INTERVIEW
/ NEUCHATEL / RICO+ALAIN SALVI+RAS CLAUDE
#52: The difference
between Ska-Reggae
The people were
listening to the R&B from New Orleans & Chicago. They were playing that steady
R&B thing, but after a while them slow down the beat. Become Rock Steady. Like
if somebody would play "Ghost Town". You listen to Ghost Town at normal speed
- it's asylum but if you listen slower, it's more dangerous. The Reggae is just
a slower form. The first style was Soca-Ska.
#53: Skinheads
#54:
England is a cold
place, the people like the music fast. Specially the skinheads. Prancing if
they not prancing they drying themselves. Big boot kicking tromp head. Because
it's a cold climate - they like the fast beat. But in Jamaica is so hot - it
slows down - it's a natural way of life. From the land in Jamaica you feel the
heat.
Note: The riddim
of the words make it hard to write it correctly.
#55:
The Skinheads now
- them favourite music is Ska. If I go for instance to Berlin and I want to
bring them dromping and I just play "DiDäDaDo DiDiDi...(listen to Al Capone)"
them love that. If you slow down too much now you can see their faces -...enjoyed
still but they don't reach - (Alain laughing) - they like that energy. The Skinheads
they like that. Energy. And when Jamaican Band playing like Prince buster -
they love that.
Note: The 2Tone
aera was very important in Rico's life, because he brought many songs from his
jamaican pen into this music (Soul of Africa, etc.).
#56:
C:
Skinheads dem bad?
#57:
Well in the world
you have good people and bad people who come amongst good people. They seek
upon opportunity among the good people to be of bad. Because they had a lot
of support. If you didn't have that support from the oneness - they wouldn't
have been bad. But they in the crowd to be have bad because the crowd didn't
tolerate them because they don't go same way. But if you go to certain gigs
in London like if you go to Portsmouth or Plymouth and any of them coming to
the gig and try to be have bad - the rest of them discipline them - run them
out. You have Skinheads who are constructive - they don't want no trouble. They
come fi enjoy themselves - and the ones who come for trouble - they we isk speckle
- pickle. The troublemaker there are just a few - the good ones outnumbered
the bad ones.
#58:
When you play at
Cambridge University we were on stage with the Specials and they have a few
racists in the college that were abusing certain members of the band and they
drop off stage and they have a fight, yunno. And Jerry Drummers and Terry Hall
for causing afraid - they heard the racists remarks in the crowd and they jump
off the stage and start attacking those. So you have good people and a few bad
ones, they just come in the crowd because they feel like they support it, but
the majority of people they are not racists. The majority of Skinheads are not
really racists. Just a likkle minority. Because the majority of Skinheads they
just come to have fun, man.
#59:
C:
"it has nothing to do with politics?"
No and sometime
the musicians in my band - not these are with me now - but former musicians
who were in my band they were almost scared of them - they used to say to me:
Rico do you think they gonna make any trouble? Like we were in Berlin - and
a friend of mine said, Rico I don't want to play tonight for I'm scared these
guys look like they wanna make trouble, I say: No man, the looks frighten you
but don't take it like that - we play music we calm them down. "They came because
of the music?" Yeah, and we finished playing music - also in Berlin. I have
never seen the people like these, when the gig is finished and place is closed.
They sit outside on the floor, they are not going anywhere man. If we had a
next place to take to come, them with us - they want the next dance. I've experienced
these set who is the majority who loved it, it's just a little minority who
cause the trouble,
#60:
because even in
Jamaica the majority of people is good people. The ones who have been bad is
just a minority. They're poor but they're honest & good.
#61: Church
Jamaica people
are church going people. Unlike the skins music is their religion. True Alain?
A: "Yes" What does the young English people have?
They have music. They have nothing, because they don't have no more trust in
the church anymore, so music is their life.
#62:
Alain:
And the live in the same place as the Jamaican people.
That's right
Alain: "They live
at the same place and music is for everyone."
Buzz who live in
Switzerland now. He grew up in Brixton. He have no prodigies man. He play with
Desmond Dekker & The Aces. That's his levity until the band break up now, musicians
live in England is not a easy life so when the band break up you go drop unto
a lot a evils, it's hard. You was playing regular, it was good - now it's no
more.
#63:
So Bas was playing
with Jamaicans a lot of most famous Jamaicans, he loved it. Maybe if they reform
he'll be glad to go back, now. So predigis is a minority of people it's not
the whole world. And following that I personally had in England is fast
#64:
coming from Madness
Specials Bad Manners and now with Jools Holland Band, that's the people love
them - they want to touch you. I feel the thing that people gives you is greater
than money. I think that way I gives you health & strength. Makes you feel good.
#65:
C:
"Still when you play now - you feel this"
Yeah people make
you feel good on stage - they given it to you
C: "Two tone became
fashion - over - Ska was away from records"
#66:
The Jamaican music
was such a hard feel in England. Plenty people didn't want to belong to it.
People used look down on it like it's not music. You understand? But then the
world realised that this music is coming from the people who are sufferers,
and it's natural, it helps the mind soul & body, listening to Reggae. Just like
you listen to Jazz or just like listening to classic just like every music yunno.
All music. All music have it's purpose
#67:
Trad. Cause in
England you have music like heavy metal they are big as well - you have gospel
- you have traditional jazz all of them have it's purpose. Cause even with Jools
Holland Band you play jazz you play Reggae - you play Ska you play Rocksteady
you play Trad. Music - personally Trad. Music to me was like a learning thing.
We learned Trad in school. We learned classics and things - we learned Trad.
Jazz. I think it very difficult, because you got to play to make it sound that
way and this young trumpeter he plays a lot of it - Winston Marsalis.
#68: Marsalis
Sometime you listen
to him he just play a lot of Trad. He likes Louis Armstrong, Pat Jones he want
to even he's a modern player but he knows the history of the music.
C: He studied.
Yeah, so even in
his speech - he speaks very intelligent, he knows music very well. And when
he plays (lighter), you feel it man. He does a lot of interviews in Television
Marsalis Winston.
C: You have met
him personally?
His brother called
me the other day - I was with Jools Holland in the country in Birmingham - and
he called me, the brother, who plays trombone - and my wife tell him: I'm sorry
that he's not here to talk to you cause it would be so good - and when she phoned
- it was THE Marsalis, she was exited you know.
#69:
When I left the
house and I'm in the country I always call the house for the children. I have
children you know - speaks with her. She said: Rico, Marsalis just called yunno,
I said oh that I'm sorry not to be there to speak with him - can you imagine:
Marsalis is calling you on the telephone. It must be something good.
#70:
C:
It is. There is a future plan?
I haven't heard
from him since, but my wife told me that he want to speak to me the other day.
I mean he's a busy man. He's maybe in Switzerland today, because they're very
.......because they're very art musicians - the whole Family - they love music.
He speaks about music as life. It comes from the father too - A musical Roots
Family. To have heard he called my house I feel so good. I'm doin' very well
if somebody like him want to do something with me. It's an occasion.
#71:
C: You have children
that play music?
#72:
I have growing
up children but they were all girls yunno. Because they are women I don't want
to musical wise their mind, they are free to do what they want to do - do what
they like to do everything that laboratory or medical thing they are free to
do I didn't force music into them - but they like music still - the 4 girls
they like music.
#73:
C: There is no
Emmanuel JR. ?
Well I have....
still a lot to say,
and if time a come - the forth part a come - soon come...
