Entry #4 Time To Meditate? - One More Day by Groundation

Have you ever listened something that just stays in your head for a long time and never gets the possibility to get out, not minding if its years? Well, this song is like that. Falling into the spiritual category of Reggae, Groundation has always been a big success in the Reggae division all over the world. From Africa to South America, Groundation has always tried to reach their audience as close as possible, traveling around the world giving tremendous concerts to their people. The vast amount of instruments these Rasta’s acquired is unbelievable, having over 15 instruments in one song, making it flawless in every aspect. One would think that after they record it, the song remains identical. However, these Jah lovers do improvisations all the time as they play the song in diverse countries. Don’t get me wrong, these folks developed the capacity to do that in every song they have, and that’s what they do. Subsequently, how do they find all the inspiration to transmit love so easily?

“People if I had, only one more day, I’d live my life right, I would. I would find a way to love everyday, all people as I should” is the opening line to this unselfish song, giving directly the good vibes of the Reggae culture, being followed by a couple more lines and the chorus, which essentially brings all the instruments contributing in the song to play in harmony constructing an impeccable rhythm. Songs alike these are always trying to deliver a wise message towards us. For example, in this song we can observe that the artist is trying to tell us to live up the present day to the maximum, as if we had only one spare day left. Why? Because that’s the way to take advantage of your life to the maximum, and it should be the only way to live in order to accept and grab the opportunities we have.

“Live it up, live it up. You can’t (can) go on forever. Live it up, live it up ya can’t go on forever” is the chorus of the song, being precise in timing. Basically, what they say in the chorus exists as the most significant portion of the song, unlike diverse pop generation songs that sing useless lyrics corrupting and confusing the minds of all who listen to it, thinking it’s truly virtuous music when it’s just blabbers combined with auto tune. I remember this song remained as my favorite in 2010, and still, this is one of the songs that if I listen, I won’t be bored, which I believe it’s the entire concept of listening to music and basically can apply to everything like hobbies, food, even friends.

Rasta people often find a sign in which makes them realize that helping others is superior to exploit the things for their own, like fame, and when people realize this true feeling, they start receiving love from everybody. This group has been active since 1998, so its necessary to say this group is already in the veteran’s circle, to understand the experience and deepness of each song they compose. According to an interview made from reggae.fr, Groundation made the song “One More Day” in times of despair and sadness as of the death of a close friend back in 2008. Being filled with depression, they used this in order to write a masterpiece, which now is one of the principal songs of the group, being played almost in any concert, embraced by the crowd. Groundation has always been an immense influence in+ the reggae environment, although they remain American, Jamaican Reggae artists stand pleased to play with them because the unique style they got and the messages they attempt to deliver.

                                                   My picture, Groundation playing live at Lima, Peru, 14 August 2011

   

Work cited

James, Carles. "Groundation Interview." Groundation, Biographie Sur Reggae.fr, Artiste, Photo, Vidéo, Article, Discographie, Albums. Reggae France, 6 Jan. 2005. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. <http://www.reggae.fr/artiste-biographie/527_Groundation.html>.

Stanford, Harrison. "Groundation - One More Day." Letras.com. Letras, 14 Mar. 2008. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. <http://letras.com/groundation/938769/>.

Entry #3 Sad? Lighten Up, Life Is Yours - Smile by Laguna Pai

If I were doomed to find a word for this song, it would be exultant. Why this song in the blog? Because represent. This song is made in Peru, and personally I believe it is one of the best reggae songs out there, despite the lyrics being in English (no offense). Referring and listening to the lyrics from the song will be necessary in order to achieve the feeling of the purpose of this blog. So, is the author making the audience feel the song?

            It certainly falls in the happy reggae category. From the title and lyrics, to the entire composition of instruments provide a warm and content feeling of life. “I woke up this morning, but I didn`t know why. I had some troubles in my mind. I didn`t know where to hide” is the opening of this honest song, obviously catching the attention and making you feel with the instruments what the author is feeling in order to understand the song and situation.  “She looked at me and said: My friend, why are you so sad? We’ve got what we deserve. The sun is shining! Don’t be scared!” and this is where the song truly catches its climax, being followed by the chorus having a flawless timing, which I believe it’s remarkable.

It stands as one of those songs that play and you consider its brief, nonetheless it isn’t because you enjoy listening to it, by a Peruvian group formed in 2008 with the purpose of spreading the good words. Most of the time, they play free in events from everywhere in the country, and if you analyze the lyrics of their songs carefully, you will never find anything harmful to anybody which is something I found out recently and believe its extremely interesting. Again, listening to this song is vital to achieve maximum understanding of the blog, generally. “Yes, smile, it’s a beautiful day! The sun is shining, there’s light everywhere! Be a smile, it’s a beautiful day! The sun is shining, there’s hope in the air!” is the specific chorus to continue with this song, turning the tables upside down, telling us that happiness exists everywhere and there’s no healthier way of living it than smiling. “And I know we've got trouble, I know we are all frustrated in some way. I know we've got hunger, I know we've got pain. But we also got thunder; we also have rain! We also got life; we also have friends! We all got reasons to smile again!” and it brings you back to the cheerful mood being the chorus, smiling and looking at the best faces of everything.

I judge that this song is basically the ones you’re not obliged to over contemplate them to recognize how suitable they are, they just are worthy the first time you listen to them. If you compare different reggaes’ like Alborosie’s mentioned in the first blog, you can begin to understand what this blog is about: The different types of reggae. This song is followed by various repetitive nevertheless well-placed lyrics: “Smile when you walk, when you run, when you see your friends! Smile at the moon, at the sun and the rain! Smile in your head, in your soul, to your brain! Keep on smiling we will soon be home again…” which makes you meditate, how can a song like that bring you up? With the instruments it creates an atmosphere of motivation to be happy, which personally I consider it’s difficult to achieve. Their efforts essentially paid up when they word the Hollywood Music Awards in 2013 for Best Reggae Artist according to hmmawards.com bringing proud ness to all Peruvians. Therefore, does it express itself well? Indeed, the song achieves it, making it one of the best and most recognized songs in Peru.

                                                       Me, smiling for the blog, 10 Dec 2014

Work cited

Palacios, Mariano. "Laguna Pai - Smile." YouTube. YouTube, 3 May 2010. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VuPTirUQuo>.

Valix, John. "The 2013 Hollywood Music in Media Awards." Hollywood Music in Media Awards The 2013 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Comments. HMM, 4 Feb. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. <http://www.hmmawards.org/the-2013-hollywood-music-in-media-awards/>.

Entry #2 The Unfamous Nonsense Reggae - Anarexol by Eek-A-Mouse

“Left me slim thing 'n' me gone a foreign (Beng beng meddy ben do-ing)…AY” would be the first line of this confusing hit. Eek-A-Mouse, a Jamaican reggae singer, was one of the main contributors to the genre, adding up his own style: The Nonsense reggae. Despite the years, Eek-A-Mouse initiated an original kind of funky reggae, in which he scatters in most of the song, without one particular reason, exchanging his blabbering’s with the different instruments chanting, realizing a complementary mixture which finally stood selected for the AllMusic award realized in 2001. There exist various roots artists singing the Nonsense reggae style like Perfect Giddimani, among others, representing it proudly. Additionally, this valued artist could never continue his career because of the different felonies he achieved, covering narcotic possession and escaping America with a 1 million dollar bond arrest warrant. Therefore, is what this artist singing is purely nonsense?

Indeed. It is pure nonsense. However, it stays as a catchy nonsense song that positioned itself in the top of roots reggae chart in its time, according to Reggaeville. Why? The instrumental complexity and fade effects in these masterpieces. One could gaze at it as an art piece, and find tremendous amounts of meanings, which would be only interpreted as correct since there is no valid information on the topic. “When me come back said the girl big and fat yall (Beng beng meddy ben do-ing)… AY.” Although he sings plenty of weird effects, as we can observe in this quotation of the song, as Reggaville explains, Eek-A-Mouse talks about the anorexic girls in Jamaica, ruining their lives for their figures and that Anarexol, a made up medicine by the artist, fixes this problem. Of course, this medicine does not exist and he may be referring entirely to himself, as he was in the most hardcore drugs for the time. These drugs affected him, besides mentally, to his body making him look thin and anorexic in which he actually confirms in the song: “Poor me, poor pretty me x2.” This doesn’t mean the entire song is about him though; I believe the full song is just randomness together sounding attractive, therefore making it a hit, which is the key goal.

                              

                                             A-Mouse, Eek -. Most Wanted CD. Digital image.

Personally, I love this song. The mixture of the dub essence and lyrics gives a real root representation of what reggae is about. Not because of the nonsense lyrics, as of the rhythm it creates, besides the catchy yelling that most people when they hear it they repeat it without even knowing what it is subsequently asking “What is wrong with this fella?”

Besides these explanations, one would think: He must run out of ideas from singing out of nowhere without any particular meaning. Well, he does not. He is unquestionably skilled in composing; this is why he’s songs are only longer than 6 minutes while not boring the audience.

Comparing this song to others from the same genre would be preposterous for reggae artists actually look up to this artist, although his legal problems. He is worshiped in Jamaica as one of the founders, not as vast as Bob Marley, nevertheless still recognized. Different genre artists also use him as an example because of the ability he has making these songs, realizing its not in the genre what makes it special, its in the artist, taking for example Golden from Taylor the Creator, rap artist, which essentially mentions Eek-A-Mouse on his hit based on random words and exotic instruments. To conclude, we can observe that artists similar to this are well valued in the music society because of their audacity in creating unique styles not caring about what others (critics) will consider. For some, it can be nonsense, but for others it can be a masterpiece. It depends on how you look at it.

                         My Eek-A-Mouse limited edition CD back in Peru, 21 January 2010

                       

Work Cited

A-Mouse, Eek -. Most Wanted CD. Digital image. Last FM. Last FM, 6 Feb. 1999. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. <http://www.last.fm/music/Eek-a-Mouse/Eek-A-Mouse+Most+Wanted>.

Mouse, Eek A. "Eek A Mouse - Anarexol." YouTube. YouTube, 4 Feb. 2010. Web. 07 Dec. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QidUyi6730>.