INTERVIEW : TOOTS HIBBERT
Interview by : Cyril le Tallec
Pictures by : Marlène Boulad
on Monday, September 15th 2008 - 12 009 views
Having passed through the hands of Studio One icons Clement Dodd and Ernest Rangling, Toots became a figure of Jamaican music: the island's Otis Redding, if we had to compare him to his American models. He is also the inventor of the word reggae, the record holder for the number of "number ones" in Jamaica, a tireless showman… In short, an inexhaustible artist.
An outstanding singer, Toots has increasingly crossed his music with the rock scene in recent years. What could be more natural for an artist who has always drawn on other repertoires, mostly American? After two fruitless meetings, we finally get hold of Toots at the Anchor studio (Music Works) in Jamaica.
Reggaefrance / You are the creator of the word reggae, with your song Do the reggay. What was its original meaning?
Toots & The Maytals / Originally it had no particular meaning, it was an accident, my tongue slipped, a gimmick... I became the creator and the first user of the term. People called reggae Blue Beat or Boogie Beat, they didn't know what to call it. It was great musicians in Jamaica who came up with this rhythm, but nobody ever asked who was the first to play the guitar; they came up with this rhythm but it had no name, so I was the one who presented this rhythm to the world, I am the inventor of the word.
Is your hit 54-46 That's My Number an autobiographical story?
It's a long story. Certain people tried to stop my career. At that time, I was the first artist to whom Chris Blackwell gave a recording contract. It included an album and a world tour, but some artists decided otherwise. So when they tried to scare me by hiding weed at my place, I went to take refuge in a soldiers' camp, in the parish of St Mary, where nobody could find me. But I still had my guitar, my clothes, something to eat... I found myself confined. I was a victim of hypocrisy, of the bad spirit of some people, and of politics in music. 54-46 was my composition, I could have said 54-48 or 48-48, or even 33-33... Everybody thinks I went to prison and that it was my prisoner number, I give them the benefit of the doubt, that way they believe what they want to believe. Now you know the truth. When I came back from the soldiers' camp, people were wild and asked me loads of questions about my confinement. That's why I wrote this song (he starts singing): "i was innocent on what they have done to me, they were wrong... I'm not afford to hurt myself". This song tells it all.
On your album "The World Is Turning" you played all the instruments. Was it a choice, a challenge for you?
When I write a song, I need to compose the music carefully. I did it with a lot of great musicians, but at that time they were all on tour, so I had to do it myself. I've kept that habit for all my songs: I am the writer, the composer and the arranger of my own music, I produce myself and I still do.
 Le mot "reggae" n’avait aucune signification particulière, c’était un accident, ma langue a fourché, un gimmick… 
You can tell you had a lot of fun recording "True Love" in 2004 with all those guests.
It's a historic album that I made so that people would realise that reggae could have a soul, that it is dynamic and international, that it's good music! To show them that this music can slip into any area of hip-hop or rock 'n' roll, into any kind of music that reggae can blend with... If you do it the right way! I've always made music as well as I could, written my lyrics the right way with all my knowledge, without singing idiocies...
How did you feel when you were awarded a Grammy?
I never hoped to get one, and when I got it I wasn't particularly excited, I deserve much better than that. It's a good thing when they give you one, but I don't feel particularly proud about it. I feel better with the rewards from Jah.
Your soul influences come through strongly in your albums, and on your latest one you pay tribute to Otis Redding and Ray Charles. What do they represent for you?
Otis Redding, Ray Charles... But I also pay tribute to Willie Nelson, Bootsy Collins. They represent themselves because they make very good music, and I represent myself to let them know I'm not bad either (laughs). Their music has never stopped inspiring me, and I still love them today.
On your latest album, "Light Your Light" last year, the track Premature tackled an unusual theme.
Premature was about girls of 12 to 14 who don't know how to wash their clothes, or even cook, but who are already trying to have babies... They haven't been taught the right things, nobody tells them what to do and what not to do. They shouldn't be watching pornographic films, what we used to call street corner shows. They shouldn't see that kind of film, because we didn't watch that when I was a kid. Today it's different! In this song, I tell them that a child shouldn't give birth to another child, it's spiritual, it's the word of God, it's written in the Bible. This track revolves around that theme.
After all these years in music, how do you look back on your career?
I never look back, I always look ahead!
And what about the new generation of artists in Jamaica?
They follow in our footsteps, those of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff and all those great singers who are gone. Young people must follow their elders. If they respect our roots, they can't be on the wrong path. I'm talking about dancehall too: the kings and queens of dancehall must follow the road laid down by U-Roy, Yellowman, Super Cat... Young people must respect our work.
Yet some young artists preach a message opposite to yours. What do you think about that?
I hadn't looked at the problem from that angle, but now that you mention it... It's not a message to be taken at face value, it's musical. Some people don't find the right words when they write, whereas I'm lucky enough to find them easily. You have to be positive to make all those words ring in a song. Sooner or later, even if they're negative, they'll end up becoming positive.
Can we expect a collaboration album with the young Jamaican generation?
Yes, I do that kind of thing, I've never stopped, to tell the truth, but it's not out yet. I've just recorded a track with Anthony B, Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Capleton... Veterans like Marcia Griffiths or Ken Boothe... And plenty of others, they're all friends. One day, this project will be finished.
What project are you working on at the moment?
My main project is to look after my foundation, the Toots Hibbert Foundation, to help young people on the street, help them find a purpose in their lives, give them a good education. I won't stop until I've accomplished my mission, but I need funding. You know, when I started singing, I wasn't earning any money. It takes me time to earn my own money and raise what I need to help young people. I'm already doing it today but I want to do it in the best way possible, to help them even more... I need the help and donations of Jamaicans, of the government and of people around the world; visit tootsandthemaytals.com or tootsandthemaytals.net and you'll find all the information about my foundation.
Are you working on a new album?
On several albums at the same time, I never stop... This one doesn't have a name yet but it should come out in Jamaica in December 2008, I think I'll call it "Do the Reggae" because it's a generic name. I'm thinking of reworking some of my old hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s and modernising them so that young people know my big tunes and dance to them. You know, every day children are born and old people die; those who leave know me, but not those who arrive. I have to let them know that Toots and the Maytals invented the word reggae and that we had the most number ones in Jamaica from the 60s to the 80s... 31 "number ones" in all!
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