Peace, love and reggae: Burning Spear to play Vilar Performing Arts Center
Grammy award winning artist kicks off the Vilar Performing Arts Center's 26th summer season
Lee Abel/Courtesy photo
Two-time Grammy winner Burning Spear, the renowned Jamaican roots reggae singer-songwriter, is coming to the Vilar Performing Arts Center on June 5 to spread his message of love and peace through music.
Burning Spear has performed since the 1960s, and still revels in the experience of being on stage.
“I love what I do,” he said in a press release announcing the show. “There is no pressure. The music doesn’t like pressure.”
Since his emergence in the 1970s, Burning Spear — born Winston Rodney — has been an influential roots artist. He has created a legacy as a music maker, community icon, educator, and spiritual uplifter.
His musical influences include artists who played on U.S. radio stations when those broadcasts reached Jamaica. These included R&B, soul, and jazz. Curtis Mayfield and James Brown are among the largest influencers of his music, Burning Spear has said.
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However, a chance encounter with reggae legend Bob Marley led Burning Spear down the musical path that eventually defined his career.
“The way the whole thing came about is that I found myself moving along up in the hills of St. Ann’s and I ran into Bob at the same time. And Bob was going to his farm. The man was moving with a donkey and some buckets and a fork, and cutlass and plants,” Rodney recalled. He told Marley, “I would like to get involved in the music business. And Bob said, ‘All right, just check Studio One.'”
On Marley’s advice, Rodney auditioned with Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label — along with Rupert Willington –—which led to the release of the duo’s first single, “Door Peep.”
A trio formed with the addition of Delroy Hinds following the debut, with several more singles added to the label, in addition to two full albums. The group moved on to record with Jack Ruby in the mid-70s and recorded “Marcus Garvey,” which was an immediate hit. Several other tracks followed, including “Slavery Days.” A deal with Island Records followed, which gave the group a wider reach, but also saw the record label remix and alter track speed on the album, much to the disappointment of Burning Spear and fans.
Rodney set up his label, Burning Music, to avoid this outcome in the future. He also split from Ruby and the other members of his band, becoming the sole member of Burning Spear. Members of the group Aswad provided backup for Burning Spear for live shows as well as the studio album, “Social Living.” Additional record label changes followed as Burning Spear toured extensively and grew a dedicated following of fans and accolades.
Since the mid-90s, Burning Spear has called Queens New York home, along with his wife, Sonia Rodney, who has produced many of his albums. Burning Spear won Grammy awards in 2000 and 2009 for his albums “Calling Rastafari” and “Jah is Real.” Burning Spear retired for a time in 2016; however, he took on a limited number of performances in 2022, eventually ramping up his tour schedule again.
For nearly four decades and more than 25 albums, he has carried the torch of the gospel of political activist Marcus Garvey, promoting self-determination and self-reliance for African descendants through lyrics and rhythms that truly deliver the messages of peace and love to all.
Burning Spear kicks off a jam-packed summer lineup that includes Tanya Tucker (July 5), Blackberry Smoke (July 10 and 11), Joss Stone (Aug. 13), George Thorogood (Aug. 28) and many more. For more information about Vilar Performing Arts Center’s schedule and to purchase tickets, visit vilarpac.org or call 970-845-8497.
