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Roots Reggae Shakes Up Toad’s
by Georgia Kral | Aug 8, 2007 11:22 am
Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author
Posted to: Arts
Cecil “Skelly” Spence and Lascelle “Wiss” Bulgin (pictured), whose group Israel Vibration brought blissed-out grooves and reggae beats to the newly reopened Toad’s Place Tuesday night, share something that most other reggae artists don’t.
Like most reggae artists, the two native Jamaicans both embrace Rastafarianism. But Skelly and Wiss also suffer from polio.
The two can still sing, dance and shake. At Toad’s they put on a show that had everyone moving. Click the play arrow below for a glimpse.
The group played in the classic roots reggae style, with heavy bass beats to float the song on and guitar solos and vocals taking turns. The stage was full- a drummer, bass player, two guitarists, a keyboard player and two female back-up singers joined Skelly and Wiss. In reggae, layers are important. All instruments play at about the same audible level, and each compliments the next.
Crucial Massive, pictured, opened the show. Their specific brand of roots reggae had a more modern sound, with hints of R&B and Mexican mariachi music thrown in. They were also a bit more animated. While Israel Vibration was mellow, connecting with the audience through shifts in rhythm and long, drawn out jams, Crucial Massive had choreographed dance moves and a continuous upbeat tempo. Click the play arrow to see.
Crucial Massive, “crucial lyrics in a massive style,” also featured a female lead vocalist, Sissta E, a rarity in reggae acts. Interestingly, she fit into an easily understood female caricature. While the other male lead singer sang about love in the world and Jah Rastafari (the Rastafarian God), her lyrics were mostly sexual. “Rub baby oil on me, it feels so good.”
The audience was mixed. Toad’s is an all-ages venue, which encourages the mixing of high school kids and older Rastafarians with dreadlocks. Reggae shows, more than most, have the effect of bringing people together. And that’s just what happened at Toad’s.
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