith '88 is a live album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.-Track listing:#"Spear Burning"#"We Are Going"#"The Youth"#"New Experience"...
- 1991 Mek We DweetMek We DweetMek We Dweet is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 33rd Grammy Awards in 1991.-Track listing:#"Mek We Dweet"#"Civilization"#"Garvey"#"Elephants"#"My Roots"...
- 1994 The World Should KnowThe World Should Know (Burning Spear album)The World Should Know is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 36th Grammy Awards in 1994.-Track listing:#"The World Should Know"#"In A Time Like Now"#"I Stand Strong"...
- 1996 Rasta BusinessRasta BusinessRasta Business is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996.-Track listing:#"Africa"#"This Man"#"Not Stupid"#"Creation"#"Every Other Nation"...
- 1998 Appointment with His MajestyAppointment With His MajestyAppointment With His Majesty is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998.-Track listing:*All songs written and arranged by Winston Rodney....
- 2000 Calling RastafariCalling RastafariCalling Rastafari is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000.-Track listing:#"As It Is" – 4:56#"Hallelujah" – 6:51#"House of Reggae" – 4:37...
- 2004 Free ManFree ManFree Man is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear, released in 2003.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.-Track listing:#"Trust"#"We Feel It"#"Ha Ha"#"Not Guilty"...
- 2005 Our MusicOur MusicOur Music is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 48th Grammy Awards in 2006.-Track listing:#"Our Music"#"Try Again"#"Down In Jamaica"#"Together" #"Friends"...
- 2008 The Burning Spear ExperienceThe Burning Spear ExperienceThe Burning Spear Experience is a studio album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear.It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008.Disc 11. On The Inside 2. Music Business [Unreleased]...
- 2008 Jah Is RealJah Is RealJah Is Real is a 2008 album by Jamaican reggae singer Burning Spear. It won the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.-Track listing:#"The Cruise"#"Step It"#"You Were Wrong"#"Run For Your Life"#"Jah Is Real"#"People In High Places"#"One Africa"...