INTERVIEW : RAGING FYAH
Interview by : Sébastien Jobart
Pictures by : Sébastien Jobart & DR
on Monday, July 23rd 2012 - 11 332 views
Raging Fyah is a promise, that of a return to musical reggae, written, composed and played collectively. Raging Fyah is the emblematic band of this new generation growing up in Jamaica.
Initially formed around three members, Raging Fyah backed artists on stage and in the studio. The group soon found its balance and took in the members who make it up today: Delroy "Pele" Hamilton (bass), Demar Gayle (keyboards), Anthony Watson (drums), Courtland "Guizmo" White (guitar), Mahlon Moving (engineer), Kumar Bent (vocals).
Determined to provoke the future, the members of Raging Fyah are involved in every area. The group heads its own label, Raging Fyah Productions, which allowed them to produce their first album, the stunning "Judgement Day", released in August 2011, entirely themselves. The group has also put out its first series, the H20 riddim, one of their own compositions popularised by Richie Spice's Black Woman, and on which Perfect, Lutan Fyah, Alaine… can now be heard. Finally, they organise their own concerts, the Wickie Wackie nights in Bull Bay.
We are publishing our interview, conducted in Jamaica several weeks ago, while the band is currently revealing itself to European audiences on stage.
Reggaefrance / When was Raging Fyah born?
Raging Fyah / Pele: The band was formed in 2006 by Demar Gayle (keyboards), Anthony Watson (drums) and myself (bass, editor's note). We were students at Edna Manley College, and we had been friends before that. As a trio, we backed lots of different artists, dancehall or roots, in the studio or on stage. But over the years there was a period of transition, because we had an ambition as a band. Courtland White (guitar, editor's note) joined us, then Mahlon Moving (sound engineer), and finally Kumar Bent (vocals).
You graduated from Edna Manley College, which has great teachers: Ibo Cooper (Third World), Derrick Stewart (studio drummer), Michael Fletcher (Shaggy's bass player)... How did they influence your music?
Kumar: They represent History, and everything we need, as young people. When everybody is out on tour, there has to be someone to teach the youths the tricks of the trade. Music is one thing, but we also have to learn marketing, and ways of making this activity profitable for us. We owe them a lot. They made sacrifices for us.
Who do you consider your influences?
Anthony: Life experiences, the icons who came before us and inspired us... We also find inspiration from the Most High, from our families and our friends.
 Nous avons produit tout l’album nous-mêmes. Nous y tenions, car nous voulions montrer toutes les facettes de Raging Fyah 
What does this Raging Fyah burn?
Kumar: This fire is a spiritual fire. Everybody knows the difference between Good and Evil, you feel it deep inside you. This energy guides everyone, it tells each one of us what we must not do. It's the One Love energy. That's how you can live alongside, coexist with other people, without having negative thoughts, you know what I mean?. Raging Fyah (''feu ardent'' in French, editor's note) burns everything that is bad. We also try to spread a positive, joyful vibration of love and harmony. That's our state of mind, a balance between the two.
The album ''Judgement Day'' came out in August 2011. Did you produce it yourselves?
Pele: Yeah man. We produced the whole album ourselves, as Raging Fyah. Writers helped us with the lyrics. We write most of the lyrics collectively, but we were helped by Kevlar Williams and Conroy Willis... But we produced everything ourselves. We were determined, because we wanted to show all the facets of Raging Fyah. The album ''Judgment Day'' is a pure reflection of what Raging Fyah is. In eleven tracks, it covers every aspect of the music, from roots roots rockers reggae to more uptempo tunes, like Karma or Running Away. It deals with themes of self-elevation and urges you to stay true to yourself. Yeah man, Judgement Day.
Among those eleven tracks, Music isn't biased is a centrepiece. The title of the song speaks for itself...
Demar: Exactly. There are a lot of musicians in the industry, and you can't be biased. In the end, if you are, it'll come back to you one day, and it'll haunt you!
Mahlon: They try to keep this kind of music low-key. They say it's outdated, that it's not today's music. We're aware that we don't have the full backing of the radio stations.
Jamaican radio and media are no help to you at all?
Demar: The music that's mostly played on the airwaves is dancehall. That's what's hot (ironic). They listen to the beat, and its tempo. That's what interests them. So for us, it's a hard fight...
Mahlon: Because everybody wants to hear crossover, everybody dreams of being the mainstream artist and having their songs ranked in the Billboard charts... That's why nobody plays reggae the way it should be played. They all want to fuse it with other things, to create something new. We also create something new, but it's still reggae. What was, is. You know?.
Pele: To be honest, even the people who listen to what's on the radio aren't necessarily fans of it. It's simply what's being offered to them right now. If every station played roots, you'd find out that's what they want to hear! But they don't get the chance... The media have to open up.
It's a disgrace that Jamaica has forgotten reggae...
Anthony: Can you believe it?
Do you feel close to the other Jamaican bands of your generation, like Dubtonic Kru?
Demar: We're all different. Everyone is unique. The message we bring is different from that of C-Sharp, Dubtonic Kru or Rootz Underground. At the same time, these messages come together, because they are carried by reggae. But it's all in the way of saying it, and in the choice of words. We want to reach those who listen to our music directly and instantly. We don't want to wait ten years, because it's a very serious message. It must be listened to carefully, worldwide, because it is positive.
The album was recorded at Tuff Gong, Bobby Digital, Grafton Studio... Like in the old days...
Mahlon: We chose the studios that offer the best sound. We have a very distinct, very specific sound. So we choose the studios where we can get that sound.
Anthony: The sound is what matters.
'Judgement Day'' came out in August 2011. What are you working on?
Pele: We make music, continuously. Now that we've done ''Judgement Day'', we're back in the studio to record. We're currently working with a great legend, Bob Andy. He's one of Jamaica's best songwriters. We're working together, and soon the public will be able to hear some good music. And Raging Fyah is recording new tracks as well.
With Bob Andy, are you working on an album?
Pele: We're just recording music.
Demar: We're recording songs, until the moment is right.
Pele: It's a beautiful adventure.
Mahlon: And we have a riddim, the H20 riddim, with Lutan Fyah, Perfect, Alaine ... It's the riddim that Richie Spice used for Black Woman. Our track World Crisis, on the album, is also on that riddim.
So you want to have a hand in everything?
Anthony: Let's say we want to be involved in creating what the band puts out. So we have to get involved. But we need people around us, to help us open doors.
Pele: Basically, we're laying the foundations right now. We have our production company, and there are so many young artists we'd like to work with, and help get their music out. We're trying to open doors. We're also promoters since, since 2010, we've been putting on a live show every month, Wickie Wackie, in Bull Bay. We have a hand in everything, for a better future. With these shows, we give exposure to young talents, and we can establish ourselves more comfortably.
Dubtonic Kru does the same thing, and holds the Plug & Play. Is it the only way to get an audience?
Kumar: Creating an event lets you bring people in and multiply your fans. You build a hard core of fans, and you can invite other bands who come with their fans too. It's a way of sharing our fans! It's a positive vibration, seeing everyone together under the banner of One Love. It's a beautiful adventure, but it's not easy. You have to be determined. You have to train, learn sound technique, how to give a good performance... So you learn a lot of things by doing this, and it prepares you for the future.
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