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MUSIC FILES:

MARCUS GARVEY

DOWN PRESSOR MAN

THROW DOWN YOUR ARMS

VIDEO FILES:

INTRODUCTION

INTERVIEW (1)

INTERVIEW (2)

INTERVIEW (3)

INTERVIEW (4)

DISCUSSIONS:

Click on one of the two links below to be taken to two very different but equally interesting and throughtfull discussions about this album. 

DUBROOM

12 TRIBES

QUOTES:

"Liberate God"
"It is Sinead's hope that people find comfort and inspiration in these songs, as she does, and that, in making this record, she has gone some small way toward rescuing God from religion."

SOURCE

God never was, is not, and never will be a man; but man can, should and will become a vessel for the Liberation of God." (C. G. Jung, Answer to Job)
"Homosexuality"
"The teaching against homosexuality is blasphemy, for example. God created gay people, so who is anyone else to say you should not be gay?" 

SOURCE

SINEAD O' CONNOR - THROW DOWN YOUR ARMS

It's no secret, that Reggae is one of the most influential streams in music. It's no secret, that many of today's top ranking artists owe a great deal to Reggae Music. It's no secret, that many artists incorporate Reggae Music in their works.

It's no secret, that many of these artists are not really interested in Reggae Music and the culture in which such a great rhythm came into existance. We can all come up with some examples of that.  

And now in october 2005, Irish based singer Sinead O' Connor released a Reggae Album. According to O' Connor, it's not a Reggae Album, though... At the launching party of the album she proclaimed how she had made a "Rasta Album" rather then a Reggae Album.

MSNBC heads an article about it with the title "Sinead O' Connor goes Rasta, Mon". What kind of album is it, then? Did Sinead O' Connor really release a Rasta Album? And who is Sinead O' Connor anyway? 

Time for some research...

THE MAKER
Sinead O' Connor is a remarkable person. 

Born in Ireland. A brother who's a well-known writer, she herself having many vocal talents. Her Irish voice has been mixed with all kinds of different musical styles, even Jazz. 

She had a world hit with a song called "Nothing Compares To You" with which she established her name among the stars. However, she didn't really desire to become a super star. According to ONE OF HER OFFICIAL WEBSITES, she "stepped back from the brink of superstardom" in 1992 allready.

Some people were shocked when she tore a picture of the Roman pope apart in front of the Television Screen. She later apologized for that, though...(Not so, says a visitor of the Dubroom)

Others were shocked to read how she had herself "ordained" as a "Catholic Priest" by some off-shoot from the Roman Catholic Church. This didn't last that long, though... 

She quickly FOUND OUT how the celebacy which comes with being a Catholic priest  was nothing for her. It lasted a few months before she had herself removed from the list of "Women of the Cloth". Appearantly her (bi-)sexuality (Not so, says a visitor of the Dubroom) was stronger then the lust to become an "official clergywoman"...

So how can it be that Sinead O' Connor is now said to have released a "Rasta Album"? 

A search on the Internet reveals, that not every Rastafarian is too happy with this new release. Especially her (alleged?) bi-sexuality doesn't seem to rhyme with the natural view of most if not all Rastafarians concerning the way sexuality is to be experienced by us, humans.

Sinead O' Connor herself states that something did happen in her life. And the movement and message of Rastafari has been influential in this. O' Connor states that the album "Throw Down Your Arms" is to be seen as a personal witness of her alleged transformation. 

A tranformation to what? A question of which the answer has yet to be revealed. 

According to Sinead O' Connor,  her new album is all about  "rescueing" the Most High and Almighty God "from religion". 

Now when the Almighty God would really be a prisoner of the organized religions it would have been a very noble deed from mrs. O' Connor to free JAH. However, it would be good for Sinead to realize how the opposite is the case. She herself is the captive of organized religions and JAH Almighty is the Only One Who can set her free from organized religions.  

Sinead O' Connor obviously heard the Freedom Sounds of Rastafari and Reggae as she is the first to admit this herself. She has listened to the voice of the Rastaman say: "Babylon Your Throne Gone Down". 

Who can deny that the movement of Rastafari has appealed to the countless of people who found themselves "caught between church and state"? Who can deny that the movement of Rastafari has clearly exposed how there is no link between the true God, the Creator, and the institutionalized religions?

But still, Sinead O' Connor is RECOGNIZED by some as an "animist" (Worshipper of creation and dead people) and she keeps talking about "feminine aspects" of "God" and "Creation" all of which can hardly be subscribed to the movement of Rastafari as a whole. 

Not to mention her (alleged?) bisexuality. A thing which is discussed at large in various Rastafarian based messageboards.  

However, a look at her new album, reveals how she even uses lyrics by one Buju Banton. This Jamaican Dancehall artist is often a target of agressive and militant homosexual activists who are allways trying to fight down Reggae Music with political correctness.

THE ALBUM
Throw Down Your Arms is in itself a very interesting collection of some of the best Reggae tunes originally created by ones like Burning Spear, Israel Vibration and the legendary Abyssinians. 

The tracks are definitely not the most easy to cover, the lyrics are definitely not political correct. Sinead O' Connor's selection of  Roots Reggae reveals a deep respect for the message of Rastafari. 

For the production, Sinead O' Connor traveled to Jamaica by herself where she joined Sly and Robbie in Marley's TUFF GONG studio to record the music. For each tune, at least one of the original session players contributed to the recording. Everything is played and recorded by Jamaican Reggae artists and producers. 

So musically, the album is as authentic as authentic can be. Sly and Robbie playing a selection of classic Roots Reggae tracks at Tuff Gong studio's can hardly go wrong.

The tracks are played tight and  skillfull. The production carries the same marks. A little bit too dry here and there, though. More effects and more dubby elements would have significantly enhanced the musical vibrations.

To listen to Sinead's voice over these tunes however is another experience. Not necceserily a bad one, just different. 

Without knowing at least some of the things which are discussed in this review, this experience will definitely not be felt to the fullness. Her (Irish) voice doesn't blend unconditionally with the Reggae Vibes, and yet there's a kind of symbiotic element which can not be denied. 

Those who know Irish Folk, will surely recognize some elements of their music when they listen to authentic Jamaican Reggae. These elements could very well be connected with the fact that Jamaica was not only used as a big plantation where Africans in slave-labor were kept in bondage. The island also hosted quite a few Irish people too, who were exiled from Ireland by Oliver Cromwell.

CONCLUSION
People who know Sinead O' Connor's music and appricilove her voice may not neccesarily know the rhythm of life called Reggae. So this release will definitely introduce JAH Music to a wider audience. 

The production and story behind "Throw Down Your Arms" is interesting to say the least. In everything you can see that it is Sinead O' Connor giving respect to Reggae Artists and to the One Almighty JAH, even though she might not really know Him. She heard the Voice of Freedom and in her own way, forwards the interest towards this Voice of JAH to people who really need it.

For this: Respect!

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