Mutabaruka mixes poetic message with his music
•iix
Courtesy of Lethal Recorels
As a stop-off on his national tour, Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter Mutabaruka will perform in Eugene Wednesday at the
WOW Hall. The musician has so far released nine albums, all voicing social and political concerns.
Ultimately, the experience
in Ecuador will change the lives of the
kids in his neighborhood back home.
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■ Revered Jamaican reggae
singer Mutabaruka plays at
the WOW Hall Wednesday
By Brodie Lewis
for the Emerald
Reggae music was introduced to
the masses by the voice of Bob Mar
ley, who drew attention not only
for his musicianship, but for his
message as well.
On Wednesday night, one of the
most promising of his reggae inher
itors brings his own message to the
WOW Hall.
Mutabaruka, a reggae singer and
songwriter for the last 20 years, will
bring his politically-charged music
to the WOW Hall in a rare North
west appearance. Muta, as he is
known to his followers, has
amassed a legion of U.S. fans, with
recent appearances at national con
certs such as Lollapalooza and the
Tibetan Freedom Concert.
Muta has been likened to Marley
himself. He, like Marley, practices
Rastafarianism, a religion with Ja
maican roots, and combines his
faith with his intellect to create
powerful songs about social ills.
He started out as a poet, publish
ing three books of his work in Ja
maica. He then decided to broaden
his audience by putting his words
to music. He has since released
nine albums, all of them political
ly-minded.
“I would compare him to Gand
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hi or Cesar Chavez more than I
would to most musicians,” said
Bob Fennessy, a WOW Hall
spokesman. “I have more respect
for him than for any other musician
that has ever played here.”
Fennessy, who has seen Muta
perform several times, said one of
the musician’s greatest attributes
was that he “challenges people’s
ways of thinking. He wants his lis
teners to realize the situation that
they live in.”
{ (/ have more respect for
him than for any other
musician that has ever
played here.
Bob Fennessy
WOW Hall spokesman ^ ^
When not on tour, Muta spends
his time in Jamaica running the
health food store he owns. A strict
vegetarian, he refuses to wear any
animal products and has not worn
shoes for many years as a testament
to his faith. He also hosts Jamaica’s
most popular radio program, “The
Cutting Edge.” Bootlegs of the
show, which many say started the
roots revival in Jamaica, are popu
lar items, even appearing in foreign
countries.
cmrrenuy, ne is touring in sup
port of his latest album, “Muta in
Dub.” The album takes many of his
earlier popular songs and remixes
them into dub versions. The idea
was to take songs that people al
ready knew and understood and
turn them into something that peo
ple could dance to. This would def
initely change the atmosphere of
his stage show, which is tradition
ally more slow-paced.
However, some fans say Muta’s
recorded works, no matter which al
bums, are almost boring in compari
son to listening to him in concert.
“Mutabaruka is a poet above all,”
said Sarah Chylek, co-manager of
the beer garden at the WOW Hall.
“And his presence is unlike that of
any other reggae artist and really
can only be experienced live. You
miss half of his meaning when you
don’t see him in person. He has
ideas in his heart that have to come
out in his music.”
Ric Bracamontes, Muta’s U.S.
booking agent, said the current tour
promises to be better than previous
tours for several reasons.
“This is his first tour in over
three years,” he said, “and every
time an artist takes time off like
that, it creates a sort of mystique
and usually draws more of a
crowd.”
He added that this is the first
time Muta has toured with his own
band in over five years, which
makes a world of difference.
“Last time he toured, it wasn’t
with his own band, and nobody
knew his style, his moves, or his
expectations,” Bracamontes said.
“Now that he is with his own, how
ever, it adds a whole level of excite
ment. The show is about twice as
energetic.”
Doors open at 8 p.m., and the
show will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets
are $12 in advance and $14 at the
door and are available at the WOW
Hall, located at 291 W. Eighth Ave.,
and the EMU ticket office.