Tarrus Riley has made the transition from "next big thing" in
reggae music to "consistently big thing" with relative ease. The son of Uniques,
Sensations and solo reggae veteran
Jimmy Riley, the Rastafarian
star has brought his powerful but distinct tenor voice to a wealth of original
material such as his lovers smash
She's Royal (2006) and the African
consciousness of
Shaka Zulu Pickney (2011) as well as covers of John
Legend and Robin Thicke. His fourth album,
'Mecoustic', is a collection
of unplugged renditions of songs from his previous three albums
'Challenges',
'Parables' and
'Contagious', devised
with and recorded with his
BLAKSOIL band (Bredren Living
According King Selassie-I Overstanding & Iritical Livity) under the watchful
eye of hornsman producer
Dean Fraser.
Angus Taylor spoke to
Tarrus for the third time about his new record, his love of nurturing other
artists, and why London is the place for him...
How did Dean and yourself decide to make an acoustic album and how
did the project come to fruition?
We decided to make the album last year while we were on the tour bus,
thinking about giving people some of the special, personal Tarrus Riley songs
that they never probably got on singles. Songs with strong lyrics, real
wholesome songs. It was Mr Fraser's idea to do it acoustic, I liked it and we
started recording. It took about six months to record.
A lot of acoustic albums are just a voice and guitar but you and Dean
have put a lot more into it than that.
Yes! For there is more to acoustic than just a voice and a guitar. Remember,
acoustic is not electric so you have a whole heap of instruments you can use on
an acoustic album and that's what you get on this album right here. So it's just
like you said: "A lot more than just a voice and guitar" - and I've done that
already on Parables with My Baby (Cyaan Sleep) where it was just my baby, a
voice and guitar! So it wasn't just that, it was much more than that.
How did Dean and yourself decide to make an acoustic album and how
did the project come to fruition?
We decided to make the album last year while we were on the tour bus,
thinking about giving people some of the special, personal Tarrus Riley songs
that they never probably got on singles. Songs with strong lyrics, real
wholesome songs. It was Mr Fraser's idea to do it acoustic, I liked it and we
started recording. It took about six months to record.
A lot of acoustic albums are just a voice and guitar but you and Dean
have put a lot more into it than that.
Yes! For there is more to acoustic than just a voice and a guitar. Remember,
acoustic is not electric so you have a whole heap of instruments you can use on
an acoustic album and that's what you get on this album right here. So it's just
like you said: "A lot more than just a voice and guitar" - and I've done that
already on Parables with My Baby (Cyaan Sleep) where it was just my baby, a
voice and guitar! So it wasn't just that, it was much more than that.
Let's talk about some tracks you've been doing with other people. You
were vibing in the studio with your old tourmate I-Octane for the very uplifting
song All We Need Is Love on his new album.
That was all courtesy of Robert Livingstone. He brought me to the studio and
he wanted me on Octane's CD. As you know the first time Octane was on tour in
Europe he was with us and we wish Octane all the best in what he's doing. All We
Need Is Love is what the song is saying and it's true that all we need is love.
We support Octane music and Konshens music and a lot of the new youths rising
like C-Sharp and Protoje. We need more of them on the road so when we're touring
we tour it up nice! And you see Jamaican music is bright just like how you see
R&B with all the Ushers and the Chris Brown's and all of them. We have a
whole heap of youth doing good music.
We have a whole heap of
youth doing good music
I was just going to mention Konshens as both you and your brother
Wrath guested on the remix of his Rasta Impostor on his new album
too.
(laughs) You know about my brother too? Both him and Konshens went
to Excelsior and they are friends. They play football together because Konshens
is a good footballer and enough people don't know about that! My brother plays
football and he deejays in his spare time and because I was on the album
Konshens said "Yow, bring your bredda and mek him give me a verse!" So it was
all fun and we'll see how far it goes.
Both I-Octane and Konshens have talked about the guidance you give to newer
artists. Konshens said being in the studio with you is like being in a school
class where you have fun.
Well that's a big compliment and I really respect Konshens with that talk there!
Konshens is crazy and we always have good fun in the studio! It's funny because
we do this without even trying to do it when the man them like Octane call me
their big brother! I'm not even approaching it like that. I'm not even trying
anything - I'm just being myself! So it's good when the energy is up and it's
good, like we say, that we really expect great things from the youth. Trust me.
Because I can't do it by myself and I really want great things to happen to
those youths to show you how powerful reggae music and Jamaican music is!
As a deejay when you started out you must have no problem helping
both deejays and singers with their technique.
Honestly, that is my first music influences like Shabba Ranks, Bounty, Buju,
that whole music. It was just the love of music and wanting to do music long
term that led me into singing as well as encouragement from people like Mr
Fraser and my brethren Gibby Morrison. I used to tell my brethrens at the time
"If you're doing music I want to go for the long run" so they'd tell me "You
need to sing" and I'd say "I can't sing!" I recorded a song for Danny Browne and
I was singing "SCREW FACE LEFT FROM BOUT YAH" and he stopped the tape and
started laughing! I said "W'happen?" and he said "Haha you think you're a
deejay!" I said "Wha? I'm a deejay!" and he said "You're wasting your voice
man!" But he still recorded me and he still put out the song. So now I can sing,
I can deejay, I can rap, I can play a little instrument, I'm on a roll!
(laughs)
We are working on some
music right now that London is going to just eat up!
Y
ou're a big fan of the singer Amy Winehouse. Did you ever get to
meet her?
No, I didn't and that was a big big big bad bad bad thing. I wish I met her
and I would love her to rest in peace. I am a big fan of Amy Winehouse for real
- that is true!
You have lots of European tour dates lined up. Will you and the band
be playing acoustic, electric, both?
Well the way I play it is, the tour was around before the album was around!
So now the tour and album work together because now we are on tour promoting the
album. We've been in France for almost a week now doing acoustic sessions and
they've been real good so that's probably the whole of the acoustic part! But
you're still going to get the songs and it's good because we play every kind of
music - reggae, rocksteady, nyabinghi , dancehall , the different diversity of
the music and that's what the show is all about. Where are you from?
London.
London! My place! I like to come to London. Mr Fraser is just telling me that
the 4th August is his birthday and we will be going to England. And listen, let
me tell you, I have a special love for London trust me! I come to London and all
of a sudden I am an Englishman!
(laughs) Every time I come to England
it is a big deal. The last time I was there with Beres Hammond, trust me, I had
the best time of my life! And I am working on a project right now that London is
going to love! We are working on some music right now that London is going to
just eat up! You are going to love it.
The one thing we don't
switch is the message
All the while you have been making this acoustic album you have been
stacking up tunes in the dancehall. Will these be collected on your next
electric album?
(big laugh) Nah man! No dancehall album! I know you all love them
but listen! That is just another part of me that I had to express and we give
thanks that everybody love it. It's nice because it makes the concert nice and
it shows you the diversity of me . But I am Tarrus Riley and I have to surprise
you. The minute I stop surprising you we have a problem! I have to keep you all
on your toes so just as you think I'm doing it this way, I just switch it on you
the next way. But one thing we don't switch is the message. Even though the beat
might change we are still telling you to love yourself, love your culture, self
esteem. It's all about BLAKSOIL and what BLAKSOIL represents - unity and
gathering so you don't have to worry!
Interview by
Angus Taylor
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