Cheb Kader in concert after Ethno-Disco with DJ Ras Claude at Schüür, Luzern, 1994
Friday, May 20, 1994 at Schüür with Cheb Kader plus aftershow DJ Ras Claude.
Roots Connection – Dread ‘n’ rare © 1994
This is my first DJ set with my first self-burned CDs. Yes, at that time it wasn’t easy to burn your own CD. My brother saw an article about a private studio who was able to burn one CD for CHF 100 (about $100). I prepared with my brother a DAT (digital audio tape) with 60 minutes of ultra-rare material.
This CD features material from the Gaz Mayall tapes collection (like Jet 707 by Prince Buster or Seven Wonders Of The World, Watch Your Step by Bobby Parker or Rappa Girl by Shizuko Kasagi) and tapes we recorded from radio like a demo version of Reggae On Broadway by Bob Marley or Lonesome Wolf from Netherlands and shorts from LPs I wouldn’t take with me for DJing, because they are the track number ten of fifteen tracks on one side.
But on that CD are also tracks from my own repertoire. Like a mix of Linton Kwesi Johnson with Lee Perry and Ennio Morricone (later it would be called Mashup or so). Can you imagine?
This is a sample of the end of the tune. But you have to know: This is a live mix, one take, no computer or something, just one record of Ennio, another with Lee Perry and a CD with LKJ. I love the perfect end it’s a perfect mix and it’s saved on that disc.
Three more CDs
I was fascinated from the idea to burn my own CDs. I went to Sound House, the specialist for professional musical equipment. They had a CD-burning-machine. It was a terrible big monster. An empty CD was about $60. I mean, a massive price. But when I installed that monster machinery the first CD worked well. The second CD was born. Another try for CD number three. But from then on, it doesn’t work anymore. Three blank CDs (each $60) were lost. I went to the store again and explained, that I did it one time correct and after it doesn’t work anymore. They gave me just three more blank CDs for free. I tried again and this time it worked. The next was also lost and the last chance, with the last blank was successful. Four CDs of my own. That was my package.
After show
I was on stage at Schüür. On the table I had my four CDs. The band mates of Cheb Kader came to me and asked me, where I’ve got that music from. I showed them my CDs. It was a great moment. One asked me, if I know IAM. It was hard to understand the name of the band. I said no, but later I found out, that NoF-NoF showed me Ombre Est Lumiere. I liked it a lot. But at the time of the disco I had the disc not yet.
Why was I the DJ of this event? Gabor should be the DJ, but he was absent and asked me to be there instead. I was great, but it remained the only occasion I selected instead of Gabor.