Unveiling Reggae's Soul: Jimi Watusi of Watusi Shares His Journey on Reggae Hour – June 25th, 2024, 7 PM CT! - Reggae-Hour

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
All right, reggae fam buckle up, cause we're about to take a routsie
trip to a place you might notexpect, Dallas, Texas. Hold up,
I hear you saying Texas reggae,But trust me, Watusi, a
true Texas reggae legend for over thirtyyears, is gonna blow your mind with
their good vibes and infectious Island rhythms. Mister E recently had the incredible chance

(00:24):
to chat with Jimmy Watousie, theband's leader, and let me tell you,
his passion for peace and love throughmusic is next level inspiring. He
mentioned to our host, we comefrom everywhere, but on stage we're a
family united by that one love reggaespirit. Watousie's sound is pure magic,
a blend of classic reggae with aworld beat twist. It'll have you skankin

(00:47):
in no time with a smile thatwon't quit. But the real magic is
in their message. Jimmy says,we want our music to be a beacon
of hope, a reminder that evenin these crazy times, love and unity
can win. So next time you'refeeling a little low, crank up some
Watusi and let those positive vibes washover you. You might just start believing

(01:08):
in a brighter world, one reggaebead at a time. Don't forget to
share this with your crew and spreadthe love. Now, let's get ready
to dive deeper with mister EA's interviewwith the one and only Jimmy Wattousie himself.
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(07:23):
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(07:45):
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already. Everybody, welcome back.This is reggae album on bo Rest says

(08:05):
Radio with your boy mister Eaton.Today we have a true Texas legend.
Join us the mighty wat to see. They've been spread at roots reggae love
for over thirty years now and theirunique world beat sound is known all around
the globe. Welcome back to theshow. How you doing today? Listen

(08:26):
you and hello to everybody. Andit's a beautiful day in Texas and it's
to be here, Yes it is. And you know today is actually lately
with all the storms that's been goingaround up there in Dallas. We just
want to thank you for being safeand we hope that everybody up there is

(08:48):
actually you know what I'm saying,weathering the storms out and are keeping hot
spirit. So we want to sendour love and shout out to y'all up
there. Thank you for dad.It's been extreme for real. We're standing
strup. That's good to hear.That's good to hear. All right,
But now I'm talking to a legendhere, so you know, we got

(09:09):
to start this off right because youknow, when talking about talking to a
legend, we know that you havecome across legends. And if I remember
correctly, the last time we spoke, you mentioned meeting the great Peter Tosh
in nineteen seventy six. Is thatcorrect? Yes, And that's it.
That's the fundamental reason of that.I'm here speaking with Juno all my life,

(09:37):
that's where it all began. Andactually I was in I was going
Okay, I went to North TexasUniversity. It's gonna study jazz because you
know, I was playing in rockdance growing up and singing at church my
mom playing at a black church andBarnham, Texas and in Oklahoma before that.

(10:01):
I'm originally from Oklahoma. Yes,I and Boom are sooner all day
and yeah, and that's that's roots. That's that's roots right there for real,
man, you know. Anyway,that's where you know, I had
a My mother was a musician.My father was a teacher where Christian church

(10:26):
and Oklahoma, and my mom startedplaying at a black church and they're there.
They were like sister churches. Andgo, go figure how that works.
You got a white the White Christianchurch and in the Black Christian Church
and they're all the same church andthe same doctrine and the same everything.
But they they're sprit and you know, and never really figured that out as

(10:50):
a child, but there it is. And my mom would go both so
but they lost their their organists andso my mo they asked my mom to
come up places course, and sowe started going there, and man,
that's really the biggest change of mylife in in one one moment because the
first time we go, it wasjust wow, you know, the energy,

(11:16):
the the just the music, youknow, the the people, the
smiles, the laughter and the joy. What was it used to that?
Right? For me, church musicwas very boring. It was like,
Okay, my dad's a preaching,I know, I gotta go. I'm
gonna be there. So I wassinging the choir, just just the singing,

(11:37):
and I love music. I wasplaying piano, I was taking piano
lessons, and and of course mymom playing. You know, we had
a piano and organ in the fromday one, so it was always sitting
there. And I have an olderbrother and sister and they both played and
Mom played kat sang. I mean, you know, it was music in

(11:58):
the house. But when we wentto that church, everything changed, and
it was like it woke woke myspirit, you know, and woke woke
everything. And there was remember drivinghome, you know, when I can
still remember exactly, I looked overat my mom and said, now,

(12:20):
why don't they sing? Like right, I'm just I'm just shaking her head,
just like I know, they justdon't have it. Just don't just
don't have You'll go to church forthe spiritual experience, sharing and gathering of
souls and gathering of of h intention, you know, and just to worship.

(12:43):
You know. Well they just didit much different, you know,
and with much more soul and andhard and and everything real. And I
mean I was probably nine eight ornine years old, and it just hit
me like you know, a stone, and it was like this is this

(13:03):
is real. And from there on, whenever it wasn't real, I knew
better, you know, and thisain't it. Anyway, we start going
I'm going there Wednesday night for whatever, you know. That's where music spoke

(13:24):
to me. That's what I reallyjust just cut it inside, you know,
and and I would go home.I mean, my practice on my
piano from there changed because now playinga lot stronger, with a lot more
passion, with a lot more energy, and the whole thing changed. And

(13:46):
anyway, so like high school andstuff, you know, I'm playing in
rock bands and whatever, and youknow, some R and B this and
that. I'm really kind of I'mlistening to everything. And I was very
blessed because my mom and dad,you know, there I heard a lot
of black music in the house,you know, soul, R and B,
I mean, gospel, especially gospel, and there's no stronger route of

(14:13):
reggae music and gospel music, rightand and I think, I just you
know, I got into the rockthing, and then I found jazz infusion,
jazz and Chick Korea, Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, you know,
all that, and then that ledme to the deeper you know, jazz
that had come before Miles and CharlieParker and John Coltrane and all those things,

(14:39):
and then that led me to dowell. So now I'm here jazz
well rock music to play class becauseI played class. I was studying classical
music all you know, coming up, so a good foundation and theory and
understanding. But and then rock,you know, And and whenever I was

(15:01):
here on the radio, I canfigure out the courts, you know,
I can learn, But honest,for me, it's really playing piano and
singing and stuff with right, andhe was the man. And then Stevie
Wonder and to this day, Stevieis still number one out of no matter

(15:22):
what. But but that, youknow, and then Billy Preston Fine the
family Stone. You know, I'meven two players singers, and and I'm
just inspired and and and I'm youknow, it's it's just becomeing my my
soul, uh just you know,my future. I gotta learn this,

(15:46):
you know, this is what Ireally especially when I saw Billy Preston having
no fun than anything is all right, all right, this is what I'm
gonna do, and I'm kind ofalready doing. I just gotta work.
I gotta work, Okay, everybodyelse, you know. But then when
I got into jazz, it's like, Okay, I have no clue what's

(16:06):
going on here. You know,these guys are playing really fast stuff.
But they're not just playing scales upand down. There's oh lord, this
is It's just the mystery of lifethat I've got to find out. If
I got to go to school,and I knew North Texas had a great
jazz program, and I went toone concert and bloom mine, okay,

(16:26):
and I went home. I toldmom, Okay, I'm going to school
there. Whatever I gotta do,whatever it takes, I'm going here because
if that's I can go there andlearn to play this. Okay. So
I work it out. Get there. The first day of school, I
mean, a short black brother sittingover here. It's a dorm, but

(16:51):
the dorm getting an acquainted. Yeah. Well, I see his brother and
I go and say, hey,what's hey? You're away? And he
said yeah, And he had theselittle dread, little short dreads on top,
and you know, and I saidwhere are you from? And he
said to make him well, goon, and really, so you know

(17:11):
about this reggae music. And Ihad one reggae album at the time,
I Marley Mad he dread and inthis day, if I go to the
island with one album, that's it. That's it. And already before I
met him, listening to this album, it was I heard the gospel of

(17:33):
the word split help. I knewthis this is not this is not this
go, this is not rock androll. This is and it just brought
me in, you know. Andthen I met him and he said what
he couldn't believe. He knew Iwas probably the only guy there that even

(17:56):
knew about reggae music. He said, man, come and he took me
to his room, pulled out Bible, all this reggae albums and the chaps
and we proceed to our communion reasonand listen. And he took me in,

(18:17):
entered me on, and he broughtme, you know, to the
awareness of what this music is reallyand we just hung from months. And
then about four or five months laterhe come by and he said, come
on, man, we call them. He said, what's up, and
he said, just come on toMercy for as well. And it was
to hear me go backstage hotel.He hanged with Peter Tosh, Slie,

(18:45):
Robbie, the whole band, RobbieLynn was playing keyboards, and Keith Sterling
too, and my buddy, hisname was Aale Reed and he was a
Jamaican and he's the one that tookme well. He had grown up with

(19:06):
both the keyboard players. So theysend him tickets. We got free tickets.
We're there. We're on like theseven row or something. Watched the
show amazing and it was Bouter's firsttour solo, and it was he was
coming right off the tour that hedid with the Roland Snorts opening for them,

(19:26):
so he was he was in ahigh you know. And anyway,
so we watched the show and thenat the end of the show. During
the show, I feel like onthe show turn around as a big brother,
look at the look at the allermusic. He would say to the
show, wait here, come gety'all. I'll take you backstage. Et

(19:47):
ceara. So so Sarah eighteen yearsold, white boy from Oklahoma, I
mean, I don't know, Iain't no guy. Well, so we
end up back stage and we walkin and my friend he's like, look,
everybody's they all know each other andthey're all talking, and you know,

(20:08):
he introduced me. But then Ikind of just kind of sit down
over here on the side, andit's just you know, and let's see
Peter across the room and he's he'ssitting on his unicycle, which he's famous
for, like he had soccer withhis with real passion and and uh so

(20:29):
he's on his unicycle and he's rollinga spliff and he finished it and he
look around for a light and youlook over at me and kind of wave
it at me. You know.He put his bike up and then he
comes down and then he's sitting down. He reaches out to well, Peter,

(20:49):
I'm Peter Tosh and I said,I know, right, the humbleness
and so real, real quick.The thing that really stood out to me.
I mean we we said and wetalked and reasoning. Man, I'm
eighteen, I'm asking some question.I can remember asking, well, but

(21:10):
where do you get your inspiration foryour for your lyrics? And you know,
and he smiled and he's a holdup, sunk, and he going
to get his Bible and he turnsdeep in description. He's he's teaching,
you know, he's really taking thetime. Now. He just traveled,

(21:30):
he just did a full show,and he's got the energy to come spend
this time with me. Brother,I ain't nobody. I'm nobody important for
his business, pain, for you, whatever. But I'm just a kid,
you know. But the universe knew. Well what happened was we're sitting

(21:53):
there, deep into this meditation.Well they're come and knock on the door.
Somebody opened the door, his whiteface, stick his face, and
hey, looking for Peter. Oh, Hey, Peter John Dylon p CEW
Radio. But I look up like, one, Wow, this is the
top DJ on the top rock stationin Dallas that I've been listening to since

(22:18):
I was twelve years old. Wow, is way more than people. I'm
like, yeah, you know,and this is the whole point of this.
Peter look over at him. Henever moved, he just turned his
head. He look up. Hesaid, mine, wouldn't you think I
got more important business than taking picturesof myself? One missoon come? And

(22:44):
then he looked right back at meand we just continue. And I'm like,
wow, he just blew this bigguy off for me and never miss
We continue. We talked for anotherprobably thirty minutes, and then he said,
hey, brother, come back,come come with us. We go

(23:06):
to the hotel, we go toeat we got our own chef, we
got the ital come with us.You know, I'll go do this picture
business. I's but you know thething that he put me above the little
you know, just mark whatever promotionsguy and fame and fortune and whatever.

(23:30):
You know, he thought with thatwas pretty silly stuff. And he listened.
What he was He knew what wewere talking about was this reality.
This was the real thing, andthat meant so much to me. Obviously
I never forgotten Nick couldn't. Butanyway, we go to the hotel,

(23:51):
we hang, we eat, it'sjust fine. It's just really beautiful family
vibes. And and then he andI go out under out on a park
area whatever outside the hotel, anduh, we're laying under the stars,
just just talking and you know,just reasoning the whole you know, reggae

(24:12):
music world. And and then he, uh, he looked me in the
eye. Well, my friends say, hey, I got to go.
I got classed in the morning whateverit was. And he looked at me
and Peter said, you you know, you're the warrior here. I said
hey, And he said, ifit's up to me and Bob alone,

(24:37):
this music will never do anything.Who're the warriors? In these rooments.
There's another guy in Cali, there'sa guy in Florida and France, you
know, all over. You're thewarriors because you're the ones to take the
music to the people. And I'mlike, what do you say? Yep,

(25:00):
yes, sir, yes, right. So we leave and on the
way back to Denton, me andmy brother, we're like, okay,
we're gonna make up. We gottamake a bad and that's where it can.
And we called it. That washis name. He was to be
the singer. I'm the musician,I will gather the players. Wow,

(25:22):
the drummer. We got a greatthere's so many great musicians here, had
gone to school, so we gota great drummer, one of the best
guitars and bass players and et ceterain the school. Well, so we
start with her singer week would havelistened together. We start learning all these
songs and then okay, we gotabout ten songs, the spring Polly and

(25:45):
you know, come and start singingthis. And he showed up. Well
a brother is a great brother,but he could not sing, and he
calmed up and it was bad.Everybody just hit us. Funny. It's
just like all in once on turnament. Right, Wow, you got to

(26:07):
say you're gonna You're gonna have tobe the singer now, man, I
just dude, you got to doit. And we already booked some gigs.
I mean tomorrow you we're gonna haveto be the singer. There's nobody
else. Mhmm, all right.So I just got pushed into it.

(26:29):
And you know, it's funny.I remember the first shows we do,
there'd be these old Jamaican ladies.Hip was one reggae club in Dallas and
Bob Marley's by the way, Iwas in South Dallas to drive down there.
We set up to play. Theythere were no other bands really playing,
you know, remember the first Rigadandonin Dallas for sure. Whatever,

(26:52):
So we go and you know,we were sounded good and I'm pitt you
know, I'm just working it andI'm putting my heart and sold into it.
But I'll never forget all these theseolder Jamaican ladies sitting on the front,
and really they're not buy it.They're nice enough. And all I

(27:15):
can say is it took a minute. It took some time, but by
the end of the day, welland even now some of them are some
of my dearest friends for so manyyears, and they pushed me. They
tell me when it was cool andit wasn't where where I need to work

(27:36):
and whatever. That was. Thatwas my little kind of school for it.
You know. It's just on thejob training and go for it and
and keep it real and work andlisten and grow, listen and grow,
you know. And that's that's whereit all began. And then we started

(27:56):
working more and more and traveling alittle bit. We go to Austin,
go to Houston, list and there. Yeah. Anyway, that's where it
all started for real. Now manymany years later and we've been blessed.
We played Africa tours twice. Wejust got back from Asia and it was

(28:21):
a second tour in Asia, inSouth America, Central America, Europe for
stri Rica a lot. And Idid end up moving to Jamaica when I
was out of school, when Iwas twenty one. Peter set me up.
He looked me up the whole wayand I spent about a year there
just listen, listen, play,grow, listen, play, pray,

(28:45):
play pray. Right, I cameback to New Orleans instead of Dallas,
and then I started playing with thefirst reggae man in New Orleans called Bush
and one of the Neville brothers wasthere, sax player Charles. He kind
of brought me in and with thatfor about a year and then everybody was

(29:08):
just like, what time to goback to Dallas? And anyway, that's
the story. Hey, that's sowhenever you plan a seed, you definitely
got a feed of the water inthe in the sunshine. And it sounds
like that Peter Tash was playing thatseed and you got plenty of sunshine and
plenty of water, you know,and it's like he knew. It's like

(29:33):
he knew somehow, right. Idon't know, right right. Why why
he spend the time a little withme what he saw, I don't know,
I don't know. But he wasthat kind of that kind of ruster,
you know, and and he justlooked for the deeper things. Uh.
You know. It always just meansso so much to me because you

(29:56):
know, there's a you know,rast eis. It's a big thing,
it's a deep thing. It's aworldwide thing, but it's also a misused
thing. And so long. Alot of a lot of dreads. They're
more dreads than russ your rans.And I'm just thankful, And I have

(30:18):
that experience with the nero and thatis something that like up and coming artists
like dream Of just run into.They say, don't meet your hero.
I don't believe in that. Ibelieve that if you can't meet your hero,
then you need a new hero,because your hero is supposed to be

(30:41):
somebody that aspires you, whether they'redoing whatever. They whatever, they got
got your attention for whether they weresinging or acting or doing whatever. But
they need to be that same personday and day out. Yeah, and
Peter just struck me as that type. He was just straight up no,

(31:02):
he didn't want to deal with nonsense. Like you said. He could take
pictures of himself anytime, but todrop knowledge on the youth, that is
a job that we must always carrywith us. So anytime, it doesn't
matter what we're doing, we needto drop what we're doing to make sure
that the youth are educated. Andthat's what he saw you thirty years into

(31:25):
the future. So it's safe tosay that Peter Tosh was a prophet.
Yeah, yeah, it was reallyproct you know, it was it was
I mean, it did really makeso much sense to be that it would
take all the time that he didwith me and with any other excuse.

(31:48):
I mean, you know that that'sthat's all that had to be. But
like you say, you know thatthat is such an important thing. And
a lot of people, you know, a lot of artists and singers and
whatever, they I really challenged,not challenge whatever. I remind him of

(32:08):
that because you know, my momalways told me, Okay, you got
the microphone. Yeah, you gotthe power of microphone. Be careful what
you say, right, be carefulwhat you say. And honest, back
before that, man, I wasjust you know, in rock bands and
stuff, I'll be saying, justhave this party, let's drink, let's

(32:30):
do have course. Club owners backthen, you know, they really look
you on how will you feel thedance far and right place they're making money,
they're calling you. It's you kindof go in, Yeah, the
music's got to be good, butthat's only happened. You've got to get
the party going and that that kindof that's that's what you're doing for your

(32:52):
free you know, really is makingthe party. Right. He's got a
whole lot deeper. And I reallyonce I got into reggae music, you
know, it really changed. Imean I still mean. I mean,
you know, I'm still you know, I'm pretty fun on stage and getting

(33:13):
a crowd you know, into it, trying to get him into it the
right way and the right with theright attitude and you know, sensibility of
it all. But I have agood time. But hey, hug your
brother. Hug your brother. Soyou know, it's all about one love,
you know, and if we ain'tgot what do we do it?

(33:36):
I really reminded me because are kidsand young, it means a lot.
You know. I host a drumjam, which I have tonight. It's
every Tuesday here in rock Wall whereI live, place called the Harbor.
It's a beautiful spot right off thelake, right on the lake with a
lot of restaurants, kind of anoutdoor mall. It's at the park area

(34:00):
and it's stage on restaurants and shrunksand that's where we host you know,
the drum jam, which is theRainbow Drum Jam. And it's amazing all
the kids that come up, andI really I really take it to heart.
My purpose. This is my payback, this is my giving back

(34:21):
to my community where right And it'sfunny because honest it the people that we
attract that join us. Now we'rewide open. Everybody's welcome. Anybody you
got a drum, bring it,you don't got a gun. We got
extras, bring up procuction for thekids. And there's a couple of things

(34:43):
that happen there every week. AndI mean, if it's raining, I
go and we do it. Theyare they know we're there. They appreciate
this and they raining matter what.A lot of the boy they come sometime
here and there, but I don'tmiss. I don't miss because sometime it

(35:07):
could be me and just one ortwo you know, kids show up or
something. But I spend the time. I im really do try to be
in it example and share the giftand joy, just positive vibes for you
know, whoever they are have.We do track more more international immigrants,

(35:31):
so to say, like we're notall immigrants, but some by choice,
some not. But whatever, herewe are. But really we some nights
we may have twenty nations represented.I mean Middle East, Asian, South
American, I mean from Africa,from all over and they all join us.

(35:54):
But it's honest, typical Tuesday,it's more foreigners that are here.
Yeah, maybe tourists, maybe theylive, most live here now, and
that that would say reason they're moredrawn to the drums and the rhythm and
the whole thing than your typical youknow, locals. And that could be

(36:15):
black or white. And that says, I guarantee you there is no there
is no difference on that as faras white, right, I don't I
don't think it has any backs areno more likely to join us than white
Americans. Neither one of them,right, really relate to what we're doing.

(36:37):
Yeah, I see foreigner a frank, and that says, that says
a lot about the culture difference,you know what I'm saying, because right,
it has nothing to do with theskin color. It's a cultural difference.
It's the American versus not versus,but the difference between the America and
the ones who are coming from aplace that is rich in culture, and

(36:57):
they understand their culture. So theysee you the drums, You're reminding them
of home, so you're they're goingto gravitate you. But here it's an
economic that's what it is. It'sjust an economic seward, that's what That's
what the culture is that it's justYeah, So when I see the black

(37:20):
Americans, I'm I'm special invite like, hey, we're I mean, when
I'm walking down from the parking lotto the place, especially I see anybody
black that's leaving or just getting theretoo, or passing the right, I
said, hey, we're doing Africandrums right down here at the stage.

(37:43):
Come and join us. And ifthey, if they kind of hesitate or
something, say a bro, thisis your culture. Join us. And
I remind them of especially, youknow, because it's true, you know,
and they've forgotten and lost and youknow, it's it's it's bizarre,

(38:06):
but it is what it is.But but we really welcome every and everybody.
And sometime, bro, when Ilook down and I see twenty kids,
all flavors, all colors from allover the world, all there,
just niggling playing percussions, its shakersand cowbells and whatever or drums, and

(38:27):
they look at each other and it'slike, wow, I don't know what
I'm doing, but this is fun. And sometime I'll even stop the whole
the whole day, and I'll justtell all the adults go over here.
You see what I hear? Isee this is the rainbow drum jam.
Here's the rainbow right now. Now, let's play I want you to see

(38:52):
what's happening. I want you toget this right, snipers. This is
why I commit myself to being hereevery Tuesday, if I'm alive and in
the country, gonna be there,because man, it's such a witness.

(39:13):
It's such a powerful thing. Andthese kids leave there and sometimes they're crying.
They don't want to leave, theydon't want to go, and uh,
you know, but it's a powerfulthing. And the other thing about
that is that many times this hashappened, and this is a sad thing,
but it's true. Many people havecome up and told me. Yeah,

(39:37):
man, I mean, we've gota whole family from living on Iraq
or or Philippines or wherever. Jimmy, we just want to thank you so
much, and maybe tears even,we want to thank you so much for
inviting us and making us feel sowelcome. And to be honest, Jimmy,

(39:59):
we've lived here for three years orfour years, whatever, you're the
you're the you're the first person tomake us feel welcome and really really made
welcome here. Yes, it's beautifuland yeah, good for me. So
what powerful statement of the rest ofthe people around the portal? You know,

(40:25):
so it's a it's a calling.And I know, you know,
I can go out we do ourshows, and we'll do some shows and
you know, yeah it can bea big fun thing whatever, and you
know it's beautiful and that's a beautifullife. One. This this, that's

(40:47):
that long lasting effect. Yeah,you know, you're changing people's lives,
you're changing hearts, and especially withchildren that are so impressionable and whatever.
I mean, they seem they seemy dreads, they see whether they don't
know anything, but somehow, Iguess I got a smile that just works.

(41:08):
I guess that's all I really got, you know, just a smile
on my face and a joy inmy heart. And it is contagious.
And that's just what I know.JA put me here to do to share
it, not just to play andget a bunch of attention, you know
whatever, but really to share itand grow and you never know where it

(41:30):
takes it, but you know,you make a difference in a positive way.
That's all all I guess I canreally do is you know, sing
a joy, make a joyful noiseand and uh, you know, praise
our heir and say ah and letthem know what it's about and then they

(41:51):
take it way, take it everydirection. They grow up, they just
spread it even know it's nice.Yeah, so there there, that's exactly
exactly how the Most High has That'show he made us. That's our true
essence, our truth, for itis supposed to be a love, truth,

(42:15):
justice, peace, freedom, andyou know whenever that's why whenever you
have the people come in and thatis full of that. Did you come
over here to the United States Andit's a culture shop? It is so
it is a rare thing. Andthey'll tell me, you know, man,

(42:35):
you're you're the first person we've seendoing this, and yeah, blah
blah, and there's you know,we hope we're here. We're not.
You know, we want to beexclusive. We want to we want to
spread and make this grow and spreadand just just keep on because people need
it. Everybody here needs it.And but like you said, you know,

(42:57):
it is a reminder for those thatare my other places drums where people
gathered, there will be the drum, there will always be music, no
matter so many countries around the world. That's how they gather, yeah,
you know, and have for centuries. These are the old ways. They
were never lost, well they wereforgotten. They're lost, and we're just

(43:21):
going to you know, keep thatgoal. But now and you know,
and it doesn't really change you go. You know, like I said,
we've been blaed. We just cameback from Asia and I can be in
a beach in Thailand and do thesame thing and it still gathers the people
and they feel it. They hearit from a distance and it just calls

(43:42):
you yes, and here they come. And now we've got tourists and locals
you know, all around and they'rejust enjoying the same thing and this vibe
and there's the spugs. It's amazing. You get a group of strangers and
when they leave their family and ifthey ever see you again, they know

(44:05):
your family. They treat you myfamily are and it gives them a sense
that they're not alone, right,that there is other family. Dude,
I'm going to any country on Earth, I think. I mean, there's
plenty I haven't been to yet,but really I always find family there no
matter where. But I guess it'slike my mom always said, you know,

(44:28):
you got to if you want tohave friends, you get to be
a friend. If you want tohave family, you get to be family.
You know, like tell me,tell me like where it's like one
of the most friendliest places that youvisited on any of your tours. Well,
so it's well in a sense,I could say everywhere if you walk

(44:54):
in with that vibe, share thatvibe. But I think just about anywhere
can see it that they may expectit whatever you really deny it and they
go with nothing out of me,with just me being an ubserve that just

(45:20):
show up and not even say nothing. The most naturally warm, receptive,
welcoming, love, the vibes,neighborly, friendly, outgoing like that.
Definitely going to be Asia and Africaand Costa Rica, come on, I

(45:42):
can't leave them now. Brazil too, I mean really though, but you
know, you think those are allplaces with music as a big part of
life, as a big part ofthe culture. They use it in angry
religious ceremony or whatever. You know. It's interesting. Last week at the
drum Jam, I had a youthfrom the local christ And church and it

(46:07):
was there was a mixed group forblack, white, Mexican whatever you know,
but they came out, they justcame and joined Oh can we child,
There's about twenty of them, andthen one of them said, we're
playing, and one of them speak, well, so, Jimmy, are
do you do? You do you? How does she put it something about

(46:32):
Jesus being in this Jesus you know, my Ordan say something like that,
just kind of checking me, like, am I Christian and I with him?
Or are they going to right youknow, witness to me and product
from what right? You know whatI'm saying, you know, And well,

(46:57):
yes, yes I am, butI have to say I might have
a little different view than you're usedtrue about this. So if you give
me a minute, you know,let me share this. So basically,
I explained to them that as Ibelieve, and my dad was a preacher,

(47:21):
I come from a very solid Christianyou know, dreaming right when I
came to Rosta. That was anobvious extension of that. It was not
a conflict, That was not ayou know, there was no uh one
conflict whatever there was, there wasno adversity about it. Continuation of the

(47:45):
thought, you know, it wasjust adding a little more to the to
the story. It was the samestory though, it was just taking a
little from them well and bringing ithome to my awareness. Explained to them,
let's put it this way lately,I've been in Asia surrounded by mostly

(48:08):
Buddhists, some Hindu, some Muslim, some Christians, Jewish probably, but
mostly Buddhists. And let me tellyou, in Vietnam, especially a love
Bodhia. Same thing Thyland really samething. Not Japan. Now, I

(48:31):
won't include Japan in this because that'snot my experience. I went to Japan.
It was very told, it wasvery shallow spelt. There were beautiful
temples right, but there was nobodyhappy, nobody smiling there. I felt
no joy, wow love. Ifelt very people, very polite, but

(48:53):
not with love in their heart.It would just belike because it's just my
experience. I was there three weeksand all over Japan, that was my
experience. No one was super rudeto me except for the police, and
they were very very was that wastrip whatever, But overall anyway, the

(49:20):
Buddhists in general in Vietnam and Cambodian, Thailand and Laos were the kindest,
most gentle, sweet, helpful givingpeople really, but they never just they
just reminded me of Africa. WhenI was in Senegal and Ghama. It

(49:43):
was really the same vibe there,except most of them were Muslim right,
and Morocco too, and you know, and you you know, they're praying
much more often than typical Americans.They will stop, they will shut down
the store for fifteen in it togo pray, and then that you gotta
just wait. If you gotta wait, you gotta wait. And then when

(50:05):
they come back, they're back open. But they will put off commerce and
business, money and whatever for God. If you will do that and go
pray, and you and you're kindand just wonderful to me, to me,
you know, a good a goodMuslim is equal to a good Buddhist,

(50:25):
is equal to a pic Christian.Yes, I don't really get caught
up in the name you call thebusiness. My basic belief there is one
God called by many names, inmany cultures, in many regions, in
the languages God yea yeah, thinkright? Think? Is that so bizarre?

(50:45):
I mean it says, right.Of the wars that have gone on
in the past thousand years have beenover the name you will call God.
Supposed right, You're going to hell. You're wrong, I'm right, I'm
saved. I'm going to have anpity on you unless you like me.

(51:08):
Christ never said that, not atall. Muhammad never said that. Uda
never said that. He said thatthey all but the basic tenants and the
essence of all is the same asto love. Now, if you say
you're a Christian and you're gonna damnme to hell if I'm different or whatever,

(51:30):
if I don't totally agree with youon whatever, that I'm wrong and
whatever, well food is this actingway more like a Christian than you?
Well sorry, I'm going with thisguy in whatever, you know. So
I explained that all this to thesekids, and they were like they had

(51:54):
never heard sink. And at theend, I gat then get to a
certain pursuit which we normally don't movethere, but I just felt it was
just was what need to happen,And I get we all pray, and
it was it was beautiful to meto hear almost every one of them pray

(52:15):
fake and pray for pray for meand for what we were doing there,
and that my mission continued to blesspeople, and and that they and several
of us said and and and Godhelped me to you know, open my
heart and open my eyes to uh, you know, to other people from

(52:37):
other places and other ways, andso it is we're doing here, Yes,
it is bigger than all denomination orreligion or whatever. One love.
Hey, that's real, that's real, one love, one word, And

(53:00):
it's so bizarre. It's so simpleman, people but so so taught up
in so many other things and ruinit and humans really right right, it's
almost like you got to take thema small mentioned the need to just mentioned

(53:22):
quick. We do have a brandnew album and it is my payback,
my respect and all to Peter TouchAnd it's called word Sound Power, which
was his motto, his theme,his whole thang. And so we get

(53:44):
navigate this to Peter and totally inspiredby him. But I did record these
songs with musicians on our last fewtrips in Morocco, Senegal, Gambia,
Canary Islands, for Costa Rica,Ecuador, Colombia Island and well, guys

(54:15):
from Spain. They're all on it. They're all singing with me, different
songs. Players. It was allwritten on these journeys and look together.
Uh yeah, singers from from Senegal, from uh Congo, Costa Rica,

(54:35):
Canary Islands, Yeah, all allthese places and and it's it's a beautiful.
It's the first time I've done analbum where it's a lot of duets,
a lot of sharing the mic,you know, run other voices,
and I mean, and it's it'swhat it's what made you do this new
album for Peter Tash? What madeyou wake up and say, hey,

(54:59):
I need to I want to createsomething and and bring the memory of Peter
back. Well not bad because theynever went anywere, would you know what
I mean? I that's a goodquestion. Why this one? This is
an eight album? Why this one? I guess you just get older and

(55:20):
reflect a little more and realize whereyou are as because of others around you
and those influence and inspirations. AndI don't think I could have been this
this smart about it if I wasyounger. I think it's my time too,
you know, I guess why gottatake Not that it's quite full circle,

(55:42):
but but you gotta get aways aroundthat circle before you can see it
the influence it's been on you andforea. So it just felt right.
I knew it was time and somethinghit me right. But I'm glad it
did and it worked, you knowit. It's one of it's one of
my favorite albums. It's and it'sit's doing there We run the land the

(56:07):
world. But it's called word timPower. And first the single off of
the album is called the Light andYou Beautiful video. I probably sent it
to We filmed it in she filmedit in Costa Rica, Senegal, West

(56:29):
Africa, Morocco and Canary Islands.That yeah, and there's singers from Morocco
and Spain ms on this particular truck. Sister name that Natin Natty Lioness from

(56:55):
the Canary Islands. Oh yeah,I heard of her boss Valentino, he's
from Spain and he uh kind ofhelped, he like co produced it in
hors. But yeah, the vibesare a real mix. The begins,
you know in Morocco singer if youever heard Muslim singers and outspeakers goes in

(57:21):
the whole neighborhood, you know,it's they're like Africa, you know,
you hear it. Everything got tostop, you know, it's prayer time
and it's it's such a beautiful thing. Stop and take a part him when
living and not just a line.Yeah, yeah, I think it's a

(57:44):
good thing. It's a really beautifulthing. You know, in our country,
it's just NonStop and you know,a lot just NonStop running, running
work. Maybe when you're done,you get arrest, but right, but
don't. It's a good they justI think they like five times a day
for these moments and towers us everything, you know, exactly. And that's

(58:09):
the only way that we're going tobe able to get back to how our
natural state is supposed to be,because we're not supposed to be just go
go go. In that case,then people wouldn't die of hot blood pressure.
Yeah, yep, and they do, right. You know. My
girlfriend's from Europe and she she thinks, oh, you're Americans, and especially
in Texas. You know, allyour all these pickup trucks and guns in

(58:35):
the back. Boy you love yourguns and cowboy hats, and yeah,
well it's just makes no sense.But she says, you know, one
of her main things is, likeyou people don't want right And you see
somebody walk in here, man,I mean their car broke down, you

(58:58):
know, and or something, youknow, and going to pull over and
help them. But they're not justout walking for for health or joy or
you know, they drive home.You know. I used to have neighbors
I remember on my block and alittle nice little neighborhood in Rawl. I
have neighbors that I didn't really know. I don't know who lives there because

(59:21):
I see a carton and they hittheir button in the they pulled in.
They don't come out, they don'thang out side ever sit outside. I
never. I don't know who livesthere. If there's somebody going there's going
to break in the house, I'mno help to you because I don't know
if it's you or a burg Idon't know. Never see them and breaking

(59:47):
it up. The community. Youcan't have a community if you don't have
neighbors. In uh Costa Rica andAfrica, so many places that there would
be a port near the center ofthe town and you every day you see
kids playing, old folks talking,reminiscing whatever, all age regis. Everybody's

(01:00:09):
there right and play. Everything mightbe music maybe maybe maybe not, but
there's always people just yes, Ithink the only gathering place where I live
now is probably I would say Walmart, you know, yeah, and and
a lot of our neighborhoods, thefrienderal home. You don't even see some

(01:00:32):
of your family until you burying oneof them. Yep. Through that and
that gotta start. I was talkingto my wife about it with her family,
you know, because with my familywhere it's strange, do you ever
very estranged? So I stress withher family to start with the youth.
You know what I said, becausethe older people they're stuck in their ways.

(01:00:54):
They ain't gonna get out of theirways. They let them be.
My mottol is let grown folks begrown and start working with the youth.
Start getting them together on birthdays,or start a family reunion where you invite
nothing but people who are under theage of forty or up in an age
of thirty, and then get themto reconnect because once you get them to

(01:01:15):
reconnect, the children automatically are going. You don't have to get their children
to reconnect. They'll automatically grow uptogether. Kay, Because you know,
like in Africa, well, there'sno such thing as nursing sat Grandma,
get old Grandma go. You knowGrandma still got the big room. Exactly

(01:01:40):
in Africa. Family and respect.You don't mess with grand Nobody mess with
grandma. Yes, let me tellyou for real, age age brings respect.
It does. When I'm walking downthe street there any country I've been
in Africa, any country I've walkeddown the street, they don't know me

(01:02:06):
and don't know anything of me.And they young guys, young brothers like
twentiams or sneaking, may be walkingby me, and they always put their
hands together as if they're praying,you know, to say no, I'm
gonna stay or whatever. But theysay nagadev, they say, they says
something acknowledge me, and they bowa little because they know I'm older than

(01:02:29):
them. Insaid, that's all itis is an older brother by respect,
and they want and they're walking.Now. You don't get that here,
That's that's we've lost. We've solost, right, but family is the
deepest it could possibly be there,and and then and then age, you

(01:02:52):
know, and you can be somebodythat's just five years old. I mean,
fifty year old guy will do thesame to a fifty five year old,
right, It doesn't. It's notlike a major difference or something.
No matter what you respect is thatSee, the difference with our culture is
that we're we're based on a youhave to gain my respect versus you give

(01:03:17):
me no reason to not respect you. So I'm gonna automatically give you my
respect. That's fundamental, fundamental changeright there. And I had this one
saying that I used to tell peopleWhen I was used to sit down and
try to teach ethics or whatnot,But I used to tell people like,

(01:03:38):
the reason why you go out andtreat people like trash because you don't get
up in the morning get look inthe mirror. Because if you got up
and looked in the mirror, youwill see a human being, and then
you would decide that since that humanbeing is you, you're gonna treat yourself
with respect. Now that you're gonnasee that, you're gonna treat your self

(01:04:00):
with respect, and you see whatyou look like, Everybody who comes out
who looks like a human being toyou will automatically get that respect because you
trained yourself into respecting human kind.Human being. Us we don't do that
no more. We don't look inthe mirror. We were afraid to take
accountability. So looking in the mirroris very very hard for a lot of

(01:04:24):
us, and that's one thing wehave to do. Maybe who maybe okay,
they obviously it's their tradition then whereyou can say they were taught that,
but they weren't just told talk likethey were told right, they were
shown that. They were shocking andevery day you're shown the same thing.

(01:04:45):
It is become very natural right foryou and here if you don't see it
and you don't hear it, andyou're not showing it, or how would
you how what would we expect tobe that exactly why I say start with
the youth, and and who whowill start with them? And you and

(01:05:11):
you and you exactly, But youknow, I think parents, you know,
exactly at the end of the day, that's that's the first teachers,
is the parents and and and thenext teachers are supposed to be aunty,
uncles, grandma, grandpa. Andwe're supposed to see each other as brother
and sister. So that means thatif I see your child, whether I

(01:05:32):
know you or not, that's mynephew, that's my niece. Yeah.
And when you've got a community likethat, it can be that way and
without it and everybody just spread out, and you know, it's hard to
maintain things when we when all areI know, my parents when they were
grew up in Unklahoma, they haduncles and aunts, I mean family,

(01:05:57):
close family all around them, youknow, and and meme right right,
and mine was I guess the firstgeneration that we really were spread out,
you know, and we didn't havethat community. We saw each other a
couple of times a year maybe,and and you re really lost so much
there. You know, nephews andnieces I hardly know and they need to

(01:06:23):
know me. I need to knowthat. But it's hard when you get
so spread out. We not surelywe're going to lose the closeness. So
you better make some effort stick exactlyif not your neighbors. That's what I
was just thinking, you know,I was just looking that because if everybody

(01:06:44):
has that mentality, then you wouldbe able to feel comfortable knowing that even
though you can't get to your niecesand nephews, that somebody is getting to
them with that same love that youwere giving it. Yeah too, ye,
So it's all we are one world, like you say, is one
love, one world. And oncewe've realized that that what the way that

(01:07:05):
I treat you will eventually come backto affect me. Once we realize that,
at least start looking at it thatway, even because at least if
you look at it that way,even though it does come out kind of
selfish. Oh, I don't wantnegativity to come back to me, so
let me put out positivity. Eightrap I don't care what your motivation is.
But if everybody can start getting on, then we can. The youth

(01:07:29):
are going to see us doing it. Forget about the motivation because they only
need to know what our motivation is. They just gonna think, Okay,
this is normal. And you know, if you got kids, you can
tell them anything you want. They'llthey'll hear you and it'll go right out.
The other is, yeah, seethat, yeap, that is the

(01:07:56):
you know, we've got some friends, you know, they're going through the
thing all the world semester so ohit's going to hell where Oh it's must
mean it's the end. Times arecoming and things are just well, you
know, yeah, there's there's definitelyplenty to talk about there as far as
problems and issues. But tell mewhen weren't their issues and riots? And

(01:08:21):
I know because I don't live ina box right here and stay in up.
And that's the thing, people,it's so natural that we raised to
be workers looker ants, and thenwe're stamp and we picked. Maybe we're
lucky. We go to school,we learned some trade, we learned some
profession that we get to choose ourwork. But still we basically go to

(01:08:44):
work come home, got a bed, whatever, and start over. And
it's really you know, you know, like I know, I'm very blessed
that I don't have to really livethat way so much. I've got my
routines and whatever, but I am, I know, I'm very blessed.
I've been able to get out oftravel. And it wasn't it wasn't always

(01:09:09):
this way before use. Uh,it wasn't always this way. I was
raising kids for a lot of years. I'm going to soccer practice four nights
a week, four nights a weekand playing shows on the other nights.
And yeah, and a lot ofthose several of those years were as a

(01:09:31):
single volut with three kids and andyeah, soccer dad. And now I'm
soccer grandpa. And there's a lotway easy you get locked into these things,
but we forget, you know howeverybody has their own different journey in
different friends, you know, missionsand callings and all these things, and

(01:09:56):
just you know, always just everybodyout there, they need a hug,
they need some love. And whenwe see all these, you know,
try hard times like we're in now, and you don't know which way whatever,
all the suffering, I tell you, every drum jam, but every
show and every I definitely take timeto pray, and especially you know at

(01:10:18):
shows, you know, I willalways livcate a song for the swing goes
out to you know, Ukraine,Palaestine, Sudan, Congo, Me and
mar I mean, so many placesin the world that that people are struggling

(01:10:39):
so much right now, and andyou know, sometimes you think there's no
solution, when all you got toreally do is turn your head around and
there's be a simple, simple,obvious solution seems every time, but maybe
hard to get to because the politicsor you're whatever. There's always an answer

(01:11:02):
and and it's up to us tofix these things and you know, to
change people's hearts and you know whatwe're doing. But it's it's still a
beautiful world. But still I mean, there's so many beautiful people and doing
beautiful things and helping people and doingso much good in this world. We

(01:11:23):
can't forget that. And and kidsneed to see that as a as another
vision, another inspiration. You know, they don't see it, they don't
know it, and they're not goingto a little bit, but they got
to see these things we got tocelebrate and put forward. You know,
the people that are doing good asmuch as the news puts up people.

(01:11:43):
You know, the bad things thathappened today. We got a channel on
Facebook. I'll promote that good news. Well, what is it? I
can't even oh, something about thegood the good news? Yeah, something
like that, the good news,and it's just anything I see that's you're
super really doeling positive. I'll putit there at least so I know there's

(01:12:06):
somewhere they can go. I knowthere's many places, but there's we can't
forget. There is a lot ofa lot of beautiful people and spirits and
and things going on in this worldright now, and we need to we
need to really focus and celebrate theshare those more more more people than thing

(01:12:28):
we think. You know, Yeah, exactly, Yes, if we just
do it, we can. Yeah, that war is around the world now,
getting rid p Donald Trunk for good. I mean we we can do
it. So I only say hisname once. I hope I don't say

(01:12:48):
it again, but I will saythis about him when I travel the world.
So what, we're not alone andthe rest of the world, and
I'm talking ninety nine percent of thepeople I've met in every country I've been,

(01:13:10):
they'll say two you're from the US. Oh wow, that's cool.
Wo. Well, what happened?How in the world, you know,
especially when he was president, allin the world would like Scott. Yeah,

(01:13:31):
yeah, yeah, yeah, Iknow you think I don't know,
of course, I know what happenedthat I don't know exactly. I know
there's a lot of pain. There'sa lot of people feeling a lot of
a lot of pain and anger andfrustration and whatever. And we'll tax them

(01:13:53):
with what And I guess was justa total resistance that you know, spread
unspread. But there's a lot ofa lot of hurting people. Yeah,
there are full people and a lotof people that want to spread their pain,
you know from you know, theyreally jump on that panwagon. A

(01:14:14):
lot of fear. That's the otherthing is fear is that the they have
these ludicrous fears that make real,no real sense. You know. I
listen. I have a yogi.His name is said. I listened to
him a lot, and he's verypositive and he talks about you know,
it was either from your past orof the future. We don't really have

(01:14:38):
fear of the moment. In themoment, we're good. You're good right
here, right where you stand.Where you know where you are, there's
no fear, so just you.No one reads the future. You can't
change your life out of living infear of what might happen. Well,

(01:15:00):
exactly in the moment, stay positive, what you're doing, your talent,
spread the love and the good things, and do the work and whatever.
Now in the now, you're you'resetting their future. You're setting yourself fature,
you know exactly, because that's that'slike you said, you can't know

(01:15:24):
exactly what's going to happen. Andyeah, maybe something negative will happen,
but something positive might happen as well. And if you're putting out positivity,
the way that the laws of theuniverse works is you attract what you put
So if you're putting out positivity,more than likely you're going to get positivity

(01:15:46):
back. So that's a lot ofpeople they live in that fear. And
that's something I was trying to getthrough to my son. And you know,
living in fear is going to keepyou from your blessing period. Yes,
you are exactly exactly, no,and it's not something might happen,

(01:16:09):
will happen exactly how many? Howmany of these good surround yourself with all
those things. But but have youfaced strong enough to withstand those those those
are days you're gonna have those hards. They're gonna You're gonna be there and

(01:16:30):
you're gonna have to You're ready,So yeah, get yourself, get your
friend a good perspect Yes it's coming, but you can roll. And you
know, the hardest times I've everhad in my life, Shah has always
been there for me and pulled methrough. And I know I've survived a

(01:16:53):
lot. But also I didn't doI didn't do it but alone. I
was never alone, you know,always had that and I always you know,
I thought, you know, likegrowing up with you know, with
drugs and things like that. Iwas always thankful music. And I know
when when I was young, youknow, I had a friend in college

(01:17:15):
studied getting cold from Peru. Imean both pure all this stuff and something
honestly really didn't even like the effectof it. But it was just honest
it was just at the time itseemed a fun thing to do with your
friends whatever and stuff. It wasmore of the social thing of it.

(01:17:39):
Wasn't a big drinker and and whatever. But I remember one night, you
know, he showed up before agig in Dallas, and I remember we
were all tuned up before the showand I went out. I'm the lead
singer. I got four keyboards hereplaying Paul kind of parts, all kind

(01:18:00):
of man. I was messing up, left, messing up. I have
nothing to say to the people.I was like, uh, well the
name of this song is this okay? And you know, and then I
had nothing. I was a bigzero and it's probably the worst. Oh.
It was the fight that I hadever done. And this was before

(01:18:26):
we read. We were I don'tknow, we were kind of a rink,
all kind of mix, so weweren't really not near rock, you
know, mentality of everything, andthat at that point initial show insane.
So here I'm lost into this fora minute. For a minute. But

(01:18:49):
I mean I went home from thatshow shaking my head at myself. Yeah,
never again. Forget that. Forgetthat, because if it messed with
my music, I knew it wasfor me. And I remember one night

(01:19:09):
in college, I was tripping onLSD all night and I went to a
pianoist and the next day and thenotes were it was Mozart. It was
classical, this is Mozart. Thenotes are running around the page and it
was it was not not good.And I went out there thinking, okay,

(01:19:31):
no, forget this, and Inever never went there again, you
know what I mean. These weretimes though, these the experimental whatever.
We didn't know. We were justtold everything was bad and whatever. I
guess we had to try whatever.But you know, for the youth out
there, you don't need to tryeverything we tried that was bad. You
don't have to jump off that clifflike we didn't, and some of us

(01:19:55):
didn't make it. Some of usthose things you know, and you know,
stick to what you know and what'sgood and eat good and drink good
or just life. Extremely the endof the day, you gotta a mind,
body and spirit. You're better beaware and be thoughtful and take take

(01:20:17):
great respect for those things and takecare right because your body was a gift
from the most high. You woulddefinitely want to take care of that gift
because well, after this is theonly gift like this you're going to get.
Yep, yeah, yeah, Sowe all go through we all learn

(01:20:40):
learn our lessons, but hey,a wise man will really look around and
learn learn from the facts for facts. K said, no, no better
than that. You definitely right.We was your crash test, dummies,
learn from us. We got actual, We took care about it, but

(01:21:01):
you trudge me. Reggae world,we got roots reggae music, and we
bought it's with roots, reggae andLatin or reggae and Africa and reggae and
lots of things in this world beat, which is what we squirrel beat because
we are a mix of foundation fruits, reggae musically and rhythm rhythmically, the

(01:21:28):
sound wise, because you're gonna heara little gospel, you're gonna field some
gospel, You're gonna hear a littlejazz, You're gonna hear a lot of
flavors and rhythms from Africa and Latinwhere they they are the best of rhythm
rhythm, you know, in theworld, and so they've got a lot
more to offer. I'll just sayit to other reggae artists, you know

(01:21:50):
in the dance home. You knowit's it's all about dance. All is
another thing get me going. Ijust simply say, if you take God
out of gospel music, what doyou got? You gotta spell? Yes,
you got R and B. Iguess you got whatever you know,

(01:22:10):
but it's not the same, andit's not at all the same power.
You lost the power, right,so you're word sound power, well,
sound find good sound anywhere anytime gotmade at all? Here it is,
use it, make it work.Be yourself, be unique, be fresh.

(01:22:31):
Don't try to sound right about martyr. He's already come and gone.
He left us with all that,not too for you to copy bottom and
be a copy. He left methat to inspire you to get in and
find you through through. That's justone little step to the friend of yourself.

(01:22:51):
You know, the dance hall loseif you lose the spirit for reckoning,
well, don't expect and it's goingto be the same vibe and the
same thing. And if you walkinto a typical ringing club, it's just
all about digitals and events. Sorry, it's not the same. And you

(01:23:13):
know, glass wooden power and balancethe roots as far as pali pali reggae
and that whole thing, guys,you know it's not this music. Roots
reggae music is not about getting high, getting drunk, messing around the post

(01:23:38):
whatever, right, that's not that'snot what it's about. Head around here
and yeah, and then what's theroots flower, that's just refresh, RecA,

(01:24:00):
go ahead, and you know sometimeswe all need to restart sometime,
you know, yeah we did.We just try to keep a pennositive and
include everybody. This is not ablack music, This is not a white
music. It came from black beginningsand black roots and black inspiration and everything.
But it was world exactly. Itwas for the world. We did

(01:24:25):
and when I mean and here asin in Thailand and in Vietnam and Asia
playing this music with as much heartand so passion as any Jamaican cover.
Mm hmm. Come on, youacknowledge, you got to you got to
risk, you got to. Really, they they they overstand what it's about.

(01:24:49):
And same in Africa, and theyknow it really came from there in
the first place. But you knowit's uh, we see, if you
can't close your eyes and listen andthen make your decision, then you're in
it for the wrong reason. Yeah, because you can't see a person's heart.

(01:25:12):
You can see the actions of aperson that is coming out of their
heart. You can't see a person'sheart. You got to hear it.
You got to hear it be Soyou definitely got to just close your eyes
and just listen and if it's bringingyou that peace, if it's bringing you
that love, making you feel free, then what's the problem. Yeah,

(01:25:38):
there you go, Well we arecoming to us. It's a beautiful thing
to see the rainbow of people doingthis music really all over the oh Man,
in South America, there's some greatthere's you some really great reggae music
going on and really there and Iwould say all these places that I've been

(01:26:01):
right, they they prefer roots.They recognize the love and power of roots
music more than anshall and just youknow, Cali reggae or whatever. Right,
they recognize the different. But itreally it's way more popular than like

(01:26:23):
you if you go into a clubin most any club I was at in
Africa or Asia or South America thatthey it's gonna be roots music playing.
It's nice. So much dancing,oh yeah, oh yeah. They considered
dance all the rap of reggae.You know, it's not it's more rap

(01:26:44):
than yeah, it's more rap.Not even hip hop is more rap than
it is reggae. You have alot of stations that play reggae that refuse
to play dance all simply because youknow, it's not the coach, it's
not the essence that they're trying toexude when they play reggae. They want
it's something that you could just puton and just let it play well.

(01:27:10):
I think a lot of DJs ata lar, you know, they think,
well, they're gonna play what's hot, what's popular, will bindly.
I look at them and I think, well, do you know about what
is popular? To who the popular? If you would play Burning Spear more
than you're playing uh whatever, Iwon't blame it, but you know,

(01:27:33):
if you play this music, Idon't think anybody's gonna turn around in the
home. And I mean I reallydon't, right, And if it's a
big dance party on Saturday night andit's three and whatever, I don't know.
Man. You know, it's likehere, there's a lot of Jamaicans
here in Dallas and stuff that yourarely see it. And then when I

(01:27:55):
do, they'll tell me they'll comeout to a festival or something. But
otherwise, Jimmy manham So we justgot a family. I got more.
It's just more about you know,drinking and nasty dance and girls just what
you know, showing every everything.You know. It's funny you look at

(01:28:18):
these ads for a lot of reggaeshows at a lot of reggae clubs,
and they know who they are.And they got some girl in a bikini
on the front, very small lettersat the bottom I mentioned, right,
And then the band that's playing probablydon't even play the type of music that

(01:28:38):
you're trying to attract people to withthat fly well, and then and you're
not promoting the band, and thenthey will sit and tell you well that
they don't bring in crowd, theydon't bring in you know people, Well,
you've never promoted exactly. People don'tknow Stevie Wonder's coming and Stemmy Wonder's

(01:29:00):
huge, and he's well gonna comefind out, they're gonna come see her
or whatever. But if you don'tgive them that respect and credit and stuff,
you can't continue five line ten yearslater. Blame them for not being
a big control exactly. I meanI take this personal. I mean it's
the same with hers, you know. So I was, I know there's

(01:29:23):
certain clubs in Dallas they would dothis penny girl with you know whatever,
everything hang, And that's a bigthing, you know, of the party
of these girl. First of all, she's never coming, right, and
they not even mentioned who's playing andwhatever, and they really we got to

(01:29:45):
support each other. And last thingI can think of about Texas and reggae
is that they really has never beena circuit right where the bands, for
instance, the bands in Houston,nobody in Dallas really does very few because
they don't come here and play,right. The bands in Austin don't really

(01:30:09):
play in Dallas. Dallas bands don'treally play in Houston much or Austin,
I mean, or a porpoise.And there's not this thing where you've got,
you know, twenty clubs and theyrotate the bands and they're all moving
and one weekend to here and they'regrowing and yeah it might be several different
bands might be playing Saturday night,but it'll be good. There's there's yeah,

(01:30:31):
there's a group of man they're andthey're all good, you know or
whatever. That's really been a missingthing and that hasn't been that that kind
of unity. I mean, I'mfriends with basically all of them and stuff,
and we try to support each other. If there's you know, something
going on that we can help eachother. I'm always there. Okay,
there's a thing called Reggae Ambassador's World. Yes, I saw that. Yeah,

(01:30:57):
we've been to we've it's been anorganization for reggae artists and promoters and
whatt all for many many years.Yeah, right, well that we're yeah,
we're number one. We're not.I think we're number twenty three.
But the CE was it. Imean, he's part of it. Everybody,

(01:31:19):
burning spear everybody, and but butit kind of you know, the
the organ the main organizer was anolder Rush the name Papa Pilgrimmy when he
passed, it just kind of wasn'tas active. And for me, like
when I we moved to Hawaii andI immediately went right to camp part of

(01:31:46):
you know there they hooked me upwith the pigs with everything. It's helped
me in every way possible, youknow. And then I was a local
guy, learned Dallas and Regavan comingthrough here. They need, you know,
a keyboard monitor, you know,pearls, Virginias or whatever. It's
always fair of you know stuff.And it was just a real real brotherhood,

(01:32:11):
give the way, help on eachother like that. And that's kind
of got lost and we really kindof need that, you know, make
it more of a state wide circuitat least with the entering Okay, I
mean it helps there if it helpsme and comes here, yeah, good.

(01:32:35):
And I need to get back toCorpus. Yes, we're definitely working
on that. We definitely working onit. I have to get in touch.
Matter fact, later on to nightwe're going to be speaking with the
selector from down here on how wecould definitely get you over here very soon,
because we definitely need you down herein this South Texas area. You

(01:32:56):
say you've been to the Padre Island, but we need you down here at
Corpus now. Well it's been aminute. I think the last place we
played there was any any Santa Fe, any Santa Fe wow something they like
you don't even know. But yeah, well keep me posted and and just

(01:33:21):
you know, I'll tell you onething. I'm blessed to talk to you
today and used as such a greatschool to talk to see why you because
you're really good at it. Andalso I know I appreciate you, and
and I know your your people theremust appreciate you, and and people like

(01:33:45):
lift this brother up and uh buydinner one night just as a surprise.
Thank you for being a local witnessto the power of music and brotherhood and
love and oneness and we're a greator great brother to have there, and
it's been a joy to speak withyou. Well, the blessing has been

(01:34:08):
all hours over here. You know, we got to get some wisdom from
you know, from one of thegreats, from one of the legends.
Man. You know, like justlooking at your career is just very aspiring.
So it is a blessing on ourend this conversation here. Especially,
my son got to hear this wholeconversation, so he got a positive,

(01:34:29):
a whole positive infusion. Just now, what's his name? Go ahead and
tell them your name, tell himyour name us, yell, come over
here to the micros heresiel. Well, brother, we get down there,
stay on cops and make this happen. We get down there. You're on

(01:34:50):
stage with us, and you wouldsay, let him introduce this and then
you jump up there with us.We'll give you a drum some and we
we wim You be ready for God. You hear that the drums on the
stage. If you got a word, and I know your pop's got enough

(01:35:11):
words. I know you got someof your home, you be ready.
You think about it, you're playingit. And if it's a poem,
if it's a rap, if it'sa verse, whatever it might be,
be ready to share some of yourspirit because you you are much loved,
and you are you are blessed bythe missed father right there, and I'm
sure yeah take it to heart.Respect. Thank you, Thank you,

(01:35:42):
brother. I hope I see yourson and definitely and for all I had
so much happy Father's Day to youused to give the family. Love you,
thank you, thank you. Sowe definitely want to give a massive
thanks to what to Sep for enjoiningus old reggae owl. We can and
not wait to see him down herecorpus Christy with him in his whole legendary

(01:36:03):
band. And remember everyone, spreadthat one love that one world by wherever
you go, stay tuned reggae lovers, because we got more grade tunes coming
from you right after this break.This is a measure for love, love,

(01:36:44):
calculation, number, love, dedication, numbers, reciprocation, love,
love time. Every time I hearsa word of love, it's all about

(01:37:06):
you. Every day I feel youin my eyes. It's all I am.
You Your the right side end ofmy life. You set me free
one on one to begin truth.This one's for you and me now I
look around. It's a beautiful world. I love what I see. My

(01:37:30):
love for you is life on him. It's one that's stunny. You listen
to your heart and keeping your y'allwill take as higher my heart as help
for you. You're my wont desireto be love ever retires to be true,
oh baby, ibut you you tothem, love to you, the

(01:37:53):
words I love you all and onto be love ever retires, to be
true about you, to be lordto you, the words I love you.

(01:38:18):
Every time. Looking your eyes,girl, you get me it Matia
with you every day is life.Yay girl. I want you to be
my wife just away you look atme. Aye. Girl, you have

(01:38:45):
me call me crazy so I knowthat you're my lady. Some day you
have my baby. To be lovedevery time, to meet you, or
baby about you, to be loved, to be the words I love you,

(01:39:10):
to be loved every time, tobeat you, or baby about you,
to be loved, to hear thewords I love you. Lo no

(01:40:15):
mother, no my wand no nomatter what my mom wacome golla walla,
no bring annoy, no being thentrying to give everybody talking about following up.

(01:40:39):
It's a free for hour when itreally lifts you up to everything looking
all fuck you don't have to saya word, And I know you're my
que the sweetest sound, I everybetter. You're a perfecting no matter where
you are. You're my shyness,justly loving, more shocking love like a

(01:41:08):
no shock. When we believe inme, want to be got to be.
Listen to y'all heart and keeping here. Y'all would take God self to
be loved. Ever a time tobe true, O baby allowed you to
be loved. Say here the wordsI love you, that I to be

(01:41:30):
loved. Never a time to betrue, O baby allowed you to be
loved. Say here the words Ilove you all to be loved ever that
time should be exciming. Listen tolove words God love the words I know
it works to be loved, tobe true. Seven

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Unveiling Reggae's Soul: Jimi Watusi of Watusi Shares His Journey on Reggae Hour – June 25th, 2024, 7 PM CT!

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Unveiling Reggae's Soul: Jimi Watusi of Watusi Shares His Journey on Reggae Hour – June 25th, 2024, 7 PM CT!