More Info on Burning SpearSimilar World MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Use dmy dates|date=March 2012Use Jamaican English|date=March 2012Infobox musical artist|image=Burningspear.jpg||name = Burning Spear||caption =|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Winston Godfrey Rodney|alias =|birth_date = Birth date and age|1945|3|1|df=y|death_date =|origin =|instrument =|genre = Reggae |occupation =|years_active = 1969–present|label = Studio One (record label)|Studio One , Island Records|Island , EMI , Heartbeat Records|Heartbeat , Slash Records|Slash |associated_acts =|website = http://www.burningspear.net/ www.burningspear.net|current_members =|past_members = Winston Rodney, Order of Distinction|OD (born 1 March 1945Larkin, Colin (2002) The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music , Virgin Books, ISBN 978-1-85227-947-9, p. 57Some sources state 1948 (e.g. Thompson)), also known as Burning Spear , is a Jamaican roots reggae|roots reggae singer and musician. Burning Spear is known for his Rastafari movement messages.
History
Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica|Saint Ann , Jamaica , as were reggae singer Bob Marley and political activist Marcus Garvey who both had a great influence on Rodney's life: Garvey in his philosophy, which Burning Spear greatly took to, and Marley in directly helping Burning Spear get started in the music industry (by some accounts) by introducing him to Clement Dodd .Thompson, Dave: Reggae & Caribbean Music , 2002, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, p. 51-54 Rodney met Marley at the latter's farm in 1969, and having told him that he wanted to get into the music business, Marley advised him to start at Dodd's Studio One (record label)|Studio One label.Jackson, Kevin (2004) " http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20040722T220000-0500_63265_OBS_AUDIENCE_APPRECIATION_GIVES_BURNING_SPEAR_THE_DRIVE_TO_CONTINUE.asp Audience appreciation gives Burning Spear the drive to continue", Jamaica Observer , 23 July 2004, retrieved 20 September 2009 Reggae singer Larry Marshall (singer)|Larry Marshall claimed that it was he, while visiting St. Ann's Bay with Jackie Mittoo , who was approached by Rodney, and gave him this advice, and arranged the introduction.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn. , Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4, p. 95
Burning Spear was originally Rodney's group, named after a military award given by Jomo Kenyatta , the first Prime Minister and President of an independent Kenya , and including bass singer Rupert Willington. This duo auditioned for Dodd in 1969, and recorded the debut single "Door Peep". They were joined by tenor Delroy Hinds (brother of Justin Hinds ). The trio recorded several more singles for Dodd, and two albums, before they moved on to work with Jack Ruby (record producer)|Jack Ruby in 1975. Their first recording with Ruby, "Marcus Garvey", was intended as an exclusive track for Ruby's Ocho Rios -based Hi-Power Sound system (Jamaican)|sound system , but was released as a single, giving them an immediate hit, and was followed by "Slavery Days". These recordings featured the backing band The Black Disciples, which included Earl "Chinna" Smith , Valentine Chin , Robbie Shakespeare and Leroy Wallace. The group worked with Ruby on their third album, Marcus Garvey (album)|Marcus Garvey (1976), which was immediately successful and led to a deal with Island Records to give the album a wider release. Island remixed and altered the speed of some of the tracks, much to the annoyance of fans and the group,Greene, Jo-Ann "Allmusic|class=artist|id=p2872/biography|pure_url=yes Burning Spear Biography", Allmusic , Macrovision Corporation leading Rodney to set up his own Spear label for future releases where he would have full control, although further releases followed on Island including a Dub music|dub album (''Garvey's Ghost ) and the Man in the Hills album. In late 1976, Rodney split from both Ruby and group members Willington and Hinds, and from that point on used the name Burning Spear for himself alone. Dry and Heavy followed in 1977, self-produced but still on Island, and with a sizeable following by now in the United Kingdom, he performed in London that year with members of Aswad (band)|Aswad acting as his backing band for a sold-out show at the Rainbow Theatre , which was recorded and released as Live! .Aswad also provided backing on his next studio album, Social Living (1978), which also featured Sly Dunbar and Rico Rodriguez . A dub version of the album, Living Dub (1979), was mixed by Sylvan Morris . His profile was raised further by an appearance in the film Rockers (1978 film)|Rockers , performing "Jah no Dead".
In 1980, Rodney left Island Records, and set up the Burning Spear label, which he signed to EMI , debuting on the label with Hail H.I.M. , recorded at Marley's Tuff Gong studio and co-produced by Aston Barrett . A Sylvan Morris dub version followed in the form of Living Dub Volume Two . In 1982, Rodney signed with Heartbeat Records with a series of well-received albums following, including the 1985 Grammy Award|Grammy -nominated Resistance . He returned to Island in the early 1990s, releasing two albums before rejoining Heartbeat.
Burning Spear tours extensively, and several live albums have been issued. His 1999 album, Calling Rastafari brought his first Grammy Award in 2000,Moskowitz, David V. (2006) Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall , Greenwood Press, ISBN 0-313-33158-8, p. 45-46 a feat which he repeated with Jah Is Real in 2009.Rodman, Sarah (2009) " http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2009/07/03/roots_reggae_pioneer_keeps_it_8216real8217/ Roots-reggae pioneer keeps it ‘Real’", Boston Globe , 3 July 2009, retrieved 20 September 2009
In the mid 1990s, he set up the Burning Music Production company, handling his own bookings, and in 2002, he and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, restarted Burning Spear Records, giving him a greater degree of artistic control. http://www.darmik.com/web/free_text.php? id=77 Burning Spear Biography, DarmikBrooks, Sadeke (2009) " http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090201/ent/ent9.html Grammy Nods Burning Spear optimistic", Jamaica Gleaner , 1 February 2009, retrieved 20 September 2009 Since the mid-1990s, he has been based in Queens, New York .Baxter, Nicky (1996) " http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/02.15.96/burn-spear-9607.html Reggae Torch Bearer: Burning Spear remembers the days of slavery", Metroactive , 15–21 February 1996, retrieved 20 September 2009
Burning Spear was awarded the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer on 15 October 2007." http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20071015T230000-0500_128382_OBS_ARTISTES_PRESENTED_WITH_NATIONAL_AWARDS.asp Artistes presented with national awards", Jamaica Observer , 16 October 2007, retrieved 20 September 2009
The Track "We Are Going" was featured in cycling documentary "Roam" by The Collective.
Discography
main|Burning Spear discography
Awards
Burning Spear has won two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album; one at the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000 for Calling Rastafari , and one for 2009's Jah Is Real . He has been nominated for a total of 12 Grammy Awards. http://theenvelope.latimes.com/factsheets/ "Fact Sheets - The Envelope", LA Times
Nominations for Best Reggae Album:
1986 Resistance (Burning Spear album)|Resistance
1988 People of the World
1990 '' Live in Paris Zenith '88
1991 Mek We Dweet
1994 The World Should Know (Burning Spear album)|The World Should Know
1996 Rasta Business
1998 Appointment with His Majesty
2000 Calling Rastafari
2004 Free Man
2005 Our Music
2008 The Burning Spear Experience
2008 Jah Is Real
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.burningspear.net/ Official site of Burning Spear
http://www.facebook.com/burningspearmusic Official Facebook Page
http://twitter.com/burningmusic Official Twitter
http://www.burningspear.net/blog/ Winston Rodney's Blog
http://www.musicbox-online.com/bspr-int.html Our Music: Past, Present, and Future with Burning Spear - The Music Box, Vol. 12, #11
http://brucecmoore.com/pages/burningspear.html Live performance images
Persondata | NAME =Burning Spear | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =1 March 1945 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Burning Spear Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:Converts to the Rastafari movement Category:Jamaican Rastafarians Category:Performers of Rastafarian music Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Jamaican songwriters Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Saint Ann Parish
