The following is previously unpublished. It was written in 1994 or thereabouts, to be included in a Salt Lake City publication Tings n Times. Unfortunately, TnT never saw smear of printer's ink. Looking at it today (9/11/98) I find it interesting for the reviews of numerous independent artists and labels. As I Hear It: A focus on independent Reggae projects by Papa Pilgrim Reggae music, continuing the climb to higher heights, is spawning spin offs galore. New publications, both newsletters and magazines, proliferate so fast there is not enough time in a Reggaephile's day to give each its' full measure of attention. New record labels and new artists are coming so rapidly that obsessive collectors will end up in the poorhouse if they "must" have it all. New festivals have considerably lessened the distance dedicated fans need travel to hear and see some of the genre's best acts and plans are afoot for more awards ceremonies all over the world. Perhaps the most exciting of all this "newness" are the new ideas. One such is Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide (RAW), a grassroots networking organization devoted to forwarding all aspects of the Reggae vibe. Albums, tours, and benefit concerts showcasing RAW artists are in the works and this year's Conference '94, the Third Annual gathering of Ambassadors, was an unprecedented success. Those of you who tune in to my Wednesday radio show "Nite Roots with Papa Pilgrim" know that I often feature worldwide independently produced artists. "Independent artist" means that the cost of producing the CD or cassette comes out of the artist's pocket. Hence they often do not have enough cash to support widespread distribution. This results is frustration when a "must have album" is heard on the radio and not available in any of the local records stores. Hopefully, this column will give you enough information to secure otherwise obscure independent productions. Junglz Apart is a fun group and they play seriously fun music. Their debut album, Let Loose Caribbean , is mostly a Reggae album reflecting the group's rootical diversity with Soca, Salsa and Zouk tracks included. This is one of those jump up and dance albums that musically enlightens and entertains. From the lead track "Pinky Slim Tiger" who comes "to find your missing daughter" to "Junglz, " numbered 12.5 on the album's back cover, Let Loose Caribbean is sixty-one minutes and thirteen tracks of fun. Available from Rumpa Bumpa Records, PO Box 12802, Berkeley, CA 94701-3802, (510) 547-5316. Switzerland's Rootsman Productions are concert promoters and record producers. Latest issue on the Rootsman label is Mikey Tuff's cumbersomely entitled Inna Dancehall Roots/Nah Lef Jah Jah. London-based Mikey has released about a dozen singles during his fifteen years as a singer and player of instruments. Roots consciousness ("Pick Up Yu Bible") and lover's ragga ("Talk About Love") sum up the style and content of the album's 14 tracks. Definitely worth writing for: 60, Rue des Vollandes, 1207 Geneva, Switzerland. Long time Canadian resident and veteran Reggae troubadour Ernie Smith has not been idle since returning home to Jamaica. When not touring he's recording. Recent album standouts are Dancehall, Ernie Cleans It Up and Folk Songs of Jamaica. On Dancehall Ernie brings his folksy style into the Nineties with topical commentary about "Trying Ghetto Youth" and revitalizes fan favorites such as "Duppy Gunman" and "Dollar Man." On Folk Songs Ernie sings Reggaefied arrangements of "Man Peabba, " "Day-Oh, " "Come Back Liza, " and eleven other truly roots tunes from Yard. The first is distributed by Sonic Sounds, 25 Retirement Road, Kingston 5, Jamaica and the later is on Sprat Records, PO Box 302, Montego Bay, Jamaica. Key West, Florida is home for Robert Boyd and Keith Ricks known collectively known as One World. Bermuda-born and Berklee College-trained Boyd carries lead vocals, bass, drum and percussion while upstate New Yorker Ricks sings background and synthesizes just about everything else. Their signature-titled debut CD weaves African and Caribbean rhythms with North American R&B and rock, creating a Reggae sound that further validates the concept that roots music know no boundaries. Contact One World Music, Inc., PO Box 4589, Key West, FL 33041. 800-330-0077. Dread Poets Society is a CD on Germany's T'Bwana label. Producer Helmut Philipps has gathered five poets (Benjamin Zephaniah and his brother Tippa Naphtali, Lillian Allen, Levi Tafari, and Ranting Chako) to form the foundation of the Society. The use of computerized riddims on all but one of the twelve tracks is unique to dub poetry, as is the tongue-in-cheek "Blacker Than Blackman, " a satirization of the German Reggae scene by Ranting Chako (aka Christian Habekost). On the same label, comes Natty U backed by the T'Bwana Posse. CD singles "Boys Don't Cry" and "Kuff", precede their fourth album Fool for Your Love. A danceable mixture of mostly original tunes done in a soft core dancehall fashion, Fool has a surprising variety of styles and influences. One moment I'm hearing Adrian Sherwood or Mikey Dread, and the next, UB40. Poppy? Yes. Listenable? Yes. Worth writing for? Yes, yes. [T'Bwana Sound, Schleswigerstr. 19, 44145 Dortmund 1, Germany. Uprising, the debut album from the San Francisco Bay Area Reggae band Rasta Fire, is just that, scorching lyrics on top of sizzling riddims. The album's eight original titles reflect culturally relevant concerns done in a roots-rhythm style. [Mountain Top Enterprises, 16335 Soda Springs Rd., Los Gatos, CA 95030. (409) 353-8266] Tronic 1 Records has two new album releases and an interesting back catalog of 12" singles. Latty Guzang's newest is appropriately entitled Forward. His previous work with RAS Records (Positive and Strong) and others has garnered him recognition by the New York's TAMMY Reggae Awards. Forward's 14 tracks include the hit single "Six for a Nine" and two instrumentals with Latty on the melodica. Countryman King Benj-I brings his lifelong association with Reggae music to fruition with the release of his debut cassette Reggae Girl. Coproduced by Benj-I and label co-owner Ginger O'Reilly, Reggae Girl combines the real (Roots Radics and Deadly Headly Bennett) and the surreal (Computer Paul). Forward is distributed by RAS Records, VP and the Record Depot and both albums are available through Tronic 1 Records, 332 Prospect St., Perth Amboy, NJ 08861. Tel: (980) 324-1191. Tony Nicholson, a Jamaican in Detroit, has released his fourth CD, Help Myself, an upbeat offering that sometime stretches the one drop a bit far. Production is clean and crisp and the lyrics are conscious and reality based. Not slack but definately not for the purist--what ever that means. Contact Jahmich Productions, Jacqueline M. Oswald, 28525 26 Mile Road #8, Lenox MI 48048 USA.Tel: 810-749-7488. Ras Mighty Monzon, aka Estworth Phillips, was born in Georgetown, Guyana and has lived in Germany since 1988. Of his CD EP (4 tracks) he writes: "I have no manager, no label, no distributer and also no publisher. I have full rights to my CD." A truly independent production. Tracks are: "Me A Rasta, " "DJ Session, " "Fashion Rasta, " and "Join the Line." Highly recommended. More info: Estworth Phillips, Grlitzerstrasse 61, 0997 Berlin, Germany. Dub Addxx second album Dub Mission is a five star album to the extreme. This San Francisco music collective describes their album as an "amalgam of deep roots rock, original reggae rhythms with shades of jazz." Track titles include " Ina Babylon, " "For He is a Jealous Jah, " "Thy Faithful Servant, " and eight more. Contact Ishmael at Black Matrix Sounds, PO Box 41081, San Francisco, CA 94141 USA Tel: 415-567-0276. The Positive Sound Massive has released a 7" Single by Ras Michael "No Bow Down" b/w "No Bow Dub." Musicians include Carlton "Santa" Davis, Raskidus and others. Produced by Stand Out Selector and Stefan G, this follows PSM's wildly acclaimed debut 7" package "Sex + Guns" and "Unity." PSM announces a soon come album from Nicodemus Dancehall Giant. PSM Recordings, 2261 Market Street, PO Box 487, San Francisco, CA 94114 USA. Tel: 415-954-8816 Two new CDs from Groovemaster, Finding Our Roots and Faith Hope and Love, showcase American Roots Reggae. Pick your choice, you can't go wrong. If I could only afford one I'd go for the first one with a cover of Third World's "96 Degrees" that is better than the original. Contact Tiny Lion Music, PO Box 404, Perrysburg OH 43552 USA Tel: 419-874-7353 Funfundvierzig has two new CDs. Heavy Load by Jamaica Papa Curvin showcases the rootical style of a this seminal mover of Roots Reggae in Germany. Curvin Merchant carries the lead with former Wailer Al Anderson on guitar, Nigal Asher on bass and a whole heap of allstar German Reggae talent. Just A Groove, subtitled "Continental Reggae, Raggamuffin and Style Music, Vol 2" features most of the label's lineup including Gracy & the Herbman Band, Natty U, The Lions, Simone Miranda and more. Stellar performances on a stellar label. More info from Funfundvierzig, Schmiedetwiete 6, 23898 Labenz, Germany. Lush Records has released one of my all time favorite American Reggae Albums, Unconquerebel by Abeng. Abeng uses word and sound to warn and to celebrate, or as lead singer and chief song writer Wayne Wright states, their music "educates, entertains and uplifts." Recording and performing since 1985, this Jamaican-born fivesome, have had four prior single releases on both Rula Brown's BeeCat and their own Strata labels. All four singles are included on Unconquerebel. More info from Lush Records, Ralph Stern-Pettersson, Landsvgsgatan 11, S-413 04 Guteborg, Sweden. Till next time: Forward the Reggae Vibe...Everytime! [Ed Note: Papa Pilgrim, cofounder of Reggae Ambassadors Worldwidecan be heard Wednesdays at 8 pm on KRCL 91 FM. His monthly column "Pilgrim's Perspective" is carried by Dub Missive, PO Box 677850, Orlando, FL 32867-7850. Tel: (407) 381-9907].