INTERVIEW : BURNING SPEAR
Interview by : Sébastien Jobart
Pictures by : Karl Joseph
on Thursday, November 10th 2005 - 14 440 views
After 36 years of career and almost as many official albums, Burning Spear still has not said his last word. All the more so because during those long years in which he recorded artistic treasures, he earned (almost) nothing from his albums. As producer of his own concerts, he found financial balance by touring relentlessly. Now that he can finally enjoy the fruits of his labour, Winston Rodney longs for more peace and quiet. But the spear still burns.
Reggaefrance / 'Our Music', your latest album, has just come out. After 35 years of career, you're keeping up a sustained pace...
Burning Spear / Yeah, actually, I started doing my own thing. I decided to do what was good for me. My first release on the Burning Spear label was 'Freeman'. 'Our Music' is the second. From now on, all my albums will come out on my label.
You don't want to deal with record companies any more?
No, all that is over. Now I have my own label, I look after myself on my own. The first thing I started doing was booking myself for concerts. Many agents thought it wouldn't work. I proved to them that it was possible. It worked, it works, and it will always work. I'm the man and nobody's gonna make it better than me !
The title 'Our Music' is about all that, it's advice to the younger generation...
Yes, the aim is to open the eyes of young and future singers. To write it to them in black and white that they should never, ever give their music to anybody. I've been around for a long time, since 1969, and I've worked with crooked producers, crooked promoters, crooked record companies... It was only in the 90s that I started to live off the work I had been doing since 1969! Many years went by before I could reap the fruits of my labour. But you know what? I raised myself up, with my self-confidence and my abilities... Just keep on moving... There's no question of my moving away from this music, any more than I will give it away to anyone. I'm not going to call anybody, or ask them for a loan.
But you're already recognised, it's surely harder for young artists.
It takes time, patience and a lot of work. But you have to persevere on this path. The first thing to do is to try. If you don't try, how do you know it won't work? And if you try once and it doesn't work, keep at it.
Is that the reason you don't produce young artists? Because they should build their own business?
No, that's not the reason... You never know what the future holds. I'm building something. When I've completed it, anything can happen. But you first need solid foundations before you throw yourself into other things. Look at those deejays who made a lot of money... Today what do they have left? Nothing. What did they do with their money? Nothing. If they had thought the way I think today, maybe they'd have a little left. But all they thought about was piling up money and living the glitzy life. Once the money was spent, it was all over. You have to think about the business, it's very important. I'm building something. When I've completed it and checked that it's solid, I'll take a step further forward.
Your difficulties began with Coxsone.
Clement Dodd was not an honest man. He didn't look after his artists, he didn't give them anything. He was a man who kept everything for himself. The artists got nothing from the sales of their albums. He didn't tell them anything, he did as he saw fit, without asking anybody. Coxsone wasn't the best at looking after his artists, but he was the best for the music. Studio One was in a way the first musical college in Jamaica. You have to give him that. He discovered a lot of young artists, me included. But we couldn't eat from what we did. Nobody could.
Is that why you joined Jack Ruby?
Yes, I was able to eat a little with the albums recorded with Jack Ruby. It wasn't enough, but at least I was able to earn a little something to eat. After Jack Ruby, I started doing things for myself. I dealt with Island, EMI, Slash, Heartbeat, Bam...
Blue Moon too?
Blue Moon didn't give me anything either. I didn't get any royalties on 'Live in Paris'.
It sold well, though.
Yes, I know. That's why it's important, sometimes, to share things with the fans. For them to know what artists face, to show them the other side of the coin... What I got from Heartbeat... it was ridiculous. I didn't even get half of what I was supposed to get. That's why I left, and started doing things for myself. Take an album like 'Calling Rastafari'... Today, Heartbeat owes me a pile of royalties. For that album that won the Grammy, I wasn't paid. People don't know all these things. Sometimes there's no point explaining all that to them, because they won't necessarily understand. Many artists keep all that to themselves.
Since your beginnings in 1969, is the situation the same?
It's a bit different now. Lots of people are doing their own thing at the moment. Little things. But some things haven't changed. Artists aren't treated the way they should be. It will always be like that, always. Today there are so many young people who are anxious, who want to be involved in the business, and who are promised lots of things they will never see. They'll do what they have to do, but they won't get anything out of the business.
Back to Jack Ruby. Why did you part ways with him?
What really happened is that Jack had a contract with Island. I was only a singer for Jack Ruby, he was the producer. When his contract expired, I told him I wouldn't do any more business with him. I wanted it to be a contract between Burning Music and Island. Jack was a kind man. He was musical. But he had nobody to help him structure the business side of his producing activity. I couldn't go back with him, I was thinking of myself.
You've been living in the USA for 17 years. Do you stay connected with the Jamaican scene?
To be honest, I'm not really up to date with what the young artists involved in the business are doing today. I don't know them well. I hear songs here and there, and I know they come from Jamaica. Some are really very strong. The music has changed, now there's reggae-soca, things like that. Me, I think reggae is reggae, and soca is soca. In my time, it was roots reggae. Now it's different, the younger generation sees things differently. But it doesn't bother me.
There is in fact a new generation of artists in Jamaica, bringing roots back to the fore.
If it's the return of roots... Well, roots has never been far away (laughs). It's not as if we had lost roots. Roots has always been there. For me, if it's roots, then it's good. I've always thought we need more singers, to strengthen roots, to lift it up.
Today, having as many roots singers as possible is good for the music and for our international recognition.
Have you recorded any specials?
No, never. Specials don't really help the artist. When you do a special, you're talking about a sound system, not about yourself. And it benefits the sound system, not the artist: it's a competition between the sounds. But it brings nothing. If I do a special for you, and refuse to do it for others, it will create a conflict. If I do it for you, why not for others? And if I agree to do a second one, why not three? I'd end up doing specials for everybody... it's too much. Lots of people ask me, but I can't. Afterwards, people will lose respect for you, they'll look at you differently because you refused to do one for them. They'll tell themselves you're not who they thought you were. So... I don't do them for anyone.
There are rumours that Jaro has one...
Who, Jaro? I don't know him. And I don't know where he could have got it, because I have never, ever recorded a special for anybody.
You've never done combinations either. Why?
It doesn't interest me. If I didn't do it in the past, I'm not going to do it now. I don't have to do that. I'm in my own thing, on my own, I do what I have to do. To be honest, I don't think a duet brings much. It creates a little excitement: 'oh, Spear sang with so-and-so', and it stops there. I need to do things that bring something.
Still, the coming together of two artists can create something...
Something happens between the two, but it brings nothing. It gets people talking, blah blah blah, and then stop.
I'm not that kind of person. I'm a solo artist, I have to focus on myself. I've been in this business for so long... Come on ! It's time I thought about myself. That I presented myself and sold myself to people.
Some say your next tour will be the last...
(laughs) Who knows? Maybe, maybe not. For the moment, I'm in pre-retirement. I'm taking things gently, slowing the pace down. What I'm trying to do now is sell records. A lot of people see Burning Spear as a good live performer. And I need all those people to support me by buying my records. A lot of people think roots can't sell. With people's help, and especially the fans', we can sell a lot. I can't wait to show the world that thanks to the fans, you can sell roots, and that roots can sell.
And what's next?
I'm looking forward to retiring. Taking the time... I still go to the studio, but the tours are going to become rarer. Right now, I'm working on my documentary, which will tell everything about Burning Spear, from the beginning until now. There will be a tour next year, and I should also go back into the studio. Let's keep on moving...
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