Hi again! I had to take a little break for a couple months but I did not forget about you. I was immersed in work, shows, and rehearsals. Life on the road... got to love it! Ok, this one is long so let's get it started.
For this post, I wanted to make a little stop from defining industry standards, methods, and other things, to make a meaningful post about what is Dub and SoundSystem is to me and how I got to it. Here it goes!
First, I want to give you a brief story of how this post came about. Besides thinking, "I have posted about all things on my blog but what about I got to Dub and SoundSystem! And most importantly, what it means to me and why do I do it?". Well, first and foremost, I should tell you a little bit more about how I got to Dub. It is a lot so get ready.
Since a very young age, I have liked electronic music, I always love the beats, the melodies, and the universe of creativity that came from most of the tracks. I remember loving bands/DJs like Faithless (yes, the ones that have that song called 'God is a DJ'? Heck yeah!!) and Daft Punk, among others (just giving you the commercial ones, ok? And yes, I still love Faithless and Daft Punk, don't hate me for it). But it wasn't all for me. I remember the first time I heard dancehall music (this important as it explains how I got to Dub). It was when my uncle had moved to Connecticut, and my parents and I were just finishing cleaning the house where he and his family used to live in Puerto Rico (my home country). I remember finding a cassette (yes, I said it... a CASSETTE!!! Raise your hand if you used to rewind them with a pencil.). By the way, it was my cousin's tape. Anyway, I remember finding a cassette and playing in my Walkman (again, raise your hand if you had one). For some reason, I can't remember the name of the album(or tape) but I can remember that one song that got me into dancehall for the first time. (Are you ready for this? I'm not, but here it goes) It was Cutty Ranks and the song was Limb by Limb. I won't sit here and lie saying I knew what was said in that song. Now, that I know I can confess that I'm not proud of the content of that song but it was my gateway to dancehall, what can I say?
I remember playing that song over and over. Today, it's funny because when you come from Puerto Rico it is very unlikely that you understand English fully and let alone Jamaican Patois but I used to just "sing it". You would laugh if you would've heard me; I can guarantee you that (Thankfully, there is no recording of such horrible sounds). But at that time I was too young (maybe 9 or 10) and I really didn't have the knowledge of such music and this music just stayed in my head for years to come without knowing how to find it again. And then, I submitted to the forefather of reggaeton (yes, there is such thing and yes, I did listen to it. I'm from Puerto Rico. What did you expect? LOL). We used to call it "underground" and it was closer to Spanish reggae/dancehall from the 80s and 90s. No, we did not invent Spanish reggae and yes, Puerto Rico was copying Panama (yes, I just said that). Oh, how we used to get in trouble for it! (Those were the days!) For many years until about 1998 when the genre took a twist from which it never came back and all of you know it as Reggaeton (and the dumb 'Gasolina' song). It was then when I got to high school and life would be so different.
Now, let's fast forward to the college years, which is that crazy time that we all have (don't deny it now. You went through it too. Let's just not talk about the details of it, ok?). I remember finding myself fascinated by music. I used to listen to so much different music that my friends used to play. I discovered jewels and trash, but it all shaped my likes to perfection. I remember listening to things like Metallica and Iron Maiden to trance and chill reggae... and everything in between (I even went trough a stage full of The Beatles which I call My Hippie Stage. Not sure I have gotten out of that stage completely. LOL). The point is that college helped develop a more broad appreciation for art, especially music appreciation. But it wasn't until I got to meet new friends that were into what I call a more African conscious vibe, that I really started listening to music that was created by Africans in the diaspora, like reggae and dancehall, among others genres. I had heard lots of Bob Marley and yes I liked it but for some reason, it wasn't my thing. I just loved dancehall. So much, I used to dance it (yes, like real dancehall. That's all I have to say), I used to love to sing it, and I still couldn't understand it much. And then...
I had a life-changing experience that turned me to Rastafari. It was at that moment that all the lyrics from Bob Marley, Midnite, Jacob Miller, Hugh Mundell, and Peter Tosh started to make sense to me. And with that social media came about. I remember MySpace (is that website still running? Has anyone gotten in contact with Tom ever since? Oh, Tom our first social media friend. Does he have a Facebook? *evil laugh*). Anyway, I remember MySpace and I remember how I used to talk to this one guy from London and he sent me a link to his music (I remember his name but I doubt he remembers me. It's cool. I really don't expect him to remember me). It was dub and I loved it but again I get hooked to music I have no idea of how to find and again I just let it go and soon just put it in the back of my mind. I continue to listen to more reggae for years to come and totally forgot about dancehall because I was no longer connecting with it on any level. So, I continue to grow in Rastafari and listen to more reggae and continued to absorb all its teachings. I continue to find more reggae music jewels like Noel Ellis, Linval Thompson, etc. Note that I start liking old school steppers but I didn't know that was even a genre within reggae. So, I start downloading songs with those rhythms and every time falling more in love with it. But the story continues...
Let us fast forward to 2010, when I met my husband. He has been a Rastafarian for like forever and he is an avid reggae listener. No kidding. He probably knows every reggae song from the 60s to the 2000s easy. (Awesome DJ I got me *wink wink*) It was then that he introduce to me the more songs in old steppers style and then, AND THEN, dub. Beautiful combination... let me rephrase that... beautiful and perfect synchronicity of reggae and EDM. Oh, my musical heart has been completed. I had been reintroduced to my long lost musical lover, a digital version of 70s steppers. What?! Since then I couldn't stop listening and finding more of it. It became and obsession for me and something to make us closer as a couple. He also started to introduce to the culture. And coming from Puerto Rico, you can't pass by any speakers without stopping. So he showed me this pictures of Gianormous and powerful speakers. And then the videos came. Oh, my!!! Where have you been all my life?! (I said that to the pictures not to my husband. LOL) It was then... Love at first sight. I am not looking back... EVER!
After two years just listening to this music, and regular reggae, my husband decided to come back to his musical roots (he had done music before but had taken a long hiatus). It was then that for the first time in my life I felt inspired enough to sing and write songs (I had sung before in my school's children's choir but never again after that). I have always been a writer, a poet, but never a recorded singer. Let alone singing in reggae or for that matter, steppers. But it happened and it felt so liberating. To say the things that were in my mind and take it out of the paper into sound recordings. I never felt freer. But with this new experience, also came insecurities (i guess all artists have it). Things like "what if no one likes it?" and "What if they laugh?". I did pass all that and continued to grow and create. I have found myself deep in a scene where it's very difficult to shine, especially if you're a woman (I do not keep that inside. Being a woman in reggae makes you a Ruthless Warrioress, believe me. But nothing stops a heart with a mission and passion.) And that's how I got to Dubwise, Dub, Steppas, or Steppers (the name isn't important but the message is.
Now, I have found myself in a scene that seems to have no direction or idea of how to steer the wheel. It's been very uphill, more like hiking the Everest but the mission must be completed. Why? Because the one thing I did not say is that I truly believe that this music is the music that will free many minds in the future. Because I believe that this is the key to the mysteries of the future. Because I know that what we sing about is mostly prophecy and because the next generations will barely read, they will listen and they will see. It may sound like I'm going overboard here. But I know that this music is by and for Warriors. But most importantly, I know that this music genre is perfection (at least it is to me). And it's appealing to a crowd that already loves all the different elements our music have, just that they only have heard it in separate genres. But like me, if they only listen to it they will fall in love with it and it will be true eternal love (Believe me). And the message will get to them and they will feel it... deeply. But we really have to take a step to truly take it out there.
The thing now is to really put this baby out there and organize the scene (hopefully some of my peers will read this and get it). If we could only stop "rating" one another as if one were more than other, and all those ego trips perhaps we will be able to complete the mission that has been given to us. I say this because I know this genre is no just something that just came up; there is a deeper and more meaningful part to this. Most of us do this because it is what we truly believe... to break down the walls of Babylon. However, we have let Babylon take over us in the shape of our ego. It is time to focus on the mission and not externalities. It is time to let go the ego and focus on aligning ourselves with the mission and with our brothers and sisters. After all, that is our army and regardless of how they look, act, or whatever the division in your head is this mission shall and will be completed.
This is my story on how I got to dub. How did you get to dub or whatever music you do? How did you fall in love with it? What's the story? Comment here or send me an inbox.
Until next time!
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