RIP Bob Nesta Marley

30 years ago today; we lost an icon, leader, teacher, rastafarian and most of all someone that we could relate to.
Today, I join the rest of the world in remembering his contribution to music, peace and humanity in general. Through his countless songs and messages, Nesta as I prefer to call him (my middle name is also Nesta) left us with timeless classics and a song for every situation.
Not much more can be said that hasn’t already been highlighted by about Bob Nesta Marley but I would like to thank him for being an inspiration to myself and the rest of the globe.
Thank you.






Below are the lyrics to my favourite Bob track:

Redemption Song lyrics

Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look? Ooh
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfil the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Woh, have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfill the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
All I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom

See the video on Youtube

what's in my cd player right now

Everytime I write this post, I must mention that I do not have a cd player, I actually listen to music on my phone or on my laptop, even the radio at times.

But these past few days, I haven't had much time to listen to music however the little time that I get, I usually devote it to conscious music aka reggae, some rap, gospel and even a little of our local music, bouyon (okay, okay, that is not exactly conscious music but it depends on your interpretation of it).

Lately I have gone back to my earliest of musical influences (remember I am still a young person, lol), this is the first album that I could recite par cœur ( by heart). Well I could be talking about Robert Nesta Marley (my father named me Nesta after him) but i am not, I am talking about Buju Banton. His earliest albums are a far cry from conscious reggae, it dealt with more dancehall topics but from his re-awakening, Buju has been a force to reckon with in the reggae music genre.

Although I am currently listening to his 'Til Shiloh album by favourite Buju ensemble is 'Inna Heights'. My favourite songs on his 'Til Shiloh album include:

"'Til I'm Laid to Rest"
"Untold Stories"
"Not an Easy Road"
"Complaint" (with Garnett Silk)
"Wanna Be Loved"
"It's All Over"
"Hush, Baby, Hush"
"What Ya Gonna Do?" (with Wayne Wonder)

But my favourite line any of his songs come from Untold Stories:

What is to stop the youths from get out of control

Full up of education yet no own no payroll

The clothes on my back have countless eyehole.

I could go on and on the full has never been told

and off course I could go on and on but I will end here

What's in my cd player right now?

Again I have to laugh because I do not have a cd player but that's not really the point. Lately I've been listening to a lot of conscious music, mainly reggae and a little rap. Yes, readers there is some level of consciousness in rap music just listen to Common, Talib Kweli, Lauryn Hill and some others. Even Tupac is on my list of conscious rappers.

Don't get me wrong, I find the time to listen to alot more but when I need that emotional, motivational spark, i just put my cellphone in my pocket attach it to my headphones and on i go, especially when I am writing poetry.

I have had Duane Stephenson's August Town Cd ever since it came out, by the way i downloaded it then i actually purchased the original cd, a very first for me, lol. I really only paid attention to a few songs on the cd, off course the more commercially played tracks like August Town, Ghetto Pain, Cottage in Negril and Fairy Tale. Lately another of his songs have caught my attention though, Mr. Babylon or Mr. B, as written in the track list.

The song speaks about the treatment of black people from slavery and present day and how the Massa are now unhappy with Black people. There is a point in the song where he says:

Mr. B you use to smile before,

we are no friend no more,
we use to cool when Mamma sweep de floor,
but all of a sudden we not idren (brethren) no more,
but then again i'm no longer poor

Another part in the song that I love speaks about the controversial marijauna and its use for "medicinal purposes" by persons of "higher" knowledge:

Mr B you fight we purple haze

while the whole world is in a herbal craze
you must be going through a bad mind phase
or u just hate we tru a rasta we praise
and your dirty babylon we a go blaze

But only Jah knows

If you run across the CD give it a listen, it will surely surprise you.

nest@

What's in my cd player right now

I'm taking a moment to laugh a bit cause i dont really have a cd player but i listen to music from my laptop, either way it plays music right?

I have a diverse collection of music from Caribbean soca, calypso, bouyon, zouk, cadence, reggae, dancehall and Hip Hop as well. My range of international music isn't much besides a few french songs that i fell in love with, well actually just one song, lol.

But right now, I've gone a little old school, well its old school in Hip Hop, but when we think of old school music, it's not that old. I've been listening to Lauryn Hill's first album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." I actually have all her solo albums and none of the Fugees group efforts, i dont know why though.

I remember when this album just came out, i had it on cassette and i played it everyday for months. There was this neighbour of mine in Pound, Kennedy Avenue, where i lived at the time, who i had a crush on, for the purpose of protection i wont disclose who she is and i played and sang that album to her every day, through her windows though, u know how Pound is, every house is so close you can hear what people are saying in their house. So this love continued for months. Anyways, to cut a long story short, it didnt work out, teenage crushes or love stories hardly ever do anyway.

Just a few weeks ago, i heard one of her songs and immediately it brought me back to those moments too, so i went on my laptop and downloaded the album, off course by now, cassettes are almost obsolete, so i wont be caught dead with one, lol. So again, ive been playing the album almost daily, feeling the positive vibes too.

My favourite songs on the album, although i like them all, are:
To Zion
Lost Ones
Ex-Factor
Superstar
When it hurts so bad
Forgive them Father
Every Ghetto, Every City
Nothing even matters

aye, i said i liked them all, lol. That's what i call a classic album when you can put it in and just press play and not have to skip a song because every one of them is enjoyable and you replay each song two or even three times because you dont want the moment to end. So right now that's what i am listening to and my favourite of favourite songs is playing:To Zion,and my favourite verse just passed too (gonna play it again too):

Unsure of what the balance held
I touched my belly overwhelmed
By what I had been chosen to perform
But then an angel came one day
Told me to kneel down and pray
For unto me a man child would be born
Woe this crazy circumstance
I knew his life deserved a chance
But everybody told me to be smart
Look at your career they said,"Lauryn, baby use your head"
But instead I chose to use my heart

I like that verse because i too feel that my mother chose to listen to her heart, thank God she didnt have an abortion, thank God.

Nesta