Yasus Afari
Encyclopedia
Yasus Afari is a Jamaica
n dub poet
.
While at the college, he began performing, appearing regularly at venues such as the University of the West Indies
(UWI), a nursing school and a teachers college. His initial forays into recording were not commercially successful (his first release was "Anti-Litter Law" in 1986) but his career began to turn around after he teamed with Silk. His first combination release with Silk was a version of Johnny Nash
's "I Can See Clearly Now".
Afari's style has been compared to that of Mutabaruka
. As well as performing more traditional poetry readings, he also performs his poetry live over dancehall
music. Although Afari rejects the slack
lyrics that are common in dancehall, he believes that the genre can be used to get his message across:
Afari toured throughout the United States and the Pacific Islands with Black Uhuru in the mid-1990s. In 1996, with Mutabaruka, Tony Rebel
, and Uton Green, he toured Ethiopia
. In 2006, he co-headlined the Cayman Music Festival, along with Freddie McGregor
and Maxi Priest
. In 2007, he toured England
, performing at prisons, mental institutions, book shops and schools, as well as acting as poet in residence at the University of Birmingham
, where his book Overstanding Rastafari was launched in the UK. Overstanding Rastafari was the result of five years work for Afari, and was described by Professor Barry Chevannes of the UWI as "a work by a Rastafarian scholar who is interpreting for the non-Rastafarian audience his perspective. Not idiosyncratically his own, but the view of the movement on where Jamaica and the world are positioned at this time".
Afari has also recorded as a background vocalist and dub poet for Everton Blender
, General Degree and Tony Rebel.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n dub poet
Dub poetry
Dub poetry is a form of performance poetry of West Indian origin, which evolved out of dub music consisting of spoken word over reggae rhythms in Jamaica in the 1970s....
.
Biography
Sinclair was a childhood friend of Garnett Silk and collaborated with Silk on many of his best-selling recordings. He attended St. Elizabeth Technical High School, and worked as a repair technician for the Jamaican telephone company, before returning to school after receiving a scholarship to the College of Arts, Science And Technology. He became politically active while at the college, and was elected vice president of the student council, although he declined the position.While at the college, he began performing, appearing regularly at venues such as the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
(UWI), a nursing school and a teachers college. His initial forays into recording were not commercially successful (his first release was "Anti-Litter Law" in 1986) but his career began to turn around after he teamed with Silk. His first combination release with Silk was a version of Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash
John Lester "Johnny" Nash, Jr. is an American pop singer-songwriter, best known in the US for his 1972 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now". He was also the first non-Jamaican to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.-Life and career:...
's "I Can See Clearly Now".
Afari's style has been compared to that of Mutabaruka
Mutabaruka
Mutabaruka is a dub poet. His name comes from the Rwandan language and translates as "one who is always victorious". He lives in Potosi District, St. James with his significant other, Yvonne, and their two childern. Mutabaruka continues to perform and write poems on every issue known to man...
. As well as performing more traditional poetry readings, he also performs his poetry live over dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
music. Although Afari rejects the slack
Slackness
Slackness refers to vulgarity in West Indian culture, behavior and the music. It also refers to a subgenre of dancehall music with straightforward sexual lyrics performed live or recorded. Its form and pronunciation varies throughout the Caribbean....
lyrics that are common in dancehall, he believes that the genre can be used to get his message across:
"You have to link with the dancehall; you haffi recognize seh the human element is very important. Humans gather at the dancehall in their hundreds and thousands; you can't ignore that as a social activist. You have to find ways and means, creatively, to communicate without prostituting whatever you stand for, to address the dancehall reality".
Afari toured throughout the United States and the Pacific Islands with Black Uhuru in the mid-1990s. In 1996, with Mutabaruka, Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel
Tony Rebel is a Jamaican reggae deejay. He was initially a singer, appearing as Papa Tony or Tony Ranking in local talent contests and on sound systems including Sugar Minott's 'Youth Promotion'...
, and Uton Green, he toured Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. In 2006, he co-headlined the Cayman Music Festival, along with Freddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor
Freddie McGregor has been variously a singer, musician and producer. According to Allmusic he is one of reggae's most durable and soulful singers, with a steady career that started in the 1960s, when he was just seven years old.-Biography:In 1963 he joined with Ernest Wilson and Peter Austin to...
and Maxi Priest
Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
. In 2007, he toured England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, performing at prisons, mental institutions, book shops and schools, as well as acting as poet in residence at the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, where his book Overstanding Rastafari was launched in the UK. Overstanding Rastafari was the result of five years work for Afari, and was described by Professor Barry Chevannes of the UWI as "a work by a Rastafarian scholar who is interpreting for the non-Rastafarian audience his perspective. Not idiosyncratically his own, but the view of the movement on where Jamaica and the world are positioned at this time".
Afari has also recorded as a background vocalist and dub poet for Everton Blender
Everton Blender
Everton Blender Everton Dennis Williams, in Clarendon, Jamaica) is an award-winning reggae singer and producer, known for his smooth, crooning, tenor vocals, up-tempo arrangements, and spiritually uplifting themes, successfully bridging the gap between roots reggae and...
, General Degree and Tony Rebel.
Discography
- Dancehall Baptism (1993) RASRAS RecordsRAS Records, also known as Real Authentic Sound, is a reggae record label.-History:RAS Records was founded in 1979 by Doctor Dread. In his travels to Jamaica he created a network within the reggae artist community there. By the early to mid 1980s RAS had signed artists such as Black Uhuru, Inner...
- Mental Assassin (1995)
- Honour Crown Him (1997) Sen Ya Cum
- Gift of Vijjahn (2000) House of Honour
- Revolution Chapter 1 (2007)
External links
- Mark Dawes (2007) "Yasus'to Jamaica" (feature/interview), Jamaica GleanerGleaner CompanyThe Gleaner Company Ltd, is a newspaper publishing enterprise in Jamaica. Established in 1834 by Joshua and Jacob De Cordova, primary product is The Gleaner, a morning broadsheet published six days each week. It also publishes a Sunday paper, the Sunday Gleaner, and an evening tabloid, The Star...
, 14 April 2007