February 15, 2021 ⢠22 mins
In the poignant debut of Rootsland, host Henry K reveals the transformative journey of himself and friend Brian, who set out to change the world through their music. Moving to Kingston, Jamaica in 1991, they rented a house in the hills of Armour Heights, turning it into an artistic sanctuary that attracted talent from all over. Amidst this vibrant mix of culture and music, Brian immersed himself in the life of Kingston's ghettos, offering respect and recognition to the disenfranchised, until his untimely death from an overdose in 1997.
The conversation shifts to the origins of the narrator Henry K's love for reggae music, tracing back to his teenage years in the US Virgin Islands, where he discovered a profound connection with reggae. This passion followed him to Washington, DC, where a fortuitous encounter with a reggae CD produced by Doctor Dread led him to an internship at RAS Records. Through vivid storytelling, the episode navigates significant moments: from discovering reggae music's unifying power, experiencing the political upheaval of the Iran-Contra scandal, to finding solace and purpose at Tower Records.
Rootsland "Reggae's Untold Stories"
Home | ROOTSLAND Reggae Music, Podcast & Merchandise "Wear Your Culture"
Rootsland is produced by Henry K in association with Voice Boxx Studios in Kingston, Jamaica.
Introduction by:
Michelle "Kim" Yamaguchi
Featured Music:
Wayne Armond - "Righteous People"
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:13):
In the summer of 1991, myfriend Brian convinced me it was
the right time to move to Kingston,
Jamaica.
Maybe we were a little naive,but we thought, we can change the
world through our music.
Brian was an aspiring singerliving in New Hope, Pennsylvania,
with asweet, soulful voice and a revolutionary
spirit.
I was a young songwriter fromLong Island, New York, and when I
met Brian, I realized I found my
voice.
(00:39):
We rented a large house in thehills overlooking Kingston in an
area called Armour Heights.
Our place became an artisticsanctuary where an eclectic mix of
singers, musicians, and artists from
all over the world would mingle with
reggae stars and upcoming jamaican
talent.
Tucked away in the hills ofthis lush uptown neighborhood, it
was easy to forget that the flickering
lights in the distance were coming
from some of the most violent ghettos
in the world.
(01:07):
Ironically, it was in thesesame ghettos where Brian felt most
comfortable.
Right at home with theragamuffin, rude boys and disenfranchised
street youth of Kingston.
This golden haired, goldenvoice singer from America gave them
something they rarely experienced
in theiryoung lives.
Respect and recognition.
But Brian and I learnedquickly that broken dreams lie in
the streets of Kingston.
(01:33):
I fell in love and stayed inJamaica, started an independent record
label.
And as for my friend Brian,the one who inspired the journey
andtaught me so many lessons of life
and music, he died of an overdose
at agas station in Boulder, Colorado,
in thewinter of 1997.
And while I know he's in amuch better place, and as much as
I would love to see his memory rest
in peace, something was brought to
my attention that has caused me to
open up old wounds and stir up forgotten
memories.
(02:07):
This is the popular rock bandWean, introducing one of their songs
before a live performance.
Oh, this is called ReggaeJunkie Jew by Wean.
I was going out with this girlfor about a year.
One jarved, and she left mefor a reggae junkie Jew.
(02:30):
And that's a white.
A white mafarian.
That is a white dude withgolden dreadlocks.
Who'S addicted to heroin.
(02:50):
And while I'm not here tojudge the quality of any song or
impede on an artist's right to express
themselves, this is a song that degrades.
It's a song that bullies.
It's a song that shames.
It's also a song about myfriend Brian.
And he deserves to be humanized.
He deserves to be rememberedhow he lived his life, not how he
lost it.
(03:13):
So the time has come for me tostand up for my friend, to tell his
untold tale and reclaim his stolen
legacy.
Because when you look closelythrough the fragments of Brian's
shattered dreams, you'll find they
contain lessons of love, hope, and
selflessness that are more relevant
nowthan ever.
In the reggae anthem get up,stand up, the Wailers sing, not all
that glitters is gold.
(03:38):
Half the story has never been told.
Brian always dreamed he couldmake the world a better place.
Maybe by me telling his story,he still can, because righteousness
governsthe world.
Broadcasting live and directfrom the rolling red hills on the
outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica.
(04:00):
From a magical place at theintersection of words, sound, and
power, the red light is on.
Your dial is set the frequencyin tune to the Rootsland podcast
stories that are music to your ears.
(04:24):
My friend Libo, he called itthe perfect stoner cruise.
You could light a joint as youwere leaving my parking garage in
Rosslyn, Virginia, and take the last
toke on Pennsylvania Avenue as you
passed by the White House live.
Grateful Dead would play fromthe tape deck of my Nissan 200 SX
as the shimmering DC skyline would
come into view.
(04:45):
In 1987, I was a justice majorat American University, lucky enough
to be studying under the most respected
political and legal minds in the
country, in the most dynamic city
inthe world.
On those restless nights whenmy mind couldn't focus on school,
Iwould take a drive and soak up the
Washington, DC vibes.
(05:06):
Even a steamy summer nightcouldn't keep the tourists and locals
from crowding the streets and admiring
what President Reagan referred to
as a shining city on a hill.
In his vision, he imagined a tall.
Proud city built on rocksstronger than oceans, windswept,
Godblessed and teeming with.
People of all kinds living inharmony and peace.
(05:29):
And if there had to be citywalls, the walls had doors, and the
doors were open to anyone with a.
Will and a heart to get here.
That's how I saw it, and seeit still.
I know I wasn't the only believer.
On any given night, you couldsee idealistic Georgetown law students
drinking rolling rock beers on the
steps of the Jefferson memorial,
engagingin passionate legal debates.
(05:52):
There were parents andchildren of all races, colors, and
religions, mesmerized by the chisel
marbled features of Abraham Lincoln
andhushed silence as they read his powerful
words engraved in stone.
And sometimes, under the lightof a summer moon, I would see the
shadow of a lone figure hunched up
against the granite rock at the Vietnam
Veteran Memorial.
(06:14):
And in a time before cellphone cameras and selfie sticks,
theywould be carefully tracing the name
of their loved one with a pencil
and paper.
A moment so intimate I wouldturn away to respect their privacy.
It was a solemn night in thecity, but a political hurricane had
reached the shore, and DC was in
the eye of the storm.
(06:35):
As a justice, student, andpolitical junkie, I was in the center
of the eye.
The scene was Washington, DC.
The cast was large.
The Iran Contra scandaltransfixed Washington for most of
1987 and renewed a struggle as old
as the republic between the president
and Congress.
How can our system ofgovernment work if the administration
isnothing candid in its answers to
the Congress?
(07:00):
I will tell you right now,counsel and all the members here
gather that I misled the Congress.
This was my generation'sWatergate, one of the most eye opening
and revealing political events of
a lifetime.
A real spy story that turnedthe front page of the Washington
Post intoa Jason Bourne thriller.
(07:21):
A secret cabal involving theCIA, the military, private businessmen,
and politicians.
Even a sexy blonde secretarywith an amazing eighties hairstyle
and anunwavering loyalty to her boss.
Like I've said before, Ibelieved in Colonel north, and there
was a very solid and very valid reason
that he must have been doing this.
And sometimes you have to goabove the written law.
(07:46):
Now, myself and millions ofAmericans would see and hear the
aftermath play out on our tvs and
radios.
An up close view of ourpolitical system in action, the effectiveness
of our congressional oversight.
A chance for our electedleaders to step up and take an ethical
and moral stance to uphold the credibility
of our constitution.
And today we're going to talkabout the United States constitution.
(08:09):
You keep using the horde.
I do not think it means whatyou think it means.
What?
We got nothing.
Arrogance and grandstanding bypoliticians on both sides of the
aisle.
Party over country.
Ambition over constitution.
Sound bites with rehearsedspontaneity designed to play on the
evening news.
And before the gavel slammedto end the hearing, there was already
one casualty of the Iran Contra affair.
(08:35):
My faith in democracy and mydesire to devote my life to law and
the justice system.
Nick's business.
You should thank God they gota chance to get away from this town
full of dum dums.
We don't get food again.
(08:58):
I drove by the White House andworked my way down Pennsylvania Avenue.
I had one more stop beforeheading home for the night.
One last place where I cantake refuge in this chaotic world.
Take a ride to tower records.
It's not just a destination,it's a real trip.
Take the ride to tower.
Uh oh.
(09:19):
Can I help you?
I remember my parents takingme to the record store in the mall
when I was a kid.
It was one of the very firstplaces they would let me hang out
alone while they went shopping.
I felt so grown up, so free.
As I wandered the store,spending hours looking at album covers,
what I found was my own musical identity.
(09:41):
And when I became older, Iwould save my allowance all week
andride my bicycles Saturday morning
to Oz.
Rock music on Central Avenuein Cedarhurst.
There I would spend it all onBeatles Records.
I feel bad that futuregenerations will never know the simple
joy of walking into a record store
and buying an album.
The Tower records in DC is onPennsylvania Avenue in Foggy Bottom.
(10:04):
It has two floors and a greatselection of books, magazines, dvd's,
video games, and of course, music.
The diverse DC crowd thatshuffles in makes people watching
justas entertaining as browsing the music.
Students from all over theworld, diplomats and their families,
punkrockers and hip hoppers.
An announcement came over the speaker.
(10:25):
The store would be closing in20 minutes.
I was in the world musicdepartment, in no rush to leave.
I was reading the albumcredits on the back of a reggae cd
produced by Doctor Dredd.
Ross Records, Washington DC.
There's a record company basedhere in Washington.
I thought, wait, there's a guynamed Doctor Dredd producing reggae
albums here in Washington.
(10:52):
This was a sign.
This was truly a sign.
There was no Ross records inthe telephone book, but there was
areal authentic sound in Maryland,
rightoutside DC.
I spent all week trying toreach Doctor Dredd, but my messages
were unreturned.
(11:15):
Then I remembered my fathertelling me, if you ever want to reach
someone important at a company call
on Friday after five.
So at 06:00 p.m.
on Friday, I made the call.
And guess what?
Doctor Dredd answered.
And when Doctor Dredd asked mewhy a justice student was interested
inworking for a reggae company, I isn't
reggae music all about equal rights
and justice?
(11:39):
I thought it was funny, butthe phone was silent on the other
end.
And then he asked if I'minterested in coming in for an interview.
Ross Records was located in anondescript office warehouse park,
about 25 minutes outside DC in the
suburbs of Maryland.
(12:00):
I don't know if it was bydesign, but if you weren't looking
forit, you wouldn't find it.
When I pulled up to theaddress, there was a large bay door
open and I could hear muted reggae
music playing from inside.
As I got closer, I could seethere was a guy with thinning hair
in an oversized sweatshirt stuffing
envelopes.
I noticed he looked a littlelike the New York Mets manager, Joe
Torrey.
(12:22):
I walked in with a little attitude.
I'm here to see Doctor Dredd.
He stood up and extended hisarm and gave me a fist bump.
I'm Doctor Dredd.
Gary Himmelfarb.
Nice to meet you.
I'm not sure what I was expecting.
Maybe a Rastaman in a smokyrecording studio draped in reggae
colors.
(12:44):
But this was a very largewarehouse, neatly arranged aisles
oforganized records, cds, and DVD's.
There was a stairway which ledup to a suite of offices.
The whole operation lookedprofessional and impressive.
I liked Doctor Dredd immediately.
First of all, any businessowner that would spend Saturday morning
stuffing envelopes was a real hustler,
and I respected that also.
(13:08):
He was very likable.
And the more he spoke, themore I could relate to him.
This is Doctor Dredd at his2015 book launch.
Well, I was born inWashington, DC, and that's pretty
muchwhere I was raised.
Unlike most people in theWashington suburbs who went to college
because their parents wanted them
tobe doctors and lawyers, I got it
on an airplane and went to Columbia,
South America.
(13:32):
When I came back to Americaand someone played for me catch a
fire by Bob Marley, you know, I was
kind of getting political.
And when I heard that BobMarley record his message and what
he was talking about and being in
the third world and sing that, you
know, the whole world was in the
suburbs of Washington where I grew
up.
(13:57):
And that, you know, people suffered.
There was sufferation.
They had to struggle to gettheir daily bread.
And the music and Bob'smessage, it just completely resonated
with how I felt.
He was just a kid from thesuburbs who grew up in a sheltered
environment, but had a desire to
explore the world and break out of
his comfort zone.
(14:22):
He was not going to be happyjust observing life.
He wanted to be part of it.
So he decided to take a tripto Jamaica.
Well, I think trip is thewrong word.
It was a pilgrimage, and I wasreally getting interested in this
culture that was coming out of Jamaica.
Think about it.
This small island in theCaribbean has given birth to Rastafari,
which is a lifestyle that has gone
around the whole world, even in China,
everywhere.
(14:53):
And it's not a religion.
It's a way of living.
And then reggae music, allfrom this little island in the Caribbean.
I didn't decide to do this.
It just happened.
And, you know, Ross meansreal, authentic sound.
So I had made a commitmentwithin myself to really bring the
real, authentic, positive music of
Jamaica to the world.
(15:20):
You know, we do what we do dayto day to make our lives work.
But, you know, Ja has set adestiny for this brief time we inhabit,
you know, the skin, flesh and bones
that we're in.
In fact, he had fulfilled hisdestiny because by 1987, less than
ten years after starting out in the
basement of his parents house, Gary
Himmelfarb, aka Doctor Dredd, had
built one of the biggest independent
recordcompanies in the world.
(15:50):
And the more I listened, themore I learned.
As the conversationprogressed, he asked me how I got
into reggae.
I smiled and said, Debbie Schwartze.
My story also begins in the tropics.
As a young teenager, my familywould spend Christmas vacations in
the US Virgin Islands, where my uncle
had an apartment.
(16:12):
Sapphire beach was an idyllicresort that sat on the east end of
the island of St.
Thomas, and Debbie's family,who is also from Long island, had
aplace there.
She was my first crush, and wereally hit it off.
But unfortunately for me, justas friends and the only thing I enjoyed
as much as hanging out with her was
listening to the house reggae band
as they played their nightly shows
atthe resort bar.
(16:37):
I would literally sit on theedge of the stage and just watch
themusicians play all night.
They would begin with steeldrums and a limbo show starring a
local girl named Jenny and her little
brother Coochie.
They would both shimmy under aflaming bar set on two Coca Cola
bottles.
By the end of the night, kidswent back to their rooms.
The band kicked into popmusic, reggae and soul.
(17:00):
I would refuse to leave untilI heard the band play the same song
I requested every night.
It was a sweet reggae lovesong called your house, and both
thelyrics and music touched me in an
inexplicable way.
I was young in love, and thecombination of this song, the tropical
ocean breeze, and beautiful Debbie
Schwartze created a complicated mix
of emotions that would leave me with
chills up my spine.
(17:32):
One morning during thevacation, my father took me and my
brother snorkeling to a local public
beach at Koki Point.
It was the holidays and thebeach was packed with locals and
there was barely any room for us
to put our towels.
We were the only tourists onthe beach, and the atmosphere was
festive and buzzing with energy.
There was an uplifting vibethat made Sapphire beach seem stuffy
and boring.
(17:55):
As I walked to the snack barto get my drink of choice, a virgin
strawberry daiquiri, I could hear
afamiliar song coming from a large
boombox that was surrounded by a
group of rastas.
It was the same song Irequested every night from the band
and a tall, skinny guy with long
dreadlocks introduced himself as
the roots Mandev, that steel pulse
from England, he said with a thick
island accent.
(18:17):
Then he offered to sell me thecassette for $5.
It was hot and I was thirsty,but I made the decision to spend
mydaiquiri money on that cassette,
and itwas the best $5 I spent in my life.
Not only did it have musicfrom Steel Pulse, but an array of
reggae royalty, including Bob Marley,
Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff.
When I looked at the label onthe cassette, there was one word
written in faded black magic marker.
(18:41):
Rootsland.
I looked at Doctor Dredd andtold him that cassette was with me
during love and heartbreak, tragedy
andtriumph, before wearing out.
And even after the tape waslong gone, I still had the love for
the music.
I totally nailed the interview.
And although I was remindedthat getting hired for an unpaid
internship is not the greatest accomplishment,
I was pumped.
(19:03):
Before I left, Doctor Dreddwanted to emphasize that one of my
responsibilities was going to be
answering phones and taking orders
fortheir mail order catalog, which is
one of the biggest in the country.
But all day long, we get callson our toll free line from fans not
looking to place orders.
They just love reggae and wantto talk about music and life.
We get a lot of calls fromprisons where reggae is very big
and people have a lot of time on
their hands.
(19:27):
We get calls from people goingthrough all kinds of events in their
life, and reggae has touched them
inmiraculous ways, and they just want
to express it.
There's a cancer survivor fromMinnesota who says he was cured by
Bob Marley.
This guy in California whobelieves the CIA is out to destroy
reggae.
And of course, there's Brianfrom Colorado.
And we appreciate their loveand passion for the music, but we
tell them to call back on our 301
line.
(19:51):
That was the first time Iheard the name Brian from Colorado.
But it wouldn't be the last.
(20:25):
When I tell you that times aregetting critical I don't want you
to worry no, I never want you to
fret there is nothing going on that's
sadly and difficult only a few old
parasites who wanna run things to
a wreck but if you think Jaja is
sleeping then you better think he
would have never make no devil mash
them paradise when there's a whole
barrage of righteous people out there
and we ain't given up no way yes,
there's a whole barrage of righteous
people in town and we ain't going
down no, we never going down no way,
no way hear what I say cause you
know we're ready.
In the summer of 1991, myfriend Brian convinced me it was
the right time to move to Kingston,
Jamaica.
Maybe we were a little naive,but we thought, we can change the
world through our music.
Brian was an aspiring singerliving in New Hope, Pennsylvania,
with asweet, soulful voice and a revolutionary
spirit.
I was a young songwriter fromLong Island, New York, and when I
met Brian, I realized I found my
voice.
(00:39):
We rented a large house in thehills overlooking Kingston in an
area called Armour Heights.
Our place became an artisticsanctuary where an eclectic mix of
singers, musicians, and artists from
all over the world would mingle with
reggae stars and upcoming jamaican
talent.
Tucked away in the hills ofthis lush uptown neighborhood, it
was easy to forget that the flickering
lights in the distance were coming
from some of the most violent ghettos
in the world.
(01:07):
Ironically, it was in thesesame ghettos where Brian felt most
comfortable.
Right at home with theragamuffin, rude boys and disenfranchised
street youth of Kingston.
This golden haired, goldenvoice singer from America gave them
something they rarely experienced
in theiryoung lives.
Respect and recognition.
But Brian and I learnedquickly that broken dreams lie in
the streets of Kingston.
(01:33):
I fell in love and stayed inJamaica, started an independent record
label.
And as for my friend Brian,the one who inspired the journey
andtaught me so many lessons of life
and music, he died of an overdose
at agas station in Boulder, Colorado,
in thewinter of 1997.
And while I know he's in amuch better place, and as much as
I would love to see his memory rest
in peace, something was brought to
my attention that has caused me to
open up old wounds and stir up forgotten
memories.
(02:07):
This is the popular rock bandWean, introducing one of their songs
before a live performance.
Oh, this is called ReggaeJunkie Jew by Wean.
I was going out with this girlfor about a year.
One jarved, and she left mefor a reggae junkie Jew.
(02:30):
And that's a white.
A white mafarian.
That is a white dude withgolden dreadlocks.
Who'S addicted to heroin.
(02:50):
And while I'm not here tojudge the quality of any song or
impede on an artist's right to express
themselves, this is a song that degrades.
It's a song that bullies.
It's a song that shames.
It's also a song about myfriend Brian.
And he deserves to be humanized.
He deserves to be rememberedhow he lived his life, not how he
lost it.
(03:13):
So the time has come for me tostand up for my friend, to tell his
untold tale and reclaim his stolen
legacy.
Because when you look closelythrough the fragments of Brian's
shattered dreams, you'll find they
contain lessons of love, hope, and
selflessness that are more relevant
nowthan ever.
In the reggae anthem get up,stand up, the Wailers sing, not all
that glitters is gold.
(03:38):
Half the story has never been told.
Brian always dreamed he couldmake the world a better place.
Maybe by me telling his story,he still can, because righteousness
governsthe world.
Broadcasting live and directfrom the rolling red hills on the
outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica.
(04:00):
From a magical place at theintersection of words, sound, and
power, the red light is on.
Your dial is set the frequencyin tune to the Rootsland podcast
stories that are music to your ears.
(04:24):
My friend Libo, he called itthe perfect stoner cruise.
You could light a joint as youwere leaving my parking garage in
Rosslyn, Virginia, and take the last
toke on Pennsylvania Avenue as you
passed by the White House live.
Grateful Dead would play fromthe tape deck of my Nissan 200 SX
as the shimmering DC skyline would
come into view.
(04:45):
In 1987, I was a justice majorat American University, lucky enough
to be studying under the most respected
political and legal minds in the
country, in the most dynamic city
inthe world.
On those restless nights whenmy mind couldn't focus on school,
Iwould take a drive and soak up the
Washington, DC vibes.
(05:06):
Even a steamy summer nightcouldn't keep the tourists and locals
from crowding the streets and admiring
what President Reagan referred to
as a shining city on a hill.
In his vision, he imagined a tall.
Proud city built on rocksstronger than oceans, windswept,
Godblessed and teeming with.
People of all kinds living inharmony and peace.
(05:29):
And if there had to be citywalls, the walls had doors, and the
doors were open to anyone with a.
Will and a heart to get here.
That's how I saw it, and seeit still.
I know I wasn't the only believer.
On any given night, you couldsee idealistic Georgetown law students
drinking rolling rock beers on the
steps of the Jefferson memorial,
engagingin passionate legal debates.
(05:52):
There were parents andchildren of all races, colors, and
religions, mesmerized by the chisel
marbled features of Abraham Lincoln
andhushed silence as they read his powerful
words engraved in stone.
And sometimes, under the lightof a summer moon, I would see the
shadow of a lone figure hunched up
against the granite rock at the Vietnam
Veteran Memorial.
(06:14):
And in a time before cellphone cameras and selfie sticks,
theywould be carefully tracing the name
of their loved one with a pencil
and paper.
A moment so intimate I wouldturn away to respect their privacy.
It was a solemn night in thecity, but a political hurricane had
reached the shore, and DC was in
the eye of the storm.
(06:35):
As a justice, student, andpolitical junkie, I was in the center
of the eye.
The scene was Washington, DC.
The cast was large.
The Iran Contra scandaltransfixed Washington for most of
1987 and renewed a struggle as old
as the republic between the president
and Congress.
How can our system ofgovernment work if the administration
isnothing candid in its answers to
the Congress?
(07:00):
I will tell you right now,counsel and all the members here
gather that I misled the Congress.
This was my generation'sWatergate, one of the most eye opening
and revealing political events of
a lifetime.
A real spy story that turnedthe front page of the Washington
Post intoa Jason Bourne thriller.
(07:21):
A secret cabal involving theCIA, the military, private businessmen,
and politicians.
Even a sexy blonde secretarywith an amazing eighties hairstyle
and anunwavering loyalty to her boss.
Like I've said before, Ibelieved in Colonel north, and there
was a very solid and very valid reason
that he must have been doing this.
And sometimes you have to goabove the written law.
(07:46):
Now, myself and millions ofAmericans would see and hear the
aftermath play out on our tvs and
radios.
An up close view of ourpolitical system in action, the effectiveness
of our congressional oversight.
A chance for our electedleaders to step up and take an ethical
and moral stance to uphold the credibility
of our constitution.
And today we're going to talkabout the United States constitution.
(08:09):
You keep using the horde.
I do not think it means whatyou think it means.
What?
We got nothing.
Arrogance and grandstanding bypoliticians on both sides of the
aisle.
Party over country.
Ambition over constitution.
Sound bites with rehearsedspontaneity designed to play on the
evening news.
And before the gavel slammedto end the hearing, there was already
one casualty of the Iran Contra affair.
(08:35):
My faith in democracy and mydesire to devote my life to law and
the justice system.
Nick's business.
You should thank God they gota chance to get away from this town
full of dum dums.
We don't get food again.
(08:58):
I drove by the White House andworked my way down Pennsylvania Avenue.
I had one more stop beforeheading home for the night.
One last place where I cantake refuge in this chaotic world.
Take a ride to tower records.
It's not just a destination,it's a real trip.
Take the ride to tower.
Uh oh.
(09:19):
Can I help you?
I remember my parents takingme to the record store in the mall
when I was a kid.
It was one of the very firstplaces they would let me hang out
alone while they went shopping.
I felt so grown up, so free.
As I wandered the store,spending hours looking at album covers,
what I found was my own musical identity.
(09:41):
And when I became older, Iwould save my allowance all week
andride my bicycles Saturday morning
to Oz.
Rock music on Central Avenuein Cedarhurst.
There I would spend it all onBeatles Records.
I feel bad that futuregenerations will never know the simple
joy of walking into a record store
and buying an album.
The Tower records in DC is onPennsylvania Avenue in Foggy Bottom.
(10:04):
It has two floors and a greatselection of books, magazines, dvd's,
video games, and of course, music.
The diverse DC crowd thatshuffles in makes people watching
justas entertaining as browsing the music.
Students from all over theworld, diplomats and their families,
punkrockers and hip hoppers.
An announcement came over the speaker.
(10:25):
The store would be closing in20 minutes.
I was in the world musicdepartment, in no rush to leave.
I was reading the albumcredits on the back of a reggae cd
produced by Doctor Dredd.
Ross Records, Washington DC.
There's a record company basedhere in Washington.
I thought, wait, there's a guynamed Doctor Dredd producing reggae
albums here in Washington.
(10:52):
This was a sign.
This was truly a sign.
There was no Ross records inthe telephone book, but there was
areal authentic sound in Maryland,
rightoutside DC.
I spent all week trying toreach Doctor Dredd, but my messages
were unreturned.
(11:15):
Then I remembered my fathertelling me, if you ever want to reach
someone important at a company call
on Friday after five.
So at 06:00 p.m.
on Friday, I made the call.
And guess what?
Doctor Dredd answered.
And when Doctor Dredd asked mewhy a justice student was interested
inworking for a reggae company, I isn't
reggae music all about equal rights
and justice?
(11:39):
I thought it was funny, butthe phone was silent on the other
end.
And then he asked if I'minterested in coming in for an interview.
Ross Records was located in anondescript office warehouse park,
about 25 minutes outside DC in the
suburbs of Maryland.
(12:00):
I don't know if it was bydesign, but if you weren't looking
forit, you wouldn't find it.
When I pulled up to theaddress, there was a large bay door
open and I could hear muted reggae
music playing from inside.
As I got closer, I could seethere was a guy with thinning hair
in an oversized sweatshirt stuffing
envelopes.
I noticed he looked a littlelike the New York Mets manager, Joe
Torrey.
(12:22):
I walked in with a little attitude.
I'm here to see Doctor Dredd.
He stood up and extended hisarm and gave me a fist bump.
I'm Doctor Dredd.
Gary Himmelfarb.
Nice to meet you.
I'm not sure what I was expecting.
Maybe a Rastaman in a smokyrecording studio draped in reggae
colors.
(12:44):
But this was a very largewarehouse, neatly arranged aisles
oforganized records, cds, and DVD's.
There was a stairway which ledup to a suite of offices.
The whole operation lookedprofessional and impressive.
I liked Doctor Dredd immediately.
First of all, any businessowner that would spend Saturday morning
stuffing envelopes was a real hustler,
and I respected that also.
(13:08):
He was very likable.
And the more he spoke, themore I could relate to him.
This is Doctor Dredd at his2015 book launch.
Well, I was born inWashington, DC, and that's pretty
muchwhere I was raised.
Unlike most people in theWashington suburbs who went to college
because their parents wanted them
tobe doctors and lawyers, I got it
on an airplane and went to Columbia,
South America.
(13:32):
When I came back to Americaand someone played for me catch a
fire by Bob Marley, you know, I was
kind of getting political.
And when I heard that BobMarley record his message and what
he was talking about and being in
the third world and sing that, you
know, the whole world was in the
suburbs of Washington where I grew
up.
(13:57):
And that, you know, people suffered.
There was sufferation.
They had to struggle to gettheir daily bread.
And the music and Bob'smessage, it just completely resonated
with how I felt.
He was just a kid from thesuburbs who grew up in a sheltered
environment, but had a desire to
explore the world and break out of
his comfort zone.
(14:22):
He was not going to be happyjust observing life.
He wanted to be part of it.
So he decided to take a tripto Jamaica.
Well, I think trip is thewrong word.
It was a pilgrimage, and I wasreally getting interested in this
culture that was coming out of Jamaica.
Think about it.
This small island in theCaribbean has given birth to Rastafari,
which is a lifestyle that has gone
around the whole world, even in China,
everywhere.
(14:53):
And it's not a religion.
It's a way of living.
And then reggae music, allfrom this little island in the Caribbean.
I didn't decide to do this.
It just happened.
And, you know, Ross meansreal, authentic sound.
So I had made a commitmentwithin myself to really bring the
real, authentic, positive music of
Jamaica to the world.
(15:20):
You know, we do what we do dayto day to make our lives work.
But, you know, Ja has set adestiny for this brief time we inhabit,
you know, the skin, flesh and bones
that we're in.
In fact, he had fulfilled hisdestiny because by 1987, less than
ten years after starting out in the
basement of his parents house, Gary
Himmelfarb, aka Doctor Dredd, had
built one of the biggest independent
recordcompanies in the world.
(15:50):
And the more I listened, themore I learned.
As the conversationprogressed, he asked me how I got
into reggae.
I smiled and said, Debbie Schwartze.
My story also begins in the tropics.
As a young teenager, my familywould spend Christmas vacations in
the US Virgin Islands, where my uncle
had an apartment.
(16:12):
Sapphire beach was an idyllicresort that sat on the east end of
the island of St.
Thomas, and Debbie's family,who is also from Long island, had
aplace there.
She was my first crush, and wereally hit it off.
But unfortunately for me, justas friends and the only thing I enjoyed
as much as hanging out with her was
listening to the house reggae band
as they played their nightly shows
atthe resort bar.
(16:37):
I would literally sit on theedge of the stage and just watch
themusicians play all night.
They would begin with steeldrums and a limbo show starring a
local girl named Jenny and her little
brother Coochie.
They would both shimmy under aflaming bar set on two Coca Cola
bottles.
By the end of the night, kidswent back to their rooms.
The band kicked into popmusic, reggae and soul.
(17:00):
I would refuse to leave untilI heard the band play the same song
I requested every night.
It was a sweet reggae lovesong called your house, and both
thelyrics and music touched me in an
inexplicable way.
I was young in love, and thecombination of this song, the tropical
ocean breeze, and beautiful Debbie
Schwartze created a complicated mix
of emotions that would leave me with
chills up my spine.
(17:32):
One morning during thevacation, my father took me and my
brother snorkeling to a local public
beach at Koki Point.
It was the holidays and thebeach was packed with locals and
there was barely any room for us
to put our towels.
We were the only tourists onthe beach, and the atmosphere was
festive and buzzing with energy.
There was an uplifting vibethat made Sapphire beach seem stuffy
and boring.
(17:55):
As I walked to the snack barto get my drink of choice, a virgin
strawberry daiquiri, I could hear
afamiliar song coming from a large
boombox that was surrounded by a
group of rastas.
It was the same song Irequested every night from the band
and a tall, skinny guy with long
dreadlocks introduced himself as
the roots Mandev, that steel pulse
from England, he said with a thick
island accent.
(18:17):
Then he offered to sell me thecassette for $5.
It was hot and I was thirsty,but I made the decision to spend
mydaiquiri money on that cassette,
and itwas the best $5 I spent in my life.
Not only did it have musicfrom Steel Pulse, but an array of
reggae royalty, including Bob Marley,
Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff.
When I looked at the label onthe cassette, there was one word
written in faded black magic marker.
(18:41):
Rootsland.
I looked at Doctor Dredd andtold him that cassette was with me
during love and heartbreak, tragedy
andtriumph, before wearing out.
And even after the tape waslong gone, I still had the love for
the music.
I totally nailed the interview.
And although I was remindedthat getting hired for an unpaid
internship is not the greatest accomplishment,
I was pumped.
(19:03):
Before I left, Doctor Dreddwanted to emphasize that one of my
responsibilities was going to be
answering phones and taking orders
fortheir mail order catalog, which is
one of the biggest in the country.
But all day long, we get callson our toll free line from fans not
looking to place orders.
They just love reggae and wantto talk about music and life.
We get a lot of calls fromprisons where reggae is very big
and people have a lot of time on
their hands.
(19:27):
We get calls from people goingthrough all kinds of events in their
life, and reggae has touched them
inmiraculous ways, and they just want
to express it.
There's a cancer survivor fromMinnesota who says he was cured by
Bob Marley.
This guy in California whobelieves the CIA is out to destroy
reggae.
And of course, there's Brianfrom Colorado.
And we appreciate their loveand passion for the music, but we
tell them to call back on our 301
line.
(19:51):
That was the first time Iheard the name Brian from Colorado.
But it wouldn't be the last.
(20:25):
When I tell you that times aregetting critical I don't want you
to worry no, I never want you to
fret there is nothing going on that's
sadly and difficult only a few old
parasites who wanna run things to
a wreck but if you think Jaja is
sleeping then you better think he
would have never make no devil mash
them paradise when there's a whole
barrage of righteous people out there
and we ain't given up no way yes,
there's a whole barrage of righteous
people in town and we ain't going
down no, we never going down no way,
no way hear what I say cause you
know we're ready.
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