Burning Spear

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For the Florida State University society, see Burning Spear Society.

Burning Spear
Warner Bros., Burning Music
Websitewww.burningspearwebsite.com

Winston Rodney

Rastafarian and one of the most influential and long-standing roots artists to emerge from the 1970s.[1][2]

Early life

Winston Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay,

Saint Ann, Jamaica. He is married to Sonia Rodney. As a young man he listened to the R&B, soul and jazz music transmitted by the US radio stations whose broadcasts reached Jamaica. Curtis Mayfield is cited by Rodney as a major US musical influence along with James Brown.[3] Rodney was deeply influenced as a young man by the views of the political activist Marcus Garvey, especially with regard to the exploration of the themes of Pan-Africanism and self-determination.[3] In 1969, Bob Marley, who was also from Saint Ann, advised Rodney to approach Coxsone Dodd's Studio One label after Rodney sought his advice during a casual conversation.[4][5][6]

Career

Burning Spear was originally Rodney's group, named after a military award given by

Social Living (1978), which also featured Sly Dunbar and Rico Rodriguez.[4] A dub version of the album, Living Dub (1979), was mixed by Sylvan Morris.[4] His profile was raised further by an appearance in the film Rockers, performing "Jah no Dead".[9]

In 1980, Rodney left Island Records and set up the Burning Music Production Company,

Grammy-nominated Resistance.[4] He returned to Island in the early 1990s, releasing two albums before rejoining Heartbeat. This arrangement in which Burning Music Productions delivered completed albums of music to EMI, Island and Heartbeat Records for worldwide distribution lasted for many years. When Heartbeat ceased releasing new material, Burning Music took matters into their own hands and began to release music solely through their own imprint.[13] Albums released by Heartbeat through an agreement with Burning Music include: The World Should Know (1993), Rasta Business (1995), Appointment with His Majesty (1997) and the Grammy award winning Calling Rastafari (1999) which was the last completed album to be solely pressed by an outside label.[citation needed
]

Burning Spear spent decades touring extensively, and several live albums have been issued including Burning Spear Live, Live in Paris, Live in South Africa, Live in Vermont, Peace and Love Live, Live at Montreux Jazz Festival and (A)live 1997.[14] Touring the world time and time again, the band's live sound matured and grew more sophisticated. While remaining firmly rooted in reggae, accents of free jazz, funk and psychedelic music were increasingly in evidence.[15]

His 1999 album,

Grammy Award in 2000,[7] a feat which he repeated with Jah Is Real in 2009.[16] In 2000 Home to My Roots Tour he performed in Cape Town, South Africa alongside other reggae icon Joseph Hill with Culture (band). In 2002 he and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, restarted Burning Music Records, giving him a greater degree of artistic control.[5][17][18] Since the mid-1990s, he has been based in Queens in New York City.[19] Burning Spear was awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer on 15 October 2007.[20] Since establishing their own label, Winston and Sonia Rodney have released nearly forty singles, CDs, DVDs and vinyl albums on the Burning Music imprint. Many of these albums have been deluxe editions of albums previously available on other labels and often include bonus tracks and DVD footage.[21][22]

In 2016 Rodney announced his retirement, but in 2022 it was announced that he would perform at the Rototom Sunsplash festival in Spain, and on the 'Welcome to Jamrock' cruise in December.[23]

Rodney announced three shows in California in July 2022, in San Francisco on July 22, San Diego on July 23, and Los Angeles on July 24. He also announced a show at the Levitt Pavilion, Denver, Colorado on July 30, 2022. These shows were followed by two dates in the UK, at Forum Birmingham on August 13 and the O2 Academy, Brixton, London on August 14. On August 14, 2023 he performed a highly acclaimed, packed-out show in the Barby Barby Club[permanent dead link] live music venue in Tel Aviv, Israel and on August 15, 2023 in Megiddo, Israel where he appeared together with Ehud Banai.

Discography

Main article: Burning Spear discography

Awards

Burning Spear in 2013

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.[18][24]

Nominations for Best Reggae Album:[citation needed]

References

  1. ISBN 978-1-85227-947-9
    , p. 57
  2. ^ Some sources state 1948 (e.g. Thompson)
  3. ^ a b 'Our Music': New Reggae from Burning Spear by Christopher Johnson NPR Radio Show transcription 19 October 2005. Retrieved 27 April 2013
  4. ^
    ISBN 0-87930-655-6
    , p. 51-54
  5. ^ a b Jackson, Kevin (2004) "Audience appreciation gives Burning Spear the drive to continue[permanent dead link]", Jamaica Observer, 23 July 2004. Retrieved 20 September 2009
  6. ISBN 1-84353-329-4
    , p. 95
  7. ^
    ISBN 0-313-33158-8
    , p. 45-46
  8. ^ Cedric Brooks – Jamaica Gleaner "Saxophonist Cedric Brooks recovering but critical" Published 11 March 2010. Reporter: Howard Campbell. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d Greene, Jo-Ann "Burning Spear Biography", AllMusic, Macrovision Corporation
  10. ^ correction per discussion with Winston Rodney aka Burning Spear
  11. ^ "Official Website". Burning Spear. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  12. ^ conversation with Winston Rodney, Spring 2012
  13. ^ confirmation by telephone and email with Sonia and Winston Rodney January 2013.
  14. ^ conversation with Sonia Rodney January 2013. www.burningspear.net
  15. ^ Heselgrave, Douglas 'the burning spear experience' January 2007 CD greatest hits liner notes
  16. Boston Globe
    , 3 July 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009
  17. ^ "Darmik". Darmik.com. 2 June 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  18. ^
    Jamaica Gleaner
    , 1 February 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2009
  19. ^ Baxter, Nicky (1996) "Reggae Torch Bearer: Burning Spear remembers the days of slavery", Metroactive, 15–21 February 1996. Retrieved 20 September 2009
  20. ^ "Artistes presented with national awards Archived 16 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine", Jamaica Observer, 16 October 2007. Retrieved 20 September 2009
  21. ^ "Official Website". Burning Spear. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  22. ^ conversation with Sonia Rodney November 2012
  23. ^ Campbell, Howard (2022) "Fire still burns in Spear", Jamaica Observer, 28 March 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2022
  24. ^ "The Envelope – Awards and Industry Insider – latimes.com – latimes.com". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 April 2014.

External links

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