Reggae News

Sizzla Kalonji: caught up with God, Girls and the Gun Sizzla Kalonji: caught up with God, Girls and the Gun Friday, August 15, 2008 Conscious deejay Miguel Collins, more popularly known as Sizzla, has advocated murder in at least 35 songs, that's more than Ninja man, Mavado or Munga, yet he still considers himself righteous. Sizzla His victims include, Pope John Paul II, politicians, policemen, informers, gunmen, gays, and even an innocent taxi driver. He's the "baddest mother***** ever seen". These songs are all gun tunes and don't include Sizzla's vast catalogue of fire-burning tunes. Splash analysed 34 of Sizzla's albums, which covers much of his known discography of over 300 songs.

The music tells of a man deeply prolific but equally at odds, caught between God and the gun. From Dis Gangster on his first album to Clip Pan Dem re-issued on his latest, he is a lyrical gunman - country & western style. Songs His lyrical murders are sometimes as basic as the 7 o'clock news, "pump[ing] your f***ing head full a lead/ .yeah that's me," Born in a System (Rise to the Occasion). Other times it's against agents of the state. In A Better Way (Waterhouse Redemption), he praises Haile Selassie then kills policemen and a taxi-man. "Pop out my gun in a drama/ . boys in camouflage and blue/ mi tun it pon dem/ kill a dozen or two". It continues, "Mi juggle a taxi cab./ frowns him a frown/screw him a screw/ mi just bus up him head/ pure blood start to spew". And in Revenge (Jah Protect) politicians are victims, "politician we a go dun him to/ prime minister Rastafari bun him too".

God and Gun Sizzla's Rastafarian faith separates him from deejays Ninjaman who has some 29 gun tunes and Bounty Killer who has about 60 gun tunes. It makes him a militant Rastafarian, whose lyrical murders are immoral but not necessarily irreligious; because his killings are God "sanctioned". "Emanuel seh, never forget to kill Babylon," Clip Pan Dem (Rastafari 2008). Sizzla threatens those who do not adhere to the Selassie's doctrines. "You must be silly/ mi guns will kill you/ in de broiling day or when the night chilly/.from you dis Selassie I, mi cut you off swiftly," Kill You (Ain't gong to 2006). Sizzla's goal is to destroy Babylon (the western democratic state), which he considers oppressive and replace it with a Rasta theocracy. And in Street-side Knowledge he sends the state an ultimatum and calls for freedom.

"Free-up di youth out of di slum to b**b*cl**t/ or mi a go bus mi gun to b**b*cl**t," He has no compassion for gays, who are lyrically slaughtered on about half of his gun tracks: "I am no pretender/shot mi shot de boy who a climb another man fender/ cleanliness a godliness, a judgement me render," Gi Dem Gunshot,(Blaze Fire Blaze). Gun and Girls Sizzla recently started mixing girls and guns in singles. In Woman Can' Too Much, it is a woman who instructs him to kill policemen and gays. "Hail Selassie I and praise-up the most high/ Sizzla Kalonji shoot de police-boy and tek di gun from him holster/ dem say me wanted, me si it pon di poster/ black woman seh fi shot di b*tty boy/ and di sodomite"                                         All courtesy of The Jamaica Obeserver News.

George (Reggae) Barrett Celebrating another milestone 31 Years on Vancouver Coop Radio 102.7 FM 25 Years on CITR 101.9 FM Radio Host Dj, Concert Promoter, Sound System Operator (Wadada Hi-Fi Sound).

Born and grew up in the oldest inland Town in Jamaica Bath St Thomas, about 45 miles east of Kingston. My passion for reggae came at an early age. My home where my mother runs the family business was next door to Roberts’s night club & Tavern. On the weekend they held big dances in the night club. As a boy, I could not go to the dance but I used to go in to the and watch them string up the sound system before the dance started. In the Tavern by day calypsoian Count Lasher used to grace the bars with his music. in those days i used to listen to sound system such as Barlow Sound, Daddy Nick, Mellow Canary, Merrytone, Danny Lou, Phoenix the Ghost. About the age of 12, I decided to keep a kids dance in my back yard. and invited some of my friends. I used some of my mother empty salt fish & red herring box for my equipments. I heat ½ steel iron on the fire and used it to burn marble size holes on one side of the red herin box and then fill the holes with different colour marbles and bottler stopper for the knobs. Then I used a lighted candles in the box so it would look just like the amplifier I saw over the club. For the speaker I put two of my friends Ricky & Mickey in the big salt fish box, with a lot of holes in the front, and tell them to sing out loud. Everyone was laughing to hear the boys singing in the box. The first human speaker was invented.

As young boy, I always like to make model of things that I saw. In the early sixty my mother sends me to trade school to be a repair radio technician. One weekend a friend of mine who live in Kingston came to visit his parent. He told me about a company name Jesco who is looking for Radio and TV technician. I went for an interview and I got the job. Living in Kingston it was great opportunity for me to check out the Record shops and the big dances around the city. Some of sound i uesed to check out, Sir Coxson Downbeat, Duke Reid The Trojan, Supertone Sound, Llodey Bells, Llody the Matador Sound, King Tubby, King Patrick the Dub Master, VeeRocket, Tom the great Sebastian, to name a few. My favorite band was The Skatalites. On Wednesdays after noon the place to be was Victoria paier listening to Tommy McCook and the Supersonic. On the weekends you can catch me Friday nights at Barbeque lawn down on Fleet Street with Sir Coxson down Beat with selector King Stitch. Saturday nights Liberty Hall on King Street, Jubilee tile garden Upper King Street, Forester Hall on North Street, 14 and 17 Windward Road, Sundays Gold Cost Beach on the St. Thomas road with King Tubby with selector U’Roy.

I use to make extra money buying prerelease 45” records from various records store and take them to the country side on sell them to sound system operators’. You could call me a record juggler. 1969 I build an amplifier for friend of mine name “Sakcro Disco” he did not have a place to store the disco so I kept at my house. In the evening when I came from work I set up the disco and play music in the yard. 1970 I left my job at Jesco and opened a record shop and Radio & TV repair at 20 Charles Street Kingston. I begun to produce records, my first production was at Randy’s recording studio 17 north parade Kingston. The group was Gladstone & the Rider; the studio band was Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett Tommy McCook, Robby Shakespeare & other musicians. We recorded 4 songs and some instrumental track. The big tune was “Them laughing” which was realest on my Shanty Tramp Recording label. Back in those days they call me GB the producer. In 1972 I migrated to Canada Vancouver British Columbia; to join my wife Daphne I brought along with me my two daughters Melissa & Bridgette with me and a large wooden box full of 45” single and LP's records. In Vancouver i work as a electronics technician for Sears.

Due to my passion for reggae music, I started a sound system calls Wadada Hi-Fi playing for Caribbean parties and moving on to banquets wedding and other social events. First gig was just befor Christmas in 1972. This exposure brought me to the attention of Alex Bosgart who introduced me to the organizers of Vancouver Coop Radio CFRO 102.7 FM. On August 27 1976 I started the first Reggae radio show in Canada Vancouver BC on CFRO 102.7 FM Saturdays 6 pm/8:30, with my co-Host Louie Sutherland. (Reggae to the max). Log on and check us out at www.coopradio.org on air phone 604 684 7561. The reggae show had a number of co-host over the years. Jim Burnet, John Cahoon, Collin hepburn, Melissa barrett, Donald daws and mark chow. my present co-host is louie Sutherland. November 1982 I started my second reggae radio show on Sundays call the Rockers show on CITR 101.9 FM Noon to 3pm. Log on and check us out at www.citr.ca on air phone 604-822-2487. The rockers show take the name from the classic reggae move Rockers. This show is 100% reggae; you can be sure it’s reggae. Log on to my 24/7 Internet Radio at www.reggaefereal.com

Every February for the past 20 Years, produced and hosting a Vancouver Birthday Bash in memory of the late Bob Marley in Vancouver BC In 2000 and 2003 I was asked to present a seminar on reggae music and the culture, The theam was "Music without Border" for high school kids at Britannia Secondary School. The seminar was base on the different types of reggae music and the cultures. There were two sessions with 52 children in attendance. Over the last 25 years George Host a local Reggae Night every Wednesday at Graceland Night Club, Cafe Deux Soliel. Current reggae night at the Royal Canadian Legion Auditorium 2205 Commerical Drive. with his Wadada HiFi Sound.

Awards 1986 Canadian Reggae Music Awards Appreciation Award For outstanding and dedicated service in the fiel of reggae music 1889 Canadian Reggae music Awards Certificate Of

Merritt For Outstanding Work In The Field Of Reggae Music 1993 (Pioneer Award Category) Awards for your contribution in paveing the way for others to follow (From the Black

Congress Of Black Women Canada) 1999 Caribe / Wescan C.C For outstanding community contribution in broadcasting 1999 The Canadian Reggae Music Awards The Peter Tosh

Memorials award (Record breaker) George recived an honorable mention for his contribution on the Peter Tosh Honoray Citizen 3CD's box Set. ROCKERS SHOW CELEBRATE 25

YEARS ON CITR 101.9 FM TUNE IN SUNDAY DECEMBER 2ND 12 NOON TO 12 MIGHT NIGHT FOR A SPECIAL 12 HOURS REGGAE ROCKERS SHOW MARATHON. HOST

GEORGE BARRETT AND SPECIAL GUEST CALL LIVE 604 822 2487 OR LOG ON www.citr.ca