irások sizzla angol

Sizzla in Budapest
May 9, 2008 << magyar >> Interview Video:
part 1 :: part 2 :: part 3 :: part 4 :: part 5 :: part 6 Sizzla: Greetings in the name of the Most High Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile King Selassie I the First Jah Rastafari. This is Sizzla Kalonji, it's a pleasure being here. We commence the tour today, it is the first show tonight at A38 ship, Sizzla Kalonji and the whole crew, Firehouse, you know what's up, rastaman vibration. SK: Tell us about your childhood in August Town. Sizzla: I was born on April 4, 1976 in Scotts Hall, St Mary, west of Jamaica, and we moved from there, go to August Town at a very young stage, it's a beautiful community, August Town, easterly of Kingston, between the mountains, beautiful people, beautiful kids, beautiful community, got warm vibes. You always welcome at any time, it’s a refreshing community. Is a very cultural community, you know August Town, August the 1st is our emancipation, August the 6th - independence. The community is August Town, that's where I'm from. I'm 32 just now, I been there since birth, a lotta love been shown to me by the people in the community, beautiful families, a lot of good parents, good kids they all go to school, really nice. SK: Is it true that there was a time when you thought you'd be a mechanic? When did your musical ambition start? Sizzla: Well, music is always in the lineage of His Majesty, as the Bible says, singers and players of instruments my springs are in thee. Everyone got music inside them, learning from yu parents... I come and see my father doing mechanic work, bodywork ratherly, so it's the first thing for the child to learn the trade of his father, so it came form there, from a good age of 9-10 coming up I learn the skill, learn to weld, fix cars, start fixing mufflers and things like that, sending my sisters to school, my father would get the work, and I would do the work, and from there it's a great experience. I really appreciate it because it mould me from that time, get I in a good shape, good principle. I just learned the trade and grew up with it, learned to help my family, my parents, especially my mom. My father just get to work in the morning, and the work goes in my mom's hands, she take care of my sisters and my other brothers and things like that. But my father's also a musician, I grew up seeing my father playing guitar, so I used to play, I used to back him up by playing the bass and the guitar, so it's in the family. My dad used to have a likkle sound system called the Black Steel, he used to sing at that sound system after he finished work, in the evening we used to just sing at that sound system, so through there it came. I would just be there with my dad, and the music would still play right through, never turn it off, so when I see all this spirit, I just get to know myself more, getting older in life, having more experience, seeing things happening that's really wrong and trying to get it corrected, you know what I mean. Seeing the sufferation of the community from there, and I say you know something, I can sing and make myself better in the same way, just like another trade. So I just take it seriously because I always take everything serious, from that stage with mechanic bodywork, working on people’s car, getting that job and having that responsibility to fulfill it, from there just take everything serious, because my father was a very strict and serious person. SK: How did you find the Bobo Ashanti? Sizzla: Well, the music lead us to Jah because ratherly the music is Jah himself, as 'singers and players of instruments my springs are in thee', singing about music is really an experience ratherly to me. After taking up this task, it leads me to greater responsibility, and the music is for the people, and the people need the culture, so I got to find the foundation for the people, that's how I really end up at Bobo Ashanti, Bobo Hill. Because I want to give the people the truth, and the base and the truth we have given the people is to know about the people, where they are from, as for me to know where they are going, so I began visiting these places of Rastafari, so the music leads me there, come on the road, come on tours like these, people give me a lot of insight, it gives me books, a lot of stuff. So when I get back to Jamaica, I say you know something, I think I should go and know what's on the mountain, because I seen Rasta, and I know Rasta is the king for Africa, as we are Rastafarians there on the mountains, prasising Rastafari, keeping the Sabbath, that's the truth, we find our well there, so from there I just went up on the mountain, a beautiful mountain, and I see the whole precepts, and I see the 'preistical' order going through and I say yeah this looks as if it's something missing from the nation, you know what I mean. I'm the voice of the people at that time, so it would be best for me to attend Bobo Hill like a school, a university. After getting that break in the music, from Fatis Burrel, Xterminator crew, along with Luciano, I say you know something, I'm gonna be on the mountain for a while, so I leave the music and be up on the mountain for three years, I've been at Bobo Hill and learned the 'preistical' order, and I've been crowned a priest on the mountain, but I really didn't trouble it outta like that, I just say you know something, I'm already out there in the world singing for the people... the 'preistical' order is a very serious order, so what I'm going to do is just get to the people, get them some more love, get them some more message, get them some more music, and from there I began taking up a spot on the mountain right at the front, close to the banners, the flag poles, where there was like a garage for Prince Emmanuel and say I'm gonna just chill over this garage and build it to Sizzla's likkle house up on the mountain, so from there I start studying the hard and start declare at the mountain, because when I went there what I've seen is the truth. And the people need the truth, and the truth is the music, and the music should be about the truth. It doesn't matter where you're from, it doesn't matter your skin complexion, it doesn't matter who you be – rich or poor, the truth is the truth, so I just match it with the music, coinside with me coming in the music at that time in the industry, and I take it to the world, and eventually people start listening to the songs and hearing me singing about Bobo Hill, and they start visiting Bobo Hill, and they start finding them well, and they start remember the Sabbath, remember the 'priestical' order, that’s how I get to put on mi turban, cover mi locks because I was just out there singing about Rasta, saying good things about Rasta, but I didn't know the 'priestical' order of His Majesty until I go on the mountain, so I give a lotta credit to Prince Emmanuel and the Bobo Ashanti and all Rastafarians in Jamaica, because they are one. It's just for Rasta declare the truth, repatriation, Africa for the Africans, those at home and those abroad. It makes no sense coming to the world singing to the people, I and I not telling them the truth, because they're gonna search and find it, so I just take it out right at the get-go and just bring it along with me, and from that time to this time I embrace the faith Bobo Ashanti, and Nyabinghi, because before going to Bobo Ashanti I was at Nyabinghi, and I was like why am I at Nyabinghi and I'm a Rastafarian, yet you have other Rastafarians on the mountain, and I don't know about them and they still praise the same God, King Selassie I, so I say you know something, I go make it my duty to go up there. And from there and then I just took up this responsibility and just hail the Rastaman, declare the glory of His Majesty, and I visit both premises up until this very day. We've been doing a lot of construction on both premises until this day, so all praise to the Most High King Selassie I Jah Rastafari, blessed. SK: What is the connection to Ghana? Sizzla: I'd asked that question once, I had asked the priest and they said His Majesty had given Kwame Nkrumah that banner and Ghana should be the gateway for the slaves returning home, so we flow the flag of Ghana. SK: Usually it's Ethiopia that you chant about... Sizzla: Well, Haile Selassie is the Almighty, Ethiopia is the head, but we can't go to Ethiopia until we go through Ghana, or through Nigeria, so it's a mission set out still to be manifested from Bob Marley-time, Peter Tosh-time and even before that, from slavery until this time. Ghana was where they take a lot of the slaves from, you know, Senegal, Nigeria, a lot of these places still got slave sights. When I study and I see the Ghana flag, I say 'Why you have the Ghana flag?', but the priest told me a lot of things about it, and a lot more knowledge is there. So I don't just see it as just Sizzla singing, I see it as Sizzla on a mission, like a shepherd to lead the sheep back to Africa, so I'm gonna need a place where I'm gonna enter. So when I see the priest with a banner of Ghana, I say OK. So from there more than even words can say, you got to just be there and experience it. SK: You mentioned Fatis 'Xterminator' Burrell, what was his influence on you? Sizzla: Well, Fatis is a Rastaman, so there's a whole lot of influence from Fatis. We've used Fatis' label to get out publicly to the people. Before Mr Burrell there was Homer Harris who had been around for quite a long time. After leaving August Town, going to high school, I've met up with a very good friend of mine called Larry Belnavis from Nannyville. Now, Caveman stationed at Nannyville, so one day Larry said 'Sizzla, come and go check Caveman.' And mi say 'Caveman? Come and go check Caveman.' And from there we went to see Caveman, and Caveman have a likkle sound system in his house on his veranda, so we would leave school in the evening, and it was a very good opportunity for me, 'cos I learn to sing and DJ more. Being in my community was very nice, everyone knows me like that, but being in another community with other people it gives me more experience, it let me put more impetus and get more serious with my work, because I'm not like amongst my people. Not that they're not serious, but going out there, you got to take the thing serious because you represent your community in an ex-community. So we began leaving school early, linking up with Caveman, me and Larry, and we would be singing and DJing, and making songs, I would do dubplates for Caveman, and eventually Caveman get that link with Mr Harris. So Caveman used to go around 2B Grove Road to see Mr Harris, so one day Caveman said 'Sizzla, we a go check Mr Harris, and we would get a spot where we won't be in the community no more, we would be like out there in the main street in Kingston, 2B Grove Road, like an office, so we say alright let's go check Mr Harris. So it propells from there we link up with Mr Harris. Now, meeting up with Mr Harris, a very good brethren, like a father to I, Mr Harris used to do a lot of manage work... he named Buju Banton Buju, he used to have Buju, Shabba and Patra, and Sizzla coming. Well, Sizzla was like the youngest one. Well, he have Zum Jay that comes after, and a lot more... So we sit there to ourselves at Mr Harris' and Caveman at 2B Grove Road where I've met up with Dean Fraser. At 2B Grove Road it was Blue Mountain studio, and we met up with Dean Fraser, he used to do rehearsal there like for Sunsplash, Sumfests and all those big shows. Mr Harris have Luciano at that time too, I think he gave Luciano his name also. Homer Harris gave me the name Sizzla, and I put Kalonji. And he gave Buju his name also. So Mr Harris is a very important person, so meeting up with Mr Harris and Mr Dean Fraser I began meeting a lot of other famous people, Sanchez, Pinchers, all the great stars, we got 809 Band there that rehearses all these artists. When the rehearsals are finished and the artists leave, we would get that whole room to just work out with the same 809 Band that was rehearsing with the stars. They would give us like 15 minutes or half an hour and the same way I would utilize it, and from there mi skill developed. And Mr Harris have Luciano, and Luciano was out there in the road trying to get his voice out in the street, and one day Mr Fraser come to me and say 'You know something, me and Mr Harris have a discussion and mi a go take you and Luciano to see Fatis', so from there now we leave Mr Harris at 2B Grove Road and we went to see Fatis at Anchor at 7 Windsor Avenue. When I went to see Fatis, it was just a rastaman vibes, and Fatis have a whole bunch of tapes just pack up in his studio, and Fatis would rent out the studio for the whole day, for the whole week, for the whole month, but he don't have much artists recording unless he call artists because everyone was on tour, so I utilize that time and that space, and all those empty riddims, I began recording on those riddims, you know when Fatis not there, out on the road with Luciano, I would just be at this studio Anchor and I would just work every day, every night and record a whole lotta songs. And Fatis get back now, and Fatis have a lotta songs to choose from, that's how Fatis managed to compile the album Praise Ye Jah, that's how I've done the song True God, Black And Comely with Mikey General, and that's where it really takes off from there until Fatis get the link with Elise Kelly at Irie FM and used to get the show go on in Ocho Rios called the White River Reggae Bash, that was one of my first break at the show, I used to sing only one song on that show and from there it propells on and on and on until this day. I give thanks. SK: And another influential name for you would be Bobby Digital. Sizzla: After getting to know Fatis and getting out there in the public, and the world began knowing Sizzla, and these producers began hearing about Sizzla, and I myself know about them because we used to go to their studio trying to get a break, it's just that we didn't get the first break through Bobby, but after getting on the road, getting widely known to the country I start spread my wings and I said 'Bobby, I have some nice riddims also, so while I record, I would be like 4-5 songs for Fatis this morning, and in the evening I would just give Bobby two, and I go on the road, I go on the tour, you sold the shows for Luciano, so when I get back now, I would still go back and be like still 4-5 song for Fatis and still would do 2 for Bobby, because it was a golden opportunity, all the studios, the doors been open to me so I just utilize it. Bobby come up with some wonderful songs, you know, Good Ways and all'a them songs, Thank You Mama... That's how it really propels. SK: So is that how you managed to have such an amazingly prolific output? You basically release 3-4 albums a year, how do you do that? Sizzla: The reason for that is that the increase in recording, and the doors being open up to me, I really take it serious because we used to walk the streets, and I know a lot of artists that used to walk the street with me, we just pray and hope one day we get a break, so when I see Fatis 'Xterminator' that have great songs with Beres, Capleton, Buju, Cocoa T, Marcia Griffiths, and I get a chance to be there, I just record a lotta songs, because there was nothing else for me to do. When these great big stars do their work and leave and went home, I'm just there in the studio with Murphy, Paul and Garfield, so I just work , I just keep working and at the same time other producers began hearing about Sizzla, and we wanna get out there, and once I get that opportunity to get a song played on the radio, we're not gonna really defang that so I would just record on the riddim, whatever riddim next sent to me, I find a nice song for it, put it out, so you would find that Fatis would release one song, and while he release that song, it becomes popular and we try to make an album around that song. And same thing for Bobby, when Fatis release an album and it do a likkle time, Bobby would release the next album. But the reason for such close proximity is that the music in Jamaica is slightly different in getting your bread. When we make an album, we get an advance from a record company such as VP and Greensleeves. And when I study and see that I could make an album, and Fatis would go and shop it and get some money and I could take care of my family, I just record more songs. I just utilize it, I don't waste no time, that's why I have so much songs and albums with Sizzla. SK: You said you chose Kalonji, why and what does it mean? Sizzla: Because I think the name Sizzla was just too singular, I just think it needs something else to click with it, so I say Sizzla..., it need something to finish it, Sizzla something, you know what I mean. Knowing the principle of Rasta, Africa and the nation, and the people, and the culture, and the attitude, I say you know something, if I call upon His Majesty Haile Selassie I, mean power and the holy trinity, my name's supposed to represent something too. So I say Sizzla... burning essence...fire, Kalonji mean victorious, sound good yes, Sizzla Kalonji. Sound nice, Sizzla Kalonji, mi say alright, you go call me Kalonji now with the Sizzla, so everybody just start Sizzla Kalonji, and mi say yeah. Even giving myself the name Kalonji, adding onto Sizzla and see how it takes to the street, I say yeah, you can make a sound and create a lotta good words, and the people take on to it, so from there it just works. SK: There are many artists who you work with, not only reggae artists, like Wyclef Jean, K-Salaam, Mos Def... how do you choose, how does it happen? Sizzla: Well, based upon their lifestyle, and the works they been doing from a time, and we study these people as artists, we listen to them, listen to what they get into from what they don't get into. And they're clean, we say yeah, because you got to represent someone that have that reputation and that status and that calibre, because Jamaican people are a funny set of people, you got to know what you are doing. Certain things they don't dwell with, they don't delve in certain things. So if I'm gonna go out there to be amongst the next artist I try to make sure that the reputation of that artist is really clean with Jamaica, and at the same time we try to straighten them too and show them who we are and what we made of. So Wyclef mi good brethren man, Wyclef, K-Salaam, Jadakiss, Styles, Juelez Santana, Cam'ron...name them, all'a them, my brethren dem. SK: What music do you listen to yourself? Sizzla: I listen to everything. Once it's music, I listen to everything. I try to play all the instruments, I like tp play the drum, 'cos that's my drummer there from the Firehouse Crew, so what I do is I study the drummer, 'cos he is a teacher, he's doing something that's really great, so I study the drummer and I say, you know I go learn fe play the drum, cos if I learn about the drum it helps me in the music more, get rid of difficulties. If I study the drum and know to play the drums, it help me to create styles and patterns and flows. And I study the guitarist, you know, Chin Smith, and I study the bass player, and when I learn to play them, it hold my realms more, gives me more insight. SK: Sometimes you even combine your music with jazz, r'n'b or hip hop elements too. Sizzla: 'Cos in Jamaica we love hip hop, you know. I won't lie, they love hip hop, they love jazz, they got jazz festival in Jamaica, you got hip hop songs that's really boosting in Jamaica, you got hip hop artists come on a lot of these shows like Sumfests. I listen to just about any music. Music is music, it's a universal language, it's for the people. I mean the same instruments you use to play reggae, you can play dancehall, with the same instruments you can play just about anything. It's just you to know what you playing and how you gonna play, so I don't limit myself with music. Music have no limit, music shall live. Because to me music is prayers continued, all these songs Sizzla sing and all these musicians they are just making more prayers. To me music is just prayers continued, so I don't hinder myself, I don't really border myslef like I'm gonna listen to dancehall and reggae and I don't like hip hop... I don't do that, I listen to everything because I know one day we gonna meet up and it's good to know what's happenning and know the people you gonna be meeting up with. SK: Is it true that you also studied architecture? Sizzla: Yeah well, within my realms my belief is that starting out good I should just finish good. My parents didn't have that amount of finance to send me to school like that or ratherly to say, pay for a lot of these subjects. So what I do when I get outa school I just went in the music, and I get that break and it helps me, so I just pay back a school fee and go back and continue with 'architect' and ting like that, because education is the key. I'm surrounded by a lot of suffering people, they always need clothes, shoes, they need a roof, so I try to study something that's gonna connect me to the people. And I wanna make my parents proud and feel good, you know, I'm in the sight of the public, and out there in the public you have a lot of youth that don't go to school, they don't see school as the gateway, and because I'm an artist, an entertainer, they just think that you can just be an entertainer like that, but you gotta learn to read and write. I wanna put something new to the music, to the culture and Jamaican industry, and let the upcoming artists know that it's not just about going on the stage singing another number one song, you need to go to school, get some education along with it, cut and clear and go through. It sets an example, it lets yute get more insight, because a lotta yute they listen to Sizzla, they start growing their locks, they're wearing turban, they follow me, so if I say you follow me like that, you keep the Sabbath, follow me to school then. They know me, even though I'm not over there presenting, I'm thinking about going back, but I just gotta come out here in the world and get some money, because I still need the money to pay for the school fees, we need the money to get the books, we need money for clothes and shoes, so I say you know something, before this great demand for Sizzla really... drop, I should just go there and get that blessing, just coming forward. University ain't going nowhere, they are in Jamaica, everday there is some new institution for education building up, so I just play it wise and it really works. SK: Tell us about Judgement Yard. Sizzla: Judgement Yard is my father's garage, but because I'm becoming so big now, I just change it over and I say Judgement Yard. The reason why I call it Judgement Yard is that we used to bun fire everyday, I used to weld there, cut out car flooring, fix mufflers, fix crashed car, you know what I mean, come and see the whole change, the whole make-over, Sizzla becomes an artist. So I say you know something, I need a spot, my spot, my place, so I say 'what am I gonna call it? I don't want a likkle soft name, we want something that serious 'cos it's a serious ting we're dealing with. So I say you know something I go call it Judgement Yard. Why Judgement Yard? Becasue the Most High established the throne of judgement to judge the people, Psalms 9. So when I read Psalms 9, I find the name, if the Most High establish his throne of judgement to judge the people, this is the Most High yard, this is the Judgement Yard then. The reason why I call it Judgement Yard because the name alone keeps me clean, you're always in the judgement of the people, Sizzla, Judgement Yard, the people is the judgement, you live with the people. Judgement is justice, honesty, cleanliness, so you do good, you get a good judgement, judgement doesn't mean bad, you get a judgement of goodness, you know what I mean that's it, split the justice. Because of the judgement if you're wrong you're wrong, you're right you're right, that's it, just justice. That's how I see it, because people suffer, people die, a lotta people they're not in school, they have no money, nowhere to live, so it's really serious. SK: So is it just a judgement from the outside that it is too violent in there? Because that's what we can read, that it is full of guns, it had raids... Sizzla: Oh no, police raid where they wanna raid and do whatsoever. Calling the place Judgement Yard doesn't cast any judgement on the community, but sometimes you got people that have a bit of hate, jealusy, malicious, vindictive feelings, so they would say things. Judgement Yard is one of the most beautiful places, the most loving place. That's where all the people come to party, that's where I do my dubplate, that's where my studio is at. Guns exist long time, violence been going on in the community long before even Sizzla born. So when I call Sizzla come now and he's in the community and a lotta people gravitate around Sizzla, you gonna say it's Sizzla and Judgement Yard, not like that, it's love and righteousness. But at the same time there's a judgement for you to know that don't mess around with the people of mine, you understand, and don't mess around Sizzla, and don't mess around no one from Judgement Yard, because we serious, we can't be dealing with the world and be stupid and acting like fools, we got people listening to us, we got lil kids listening to us, so it's very serious. So the violence in the community is a political ting. That have nothing to do with Rasta. But still you got people that don't really like Rasta, because Rasta just strict, you understand. So violence - people say a lot of things, you can say what you wanna say, you can do what you wanna do, but at the end of the day just make sure it's clean and it's just, you understand.   SK: How do you see the future? Sizzla: With great strength and courage, I hope to see the future really bright for me and evereyone out there. I'm not a fortune-teller, so I don't know what the future holds, but I can just do my good today and see what tomorrow brings, and hope for the best. My plan is the Jah plan, just to liberate the people, and be loving and kind, and fulfill the creed, the hungry be fed, the naked be clothed, the sick be nourished, the aged protected, the infants be cared for. SK: You got your own business now, Kalonji Records, with a clothing and a shoe line... Sizzla: Yeah, same place, that's all in Judgement Yard. After getting myself really stable at Judgement yard, all these things just progress like that, because Judgement Yard was the final place, because I've been in a lotta places, I've strengthened up David House, helped them before David House was named David House, and all these other places I've been there, I've been to Grove Road, for a long while I've been on Grove Road, so after getting that break and becoming an international icon, I just need somewhere for myself, and I think it should just be my foundation in August Town. interview by Balázs Vajna , Kati Stráhl
photos by Gábor Horváth, Kati Stráhl