Free your mind because it's definitely a great vibes on the island kind of weekend with one of this reggae generation's finest singer/songwriters in the person of Tarrus Riley. And no matter if you've seen Tarrus Riley perform before, you want to go to this weekend's concert with no expectations and be ready to receive what Riley is giving out.
"I just want to give you your favorite songs and a little bit of the new things that we're going into. I want to make you dance, I want to make you listen, I want to make you groove and I want to have a good time," Riley told The Nassau Guardian, prior to his arrival in The Bahamas.
"Expect the unexpected, because we don't really like to be predictable. Just come to have a good time [and] definitely come with high spirits to have a good time, but don't expect anything. Just come with a free mind."
Riley along with special guests Dean Fraser & The Blak Soil Band along with Chronixx and Zinfence Redemption will take to the stage on Saturday at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort and Private Offshore Island.
The Sandals Foundation will donate proceeds from the concert to the PACE (Providing Access to Continued Education) foundation to refurbish a one-of-a-kind support center that will serve the needs of the girls in a centrally located facility.
PACE ensures that teen mothers have the opportunity to complete high school; reduce the incidence of repeat pregnancy among teen mothers; improve the quality of life for teenage mothers and their babies; ensure that teen mothers are educated on the negative impact of repeat teen pregnancies and use the lessons of teen mothers to inform stakeholders of the ways to prevent teen pregnancies.
It's a cause that's resonates with the crooner who is an advocate for women's rights and respects women. It saddens him to hear of young ladies getting pregnant at 16 and having another child before they're 20.
"I have a high level of respect for woman, and my mother is definitely one of my best friends, so I try to sing songs to uplift women, and against domestic violence -- 'She's Royal' -- telling women that they're a queen. When I do concerts in aid of these kinds of things, it's extra special, and not just entertainment alone. You lend your entertainment ... you lend your craft to a good cause, and I'm all about that," he said.
He was born Omar Riley in the Bronx, New York and raised in Jamaica. The son of veteran Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Riley, he has been in the game a long time. He made his recording debut in 2004 with the release of the album "Challenges"; his breakthrough album "Parables" was released on October 31, 2006. That album became popular in 2007.
"She's Royal" catapulted him into reggae's major league. He has maintained a steady output of hit singles ever since. His diverse catalogue ranges from the syncopated dancehall verve of "Good Girl Gone Bad" (featuring Konshens) to the percussion driven celebration of African identity of "Shaka Zulu Pickney".
Time flies
"Even though it feels like forever because I've been recording since I was nine, I still have a lot to do -- more albums to produce, young talent that I've been helping to bring on the scene, and even advising them ... there's so much aspects of music to explore. I want to be producing. I want to do other things. I don't want to be just locked in a studio for the rest of my life. I want to spend time with my kids and do some other things."
It was just last year on his fifth studio album "Love Situation" that Riley paid tribute to reggae's direct forerunner rocksteady, and more than finding his musical direction, began working independently and owning his music. Last year he said he had finally reached maturation in a changed music industry.
"Love Situation" which dropped February 2014 was Riley's first album to top the Reggae album chart, the week following its release. Rocksteady provides an ideal platform for Riley's talents with "Love Situation" which is said to be his finest, most cohesive full-length release to date.
Riley's great voice and great songs it is said has kept cultural reggae alive.
The music
Reggae has sustained the test of time and evolved from a simple music art form known as Mento, and developed in the early 20th century. In the 50s, Rock n' Roll spurred the Ska music form, and with a new generation of peppy horn melodies and uptempoed vocal sounds, reggae found the potential to cross over into the mainstream music industry. It happened with a mega hit from a small girl with a big voice, Millie Small, and her debut single "My Boy Lollipop". This sparked a creative explosion in the industry overnight with "reggaelution" in full gear and artists like Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh and King Stitch emerging from that era.
In the 60s reggae took form with a mellow beat and mind-bending conscious lyrics and rebel bands that spoke the words of the people. The mystical influence of reggae captured fans worldwide and reggae was a real influence internationally. Bob Marley and the Wailers sang songs of hope and freedom that stretched to the war-torn jungles of Vietnam and the heart-aching women in the United States and giving protestors a voice to carry on. The song "War" by Bob Marley and the Wailers impacted the world. Then came the experimental 70s and a new stage in the evolution of the art form, with the birth of dancehall, and it was all about one drop rhythms and versatile lyrics.
In the 80s, every major label wanted a reggae catalogue. And in the 90s the Japanese discovered reggae. In the 2000 era, and new millennium potential is all around with the likes of Riley among others. The next generation of reggae is currently unfolding, and as it evolves Riley says the message stays the same.
"We change with the breeze -- if the breeze is blowing hard, we put on a different kind of attire. If it's raining you have a different kind of attire, so we accept change and love change, and look forward to change, but always remember -- the more things change the more they remain the same," he said.
Inspiration
As for his inspiration, it's the people.
"People inspire me. I'm inspired by people and different situations and conversation and stuff like that ... I'm inspired by history, I'm inspired by love and nature and stuff like that," he said. As for his influences, he said it would be too many people to list.
And his favorite song is determined by the moment he's in.
"I have so many songs that are favorite depending on the mood, so it's a wide variety in any genre. I'm influenced by the greats and up and coming greats, and my favorite song just depends on what kind of mood I'm in," he said.
As for what's in the Riley pipeline, he said he has many things happening, including new music coming out with international influences.
Major Lazer's "Powerful" from his upcoming "Peace Is The Mission" album features "Lights" singer Ellie Goulding with Tarrus, the roots reggae crooner. "Powerful" leaked on Thursday afternoon. "Peace Is The Mission" is expected to drop on June 1.
"Recently we did a song about marijuana becoming more legal, I have a video coming out about that. We have a lot of different things happening," he said.
Tarrus Riley the man versus the artist? Tarrus Riley the man and the artist are one and the same. What you see is what you get according to Riley who says he really doesn't like to talk about himself much.
"I like to just live. I just like to be easy ... I like to go to the river ... I like to reason with my friends -- have a good meal, listen to some music ... make music. I'm like Superman and Clark Kent -- Omar Riley is Clark Kent and Tarrus Riley is Superman," he said.
And in this era of social media he says people know more about him than they think they know. But he assures that his stage persona is not far from the person they hear on the CD.
"It's not really an act for me, like a lot of artists are two different people. I'm very close to what you hear on the record. I'm not that far from it."
He says he is not Tarrus Riley one night and a totally different person the next day.
The dulcet lover who at midnight on Sunday, April 26 will attain his 36th birthday, the day after the Vibes on the Island concert will awaken in The Bahamas and he said he's looking forward to a cool drink of switcha.
"I will wake up in the morning celebrating life in your country ... very young... younger than you think ... younger than it's stated. I'm younger than I look and younger than the maturity of the music," he said.
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