Sunday, January 12, 2014


Lee Able photo of Gregory Isaacs (visit Gregory's feature page at RadioReggae)

http://reggae.previewnet.com/features/LeeAbel/index.htm
Visit the Lee Abel page at Rashohnmon's Radio Reggae Music site.

Lee Abel has had a passion for documenting the world around her through photography since she was a young child.  She took her first trip to Jamaica in 1979 to photograph the Rastafarians.  Since then, Lee’s photographs have graced the covers of over 70 reggae music albums, CDs and DVDs, countless magazine covers and articles in both America and Europe, a number of websites, and two editions of Lonely Planet’s guidebook to Jamaica.  Many of her documentary and music photographs are on permanent display at the MOAD (Museum of the African Diaspora) in San Francisco.  Please visit her website at www.reggaeportraits.com or contact her for more information on her work at leeabel@mindspring.com.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Rasjohnmon's Year End Mega Mix 2013

Here's a three CD megamix of PositVibes to take into the New Year! May Joy and Love fill every one of your days in 2014!

Monday, July 1, 2013

One Love Peace Concert

One Love Peace Concert 4/22/78 - Find it here: http://reggae.previewnet.com/CONCERTSMIXES.html Kingston, JA (Peter Tosh & Bob Marley's performances are not included) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The infamous One Love Peace Concert was held on April 22, 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. This concert was held during a political civil war in Jamaica between opposing parties Jamaican Labour Party and the People's National Party. The concert came to its peak during Bob Marley & The Wailers' performance of "Jammin'", when Marley joined the hands of political rivals Michael Manley (PNP) and Edward Seaga (JLP). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ d3-d4 high levels Its not perfect but this is the best version of this show-DB (9-02) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Disc 1: The Meditations * 1. Life is Not Easy 2. Woman is Like a Shadow 3. MC Althea & Donna * 4. Uptown Top Ranking Dillinger * 5. Intro 6. Teeth and Tongue (false start) > Dillinger Chatter 7. Teeth and Tongue 8. Dillinger Chatter 9. War is Over Encore: 10. Eastman Skank Mighty Diamonds * 11. Intro 12. Keep on Moving 13. There is No You Without Me 14. Roof Over My Head Junior Tucker * 15. Happy 16. Mr. Melody (cut) Culture * 17. Intro 18. Natty Never Get Weary 19. Natty Dread Taking Over 20. Stop the Fussing and Fighting Disc 2: Dennis Brown * 1. MC > Intro 2. Children of Israel 3. Love Me Always 4. Chatter 5. Milk & Honey 6. Chatter 7. Whip Them Jah 8. How Could I Leave Trinity * 9. MC > Intro 10. Who Say They A Gone 11. Yabby You Sound (cut) (cont. on D3) * w/ Lloyd Parkes and We the People Band Jacob Miller w/ The Inner Circle Band (cont. from D3) 12. Discipline Child (beginning cut) 13. Shakey Girl 14. Top Ranking Special 15. Tired Fe Lick Weed 16. Peace Treaty Special Disc 3: Big Youth w/ The Ark Angels Band (cont. on D4) 1. MC 2. I Pray Thee / Satta Massagana 3. Every Nigger is a Star In This Ya Time? 4. House of Dread Locks 5. Isaiah First Prophet Of Old > Peace at Last (cut) Trinity (cont. from D2) ? 6. Have a Good Time ? Leroy Smart 7. Intro 8. Ballistic Affair Prince Edwards 9. MC 10. Intro > Chatter > I Want You and My Sweetheart to be Friends ? 11. Comedy Routine 12. Drumming 13. Crowd Noise D.J. Errol Thompson ? 14. Speech about Jamaican Music Industry and Government Inner Circle (cont. on D2) 15. Forward Jah Jah Children 16. (cut) Disc 4: Big Youth (cont. from D3) 1. Old Man River (beginning cut) 2. Hit the Road Jack Beresford Hammond 3. MC (cut) 4. Smile 5. Dedication 6. I Miss You 7. Chatter 8. One Step Ahead Peter Tosh w/ Word Sound Power 9. Band Intro

Script Writing

So today is the first day of July. July is going to be a very exciting month. Let's start off with a dose of gratitude. Even if it is a cloudy day the sun shines brightly on our planet bringing it warmth and huge amounts of energy. That's an amazing thing. We don't have to do anything to make it happen - the most important factor for us to be on this particular stage playing our parts in this play of life just is. That's good for a little gratitude - you can understand why the Egyptians thought of the sun as God - Ra. Then there is all of the beauty around us... sky, clouds, trees, flowers, the breeze, the rain, the ocean... a world of majesty and wonder. Birds chirping and flying around in the cool early morning air. Then there is your body. Breathe going in and out, heart beating; thousands of functions go on all without you having to do a thing to control it. All you have to do is let it happen and taking the time to be appreciative will make you feel good. Feel the wonder and amazement. Don't just take it for granted. Consider the complexity and majesty of this multi-dimensional world we live in. It is a field of unlimited possibilities. Here's an important note though. While so much goes on without your needing to make it happen, you actually are one of the designers of what manifests for us as reality. You are not just a spectator. You are in charge. You can just go with the flow and have a very uneventful life. You can worry about lack and limitation and be judging of everything and get angry and have a tumultuous life filled with trials and error. But you can also sharpen your skills and become a deliberate creator of your own reality. What do you want to happen today? What are you putting in the script of your movie? Let's make it fun and everything else will fall in place.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Happy Birthday to a Hero of Freedom

Today we celebrate President Lincoln's birthday. As a hero of our nation, he has got to be in our top 10. The fact that slavery was ever acceptable in this "free" nation is deplorable and if it were not for the bravery and conviction of Lincoln we might have tolerated it even longer than we did. In a nation that was founded upon individual liberty, it is a testament to our lack of sophistication and consciousness that it was ever deemed acceptable to not grant the same basic rights to people of all colors and sexes. Today, let's take a few moments to consider how important this awareness is and remember that as a World Society, we still have a long way to go. Much intolerance for any "difference" still exists be it ethnic origin or religion or social status. Let's pray for more "Lincoln's" to stand up and take a stand for freedom of the individual and a realization that we are all part of a single world family. Let us work to raise up and empower everyone we can - we will all benefit. Happy Birthday to Abe Lincoln and Thank You!

Friday, February 8, 2013

On the back deck at Club Tropical

Life is good. In the hustle and bustle of day to day life it is good to take some time each day to turn off the devices and soak up the natural world. Its even better if you can construct a special place in your mind, imagined or real, where you can go... a beautiful, friendly spot where you can sit back and relax. The core of you has a direct connection to the energy flowing through the entire Universe but all the activity and chatter around us easily distract us from that line of contact. Then there is our brain... the bio-computer that keeps our physical body functioning and runs the programs we have installed - it thinks it is You and Me - thus we, you can easily get confused and forget that you are so much more than what goes on in the little head of yours. That's why making that place to go to is so important. That's why every Spiritual tradition includes some form of meditation. It is very useful to turn off the world for 15-20 minutes a day and just imagine life exactly as you wish it. That's why I am sitting out on this back deck listening to the waves in the distance, the soft rustling of trees and plants, a few birds... the chair is comfortable and all is right with the world. Come join me. One Love, Rasjohnmon

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Thanks to Bob Marley for bringing his LOVE and JOY to the World

Robert Nesta Marley was born February 6, 1945 in rural St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica; the son of a middle-aged white, British military officer father and a local teenage black mother. Bob had little exposure to his father but got loving care from his mother Cedella and his Grandfather who was known as an obeah man... a kind of shaman or medicine man who had considerable influence on the young Bob. At age 14, he left home to pursue a music career in Kingston, becoming a pupil of local singer and devout Rastafarian Joe Higgs. My first experience of Bob Marley and The Wailers was in 1973. I was in an apartment in New York City and I remember I was sitting in the living room on the floor and talking with friends sitting on the couch across a coffee table in front of me. It was then that I heard a beat and a voice from the turntable playing music in the next room. I was distracted from the conversation and got up from the floor and made my way to the turntable. The party disappeared into the background and I had to know more about this music that called out with an intensity I had not heard before. The spinning label said “Catch A Fire” and the band was Bob Marley and The Wailers. A friend had seen the band playing a double bill with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at Max's Kansas City a few weeks earlier in July. He had told me both bands were going to be big but he had no idea what he had witnessed. The next day, I went out and bought "Catch A Fire" and "Burnin'" and listened to nothing else for several days. 60's and 70's rock had owned my turntable before - much of it was music with a message. Marley took this to a new level of passion with a riddum that could not be resisted. The songs presented stories of persecution but always filled with hope. Many of the songs were filled with a Spiritual energy that made them feel like hymns from the inner city. They were songs from the Concrete Jungle telling a story that would inspire not only Bob's friends and neighbors in Kingston, Jamaica but people of all walks of life, races, nationalities and levels on the economic ladder. Bob Marley's lyrics are enlivened by compassion and a determination to refuse to settle for a less than satisfactory status quo. Get up stand up, stand up for your rights! Who the cap fits, let them wear it. Jammin' and easy skanking, every ting gonna be all right. If you got to see Bob live, you know. I have been lucky enough to see most of the top acts of the 60's and 70's live but the Marley shows were special... they were on a different plane. The first show I saw was the RastaMan Vibration Tour in late April 1976 at the Beacon Theater on Broadway in NYC. The Beacon was a top Rock concert Hall and drew fans from New York University, Columbia University the boroughs and Jersey. All the shows were sold out with fans of the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Doors, Jefferson Airplane and the like who had all be captured by Marley's Reggae Vibe. Lot's of trips to Jamaica were planned those nights. All this time, I was buying up Reggae records from other artists - I figured if Bob's stuff was this good, there had to be other great stuff out there too. Culture, Joe Higgs, Burning Spear, Third World, Ras Michael, Lee Perry, Big Youth, U-Roy, The Heptones, Jimmy cliff... the list and my music collection grew and grew. I knew BIG TINGS A GWON. When I heard Bob Marley and The Wailers were going to be at Madison Square Garden, I waited on line over night to get tickets. I got a ticket for myself and my little sister - I'd taken her to one of the last shows at the Fillmore East when she was 13-14 years old - I hadn't wanted her to miss being in that theater and this was the same kind of thing - I wanted her to get to see Bob. That night, as we walked in the Garden it was transformed into a magical place. It was a little like the energy being there for a Grateful Dead show but much deeper and more mystical - there was a natural mystic blowing through the air, can't keep them down - if you listen carefully now you will hear. It was a totally mixes audience from Rastas in Regal Garb to yuppies in jeans and t-shirts to N.Y's hip and connected "cool" crowd - it was the hot ticket in town that June 17 night in 1978. On another page you can see the ticket stub and program cover. I shot some great Bob Marley pictures at the Garden - the Ras John Reggae logo is from one of the shots I go that night as are the two stage shots you'll find. The memory lives on. I was working at NBC and later Westwood One where I got to know Timothy White and Roger Steffens who worked with me at The Source (NBC Rock Radio Network) and then when Timothy was doing Rock Stars for Westwood One. Timothy wrote one of the best books on Marley, “Catch A Fire” and Roger “Rojah” Steffens is probably Bob’s biggest fan along with being a serious historian of Reggae Music with Marley front and center of course. There’s so much thing to say… it is quite an amazement and joyous wonder how this reluctant Messiah from the hills of JA went on to have such a monumental impact on so many peoples lives. He spawned a whole culture. Robert Nesta Marley brought the world together with Music and delivered powerful messages - Robert Marley's lyrics and riddums - when it hit you feel no pain. I got to see Peter Tosh a couple of times, with one of those times a very special night sitting right by the stage with only a couple of hundred other people at NYC’s Bottom Line. It was a great show with the Tamlins providing harmony but no match for the mystical power of Bob. I got to see The Wailers next in October of 1979 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. Walking along the street one day in the City, I saw a poster – you can see it on another page here – Betty Wight (a soul/gospel singer) and Bob Marley and The Wailers at The Apollo. I was not going to miss it – it was one of the few times Bob got to play to a predominantly Black audience in the States – Bob played every show like he had something to prove and won the heart and soul of the crowd each night. The Legend LIVE show that is on DVD from Santa Barbara, CA takes place about a month later and demonstrates the power of the band as well as anything I’ve seen on recordings except maybe the Roxy Show CD. You can get more info on other pages here. I headed home after the show by myself, thanking Jah for the privilege of being there and wondering yet again of the magic and wonder of the world we live in. I was to see Bob Marley and the Wailers one more time and at that time, I had no idea that this was to be Bob's second to last live performance ever. The album Uprising was released in May 1980 and the band completed a major tour of Europe, where they played their biggest ever concert, to a hundred thousand people in Milan. The U.S. portion of the tour kicked off at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The atmosphere in The Garden was again mystical, other worldly - there's really no other way I can think to explain it - I have been to lots of concerts and event at The Garden - it is strange because the cavernous space somehow felt smaller, more intimate. There was definitely that Natural Mystic in the air - in my memory, the two Garden shows are merged into one extended vision of intense energy and a spacey, trippy haze. That's not just because mass quantities of upful herb were being toked in the huge building - it is because the event and the audience together produced this mystic magical vibe that was inescapable. When the band launched into the opening of Natural Mystic, the attention of the thousands of people lucky enough to be in NYC that night and at the show was immediately riveted on the stage. Moments later Bob came dancing and skanking out to center stage. For the next hour and a half, this Spiritual Warrior, musician, artist, poet - a reluctant Messiah by the name of Robert Nesta Marley again captivated the masses with his powerful positive and vibrant energy. By the time the encore of Could You Be Loved finished, the audience was filled with satisfied souls celebrating what they had just witnessed. By the time the co-billed Commodores hit the stage, they were left to play to an almost empty arena. The next day Bob would collapse on a run in Central Park. It was thought he was suffering from exhaustion but it was to sadly turn out to be much more serious. In July 1977, Bob had been diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma, a form of malignant melanoma. He did not realize it yet but the disease had spread thorough his body. Bob wanted to press on - he was still on a mission, a mission of taking his Jah inspired message to the world - but, on September 23, 1980, Bob Marley was to play his final concert ever at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A pretty good recording of this show exists and it is testament to his power as an artist - although he was already very sick, the sold out crowd in Pittsburgh still got to see one last, stunning show. That last night, Bob ended the show with an acoustic version of Redemption Song (the recording of the song from that night is the final track on Marley Songs of Freedom 4-cd box set). There would be a three song encore but Redemption Song was poetically perfect as a closing note. "There was a feeling of a whole era coming to a climax. Everyone felt he knew something was going to happen," said Rita Marley. "Redemption Song is like a final statement in a career, a summation of all of the themes and thought that had created it" - to quote the liner notes for Songs of Freedom. "We've got to fulfil the book."