Culture: World Peace
Published August 21, 2003
Culture is one of Jamaican reggae's most respected names, beginning in the '70s as a vocal trio and continuing to this day as Joseph "Culture" Hill, lead singer and songwriter of the original trio, and a revolving cast of musicians, still brings the militant consciousness, Rastafarian perspective, and deep roots reggae grooves.
Classic albums such as Two Sevens Clash and Baldhead Bridge, recorded in the mid-'70s with producer Joe Gibbs, and singles "This Train" and "Never Get Weary" recorded in the late-'70s with Sonia Pottinger, established Culture as international stars.
Hill is still at it in fine form after 25 years, working with the Firehouse Crew (Melbourne Miller, Donald Dennis, Paul Crossdale) and Shaggie's band on World Peace, an album whose sentiment is as fundamental and uncompromising as its title.
Hill has a bathed-in-ganja soul rasp somewhat similar to Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals, and he puts it to best use on the loping, "Sweet Freedom," in which he speaks for the downtrodden and disadvantaged and their eternal search for "equal rights and justice" (great line: "Santa Claus come to town he never come around my way"). While Hill's stance is uncompromising, the cheeryness of the melody and his delivery tell us there is joy in righteous expression and at this point in a lifelong career, he may be satisfied with incremental gains for "his people."
Horns give "Time Is Getting Harder" a special punch; the title track insists on "World Peace," somehow making a very broad and generic demand urgent and specific with lines like:
"Every man a run a front
Want to be the leader
But I will stay in the back
To lead the blind"
The album is a tuneful, musically bright primer on Ratafarian concerns, keying on the slackness of Jamaican non-believers; the evil of guns, the tool of exploiters big and small; the redeeming light of Jah, which makes righteous "sufferation" tolerable and noble; train imagery symbolizing salvation; Biblical borrowings including Babylon as a corrupt materialistic and warlike culture doomed to fall, and Mount Zion as paradise on earth.
The "culture" of Joseph Hill is still uncompromising, uplifting, and deeply satisfying.
- Culture: World Peace
- Published: August 21, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Reggae and Caribbean
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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Comments on this articleComments
Mr Hill as a staunch follower of culture i have realised that there is more than meets the eye in almost all of your tracks,many tracks are loaded with intelligent messages.As a yout" man some messages of life in some songs are hard for me to understand,like in "mind who you beg for help".I can"t get the message well though i can hear the "cricket & ant parable"I would kindly appreciate your help as a humble african.joe from.
1- what is the tittle track of Joseph HilL's(culture)new album ?
2- what is burning spear aka Winston Rodney's full name . there is a third one .
3- how many acres of land was offered to Joseph Hill (culture) by the Sierra Leonean government.
JOSEPH HILL OF CULTURE IS A TRUE HERO
BY Joel Savage
Many reggae musicians worldwde, sings about Africa plagued with war, ethnin conflicts and tribal wars. But how many of them have stepped Africa? To my knowledge Joseph Hill has visited war torn Sierra Leone, thrice, visited the Gaza strip, seeking peace between Israelis and the Palastanians. All his life, in his songs, he has fought against corruption, oppression, crime, racism. What else he hasn't done? Truly Joseph deserved to be honoured as ambassador for peace.
INTERVIEW WITH JOSEPH HILL AT GENT-BELGIUM (POLE POLE FESTIVAL 2004)
All along, I have known from his songs that Joseph Hill of Culture, is a very inteligent man. But on the 25th of July 2004, when I interviewed him, he gave me some answers, showing his true wisdom. For example, I asked him:Who do you think is the stumbling block in the Israeli-Palestanian conflict? Joseph's answer: Greed, greed, greed. Because there is enough to satisfy every man's need. But never enough to satisfy no man's greed. So greed is the stumbling block. Second question: You played a song against Yasser Arafat, as the stumbling block in one of your songs. Joseph's answer is: He made himself like that. He has to change his ways and the other man, would also change his ways. There is something called "Repentance" when ever repentance meets their hearts, then we shall have a beautiful world. With such remarkable answers from Joseph Hill, there is no doubt that he has a certain wisdom, which no one could take away from him, till the time, the Almighty Jah would call him to rest, after accomplishing what he has to do on this earth.
i am writing from Ghana in west Africa. culture is really a hero. he has succeeded brother bob marly and currently riding high. i will love to have a personal contact with culture because i love culture. i eat culture, drink culture sleep culture
thanks Adorsu, I am certain Mr. Hill appreciates your support
Hi Mr Joseph! there are some questions I would like to know. Do you sing all of your songs in English? I mean, besides English what is the other language used in Jamaica?
I still remember the first culture song I listened to "International herb". By that time I could not understand or even speak English, but I enjoyed and I still enjoy the melodies of culture. Whenever my brother would go to South Africa, he would never forget to buy a culture album to put our home cassete record in action, listening to songs like "One Stone, Outcast, trust me, Why am I a rastaman? poor jah people, poor people hungry, psalms of Bob Marley, capture rasta......... Go ahead Mr Hill and continue doing your job! I would say "Natty never get weary" Jah has brought you to earth to do the job you are doing. I wish I could have gone to South Africa to attend "live in africa". My Country is Mozambique.
i have i stuanch disciple of culture right from 1984, just at the age of 12 and till date it my identity .though i dont wear drerad locks all my collueges know am tru rastafarian.
I respect Mr Hill and the entire band of Culture,if I were to be a musician I would love to be like him.Please he should continue playing songs for the world Peace!!
Where ever he is ,he should know that I love his music,"I will stay behind to lead the Blind"
From "MALAWI"
What a dreadful news,another QUONQERING LION is on His way to Jah THE MOST HIGH GOD living us to wander about in the wilderness.Rest peacefully BIG BROTHER,FARE THEE WELL.
FROM GHANA.
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natty never get weary Mr Joe Hill.Thru listening to culture i haf developed a profound love & respect for u.The kind of roots reggae you play is really uplifting,but there is one thing i want to know,what is the whole message behind the track HAND & BOWL?I hear you say "when you try to be cautious they take you right as a bad man"