everton blender interview

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interview on 9/6/01 @chicago's wild hare.  transcribed by issa prophet:::

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  First I want to say thank you for coming to Chicago.  Chicagoreggae.com is very honored that you take the time to do an interview with us.  We first.. have some questions.  The first question is from Montana, and she was asking:  If you could live anywhere in the world live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Everton Blender:  Well, if I would live anyplace in the world I would live in Africa, because…its’ because it’s that place where they rob we from, us from.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  The next question is form Steve….he’s got some really great ides.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  I though about the questions but, I’ll read it here.  I think lyrics by a lot of artist seem to be generic or just something that’s plugged into a formula.  I’ve always been impressed with the quality of your uncompromising lyrics.  After listening to a song on your new album ‘golden pen’ I’m gathering that you’re a firm believer in the saying ‘the pen is mightier then the sword’.  You seem to take a lot of care in crafting you words and I was just wondering how you go about setting to write a song?

Everton Blender:   Well, right now the inspiration , you see wha me a say, Iman nah go say Iman a cleanest man inda world or Iman is a perfectest man inda world.  But, me try to live clean and me a try to live to a vibes, ya know, up der on a high level.  

 Ya know, sometime we upon de beach and dem ting or sometime at home in de vin yard planting some corn or someting be vibe jus come to yah.  Iman feel the vibes right away, yah na, yah na make it loose, because vibes important.  Ture me’s a youth, me’s a youth that would nah go through no……me make my spiritual over my physical, me don’t make my physical over my spiritual.  So true me make de spiritual over da physical.  De vibes sensitive within the power or within the   so, der’s anyting a na one even wan fe talk me, it like me feel all de vibes.  If dem wan try fe hurt me, an me get a vision an say  move from there so or don go der so.  Sometime it have da eden (heathens) wonder how … how come he come der so dis mornin’ and him na come der.  Because Jah give me a vision an tell me say don perform der.  

So yah know, it’s a spiritual ting, most time, yah know the vibe jus come.  So dats why I have dis likkle tape, it’s at the hotel, never leave it.  Because, like how we’re are reasoning here now me a gawn to de hotel and lay down pon de bed an a vibe just come to me and just jock it down right yoa know so de militancy it comes.

When I was doing, um…when I was doing Rootsman Credentials and ya know it’s like, Heartbeat want de album, needed de album, dem wan me to do de album and me say bwoy how me gonna get some tune fe ready?  How me get some tune fe ready?  And believe you, a six tunes straight me get.  Inspiration, and me jus write the six of dem, an lick de rhythm the same time, an just put it ..then me voice three and me voice three more.  Six gone already plus me do one.  So, Jah give me more vibes an deal with it an Jah give me more vibes.  Ya know de way you live vibes jus come to you. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Right, your song ‘Jah Vibes’ that song hits me too.   

Everton Blender:  Yea

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Yea, you pick up vibes on people so, obviously you are very in tune to that.

 Everton Blender:  Naturally, because nature of life is natural, an natural nature a from deal with the world natural.  Everyting jus come natural.  When you deal with the invention of the world, everyting jus wan come invent an when it come to you invent, it nah gonna last long or it not gonna serve you.  Cause it’s an invention ting, it’s not gonna stay there too long.   When you deal with the natural thing the natural ting will stay there long, because you deal with the natural ting try to protect and leave the natural tings.  Like birds, try to protect the birds.  The green grass of the earth, the air that you breath, ya know, the trees around you, the flowers that bloom in the garden, an all these tings you try to keep them together.  The rain, nature, natural nature the sound.  Because how would it look if it was the rich man alone that control the breath of life?  The rich man would survive….., the poor man wouldn’t survive, the rich man would have life. If the rich man did control the rain only the poor would hav complain.  Cause the rich man alone that get rain.  But through The Almighty control the nature of life an it’s not a man who partial control the nature of life. 

 Iman who speak justice…..an a say a man must get a fair days pay for a fair days work…..many of these people dem do fair days work an dem naw pay a fair days pay.  So Iman move like Jah right now so man, like certain Rasta man, like me  now where we deal with certain tings on de level.  De youth dem have a work doing.  Me grow up as a likkle youth, right, when I was doing painting me get a job for myself.  The job value $5,000, naw for de first time, long time then, right.  The little youth him do most of the work and when me try fe work him say him na wan me fe work an when it came to the special part of the work now me do it.  You see me get my $5,000.  Him work five day with me him suppose to get $50 dollar a day.  Him suppose to get $250 dollar, an me give him $2,000 dollar.   That much an him say me give him over change.   But me say no, me nah give him over change.   I give you a money cause YOU WORK.  Me could’ve pay him by de day.  I could keep my money, but me give him the money cause him work.  But because him work out of the $5,000 I gave him $2,000 cause me an him do the work.  Nuff man wouldn’t do that.  Some jus give him $250 dollar cause him work $50 dollar a day and him work 5 days.  So I no do dem ting man.  I see a money pon it.  Ya know a youth have a food man. Ya get a job share a million dollars….and out of the million dollars you pay a man $500 dollar a day an de job take 5 days to do…you get a million dollars and you look pon him an give him $2,500 dollars at 500 a day when de week done…..Nah Man!  Ya suppose to give look pon de man see a 20 grand der man gwan go nice.  Ya see, a portion the money go split down.  You split a half a million you have half an you make the workers dem feel nice.  So when you call them again they have the courage to come.  See the nature of life go, you go deal with the nature of life. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  In anything, you treat them well they’ll have the courage to come.

 Everton Blender:  Yea, in anything.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  I notice on Rootsman Credential you so the Paragons ‘danger in your eyes’ Studio One and I know you’ve done the general riddim and a couple of other Studio One riddims.   I was just wondering was Studio One a big influence when you were coming up?

 Everton Blender:  Well right now … you really have now…In dem earlier days when you a come in the music business, right, me use to sing a lot of sound right. So even though it was there, it was mostly Studio One riddims we use to play, so we use to build lyrics from Studio One riddims.   

So, some times, ya know, sometime we need a song to go der the only riddim you could remember is is a Studio One riddim.  Or probably lay dat a riddim probably laying de riddim de song probably when ya sit down properly, or I wouldn’t say properly…but, ya done sing it to another riddim already.  That’s why sometimes when you write a song an original song you jus sing it to yourself an don’t sing on no riddim because when you sing it on riddim it encourages you to sing it on that riddim.  Rather then to create.  So, these are the tings from the earlier day we sing der on Studio One. And when we go back to Studio One and sing it again --- ‘A tune der! ---Check that dem riddim der, yea!’ – an you lick sumin’ near to it or so it go some time.  You lick someting near to it or you lick someting far from it.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  It’s a common conciseness in Jamaica, Studio One, the riddims have been used and everyone can relate to them.

 Everton Blender:  Yea so me now, me’s a youth now.  Me try fe deal with some different ting.  Me try deal with some, Sometime de riddim sound close, but it’s not the same riddim.  So me try fe deal with my album different.  Instead of puttin’ on the regular riddims.  Wha every other breadren using on their album.  Me try fe create riddims.  Carry de drum when go into de studio, carry de guitar, carry de bass so we get a live ting instead of a computer.  So we are live.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Yes, that’s what I like about your albums. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Yea, you don’t use six bars and loop it. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Not just somebody with a keyboard. 

You get a better vibe.

 Everton Blender:  You get a better vibe you know.  Cause one time, that’s why Studio One have that touch, and nuff man gwan always run down Studio One riddim.  Cause in those days you use to have a man like Leroy Sibbles playing bass an, I don know much bout studio musicians but I know that. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Jackie Mittoo

 Everton Blender:  Yes, I know.  I heard a Jackie Mittoo use fe play fe him.  But I know Leroy Sibbles, because Leroy Sibbles is one of my favorite singers.  You know about him…Him know how to play a bass line.

 So, true in those day you’d have 5 bredrens sitting in the studio or 7 bredrens sitting in the studio playing a riddim it is a different vibe.   Iman with de bass is playing a vibe a different from the man who’s playing de drums, different from the man who’s playing the rhythm guitar, different from different from the man that’s playing the keyboard!  Different vibes from the man playing the conga drums, so  put five vibe together man! And you know, 5 different vibes niceness….You know it kinda hustler business now.  You know, one man sitting at him computer putting – boop boop boop boop boop boop boop boop.  One man putting in the bass, the drum, and put in everyting, so the na really too dada, ya know.  Or the bass come in by himself or the drummer come in by himself.  So what fe try to uplift the music so that ahead next 15 - 25 years from now you can have some different riddim.  A man lick over de same way an deal with same way. 

 Ya know, we cyann jus dip in Studio One.  Make Studio One look like he was the only do creating de ting.   We must follow up in him footstep and create tings for ourselves!  Just like him not really patternize his style, but really, his idea is his idea.  His pattern is his pattern.  But he’s trying to teach us.  Lick some riddim man!  Lick some riddim or fe say original riddim.   Cause the tings Coxsone Dodd teach me right now.   Lick original riddim. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  I agree with you on Leroy Sibbles. When he does the bass lines it make your heart want to beat to his rhythm.

 Everton Blender:  Yahmon, ya don play bass line you feel bass line.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  You feel it, your heart starts beating to whatever he’s playing.  It doesn’t have a mind of it’s own anymore.

 Everton Blender:  Fe real.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  When you were coming up did you have other musical influences, other than say, Bob Marley and Studio One?

 Everton Blender:  Right now, the ideas comes forward, seen.  Right now, Iman use to listen to Nate King Cole, ya know, Miriam Makeba, like Impressions,  ya know.  Right now we use to listen a portion of songs a dem days de.  Ya know, like Linval Thompson, like John Holt, in dem time, Johnny Clarke.   Use to, in my area in Kingston 13, we use to have some good singers.  Moving around, ya know, in dem time there we use to have singers names that hear I call.  But Impressions was my favorite, ya know and The Heptones.   Use to love the Heptones, love the Heptones, Heptones, Heptones.  But ya know, until, coming up now you use to have Dennis Brown,  other singers.  Just love the music still.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  On ‘Lift Up Your Head’ you covered ‘Sun Is Shining’ by Bob Marley.  I was just wondering, you hear a lot of covers when I come to local Chicago bands here and you hear a lot of ‘One Love’, ‘Three Little Birds’, ‘Jamming’ and ‘Exodus’ and I’m just curious how you came to chose ‘Sun Is Shining’.  Was it your favorite?

 Everton Blender:  Well right now..Yea, that was one of my favorite songs when I was growing up.  An den again now, on each album I always feature, feature artists, like old time artists who paid dem dues to de business.  Cause, the next album that I’m coming with, wan keep name ‘Higher Heights’, and wan put a Dennis Brown song on it.  That was one of my favorite Dennis Brown song.  A song entitled, Now … I don’t know if it’s ‘Now I know’ or if I know it as right.  I don’t know if you know that song?  It’s  Dennis Brown, ‘Now I know”

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  ‘Now I know’? 

 Everton Blender:  Do you know that song?  I don’t know if that’s the title or not.

Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  How does it go? 

Everton Blender:  [He stops and looks up and then singing] Now I know that you’re not smart.  How you say goodbye and now you’ll say, baby don’t do it.  Don’t break your own heart.  Even though I give you another chance. Oh girl, even though I give you another chance. [stop singing]  That was one of my favorite Dennis Brown, ya know.  But true me nawan to covering tunes much cover versions, ya know.  To make people say we na really too original.  But, Iman sing over tune, but try to original.  But nuff sing of a tune, nuff man sing it, dem long time tune why ya now hear some singer touch dem.  But me na wan to sing over too much tune.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Do you do covers as a, umm, like honor to that person for the work that they’ve done in the community and what they have inspired you to do?

 Everton Blender:  Yea, So we do it.  On Dennis Brown and like a Bob Marley as the tune ‘Sun Is Shining’. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  That’s one of my favorites.

 Everton Blender:  Ya know, we never have a no…… like this youth here – Linval Thompson, him have a song me wan fe sing for him a song that he has done a good tune now about 6 Babylon and 3 dreadlocks. [singing] 6 Babylon a beat three dreadlocks. Just for smoking a spliff.  Babylon ya shouldn’t trouble de dreadlocks man [you hear the people listing into the interview saying Yea! – singing stops].  An me sing it to meself an bowy, Jah know, youth you have the touch!  Yea!  A fe him tune you know we big him up and you will see it.  Cause, ya know, we do somin’ for him an big him up, cause him pay him dues to the business, too.  Linval Thompson, him use fe have me favorite tune me use to love called ‘Baby Mother, Baby Father’.   So, you know we try fe deal with the individual dem the right way.  Who pay dem dues to da business.  Who use to sing an who use to feel it.  Like,  I never did any  Leroy Sibbles, the Heptones…..but this song I did love it bad, bad ,bad, bad, bad or good, good, good, good ,good [laughing].  That’s how we talk, ya know.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Either way…

 Everton Blender:  When you love a tune you say ‘A tune der, badest’ ya see man.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Like, ‘Em bad star’.

 Everton Blender:  But him really good still.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Yes Iya.

Everton Blender:  The Heptones have a song about ‘Mamma Say’, you know that one right?

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve: Yea, that’s classic.

 Everton Blender:  [Singing] My Mamma say son, just listen and understand.  You got to work hard son to keep your loving hand.  Mamma say love don’t come easy. [singing ends] Ya know, so we have some little idea for some likkle ting, but we no wan think bwoy we jus cover version one.  But ya now, sometime it’s good to honor individual, give him de ratings cause he’s good, you know.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  The next question is, with more dancehall artists converting from raw, slack lyrics to more conscience ones, what are your thoughts on this and where do you see reggae turning to in the next 5-10 years.

 Everton Blender:  Well, right now, jus IanI have to deal with certain tings upon a level, cause you have some man dem deal with slackness, right.  An dem now, dem turn round an start deal with certain tings.  But if it was man like me, all dem man who deal wid de cultural part if it, we, me that had the music in my hand, all those have Jah and Jah knows what He is doing.  But, if was like me that have music in my han, all dem men who use to deal with slackness, seen, dem couldn’t come pon de wagon.  All the men who foundation, the originality and the consciousness, dem can come pon de wagon.  Some, most of dem men who use to deal with slackness dem switch over to culture, dem wan do culture.  Dem back bitter.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Yea, somebody was saying, on rmr earlier today, about so many artists are jumping on the roots, conscience bandwagon.

 Everton Blender:  Yea! Dem jump pon it! Because one time dem never use to sing de roots cause the money na de der.  Dem naw sign culture cause de money na der an dem naw ge no money. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  They don’t come as article, they’re not article rootsmen.

 Everton Blender:  Yea ya know, so, IanI a sing certain kind of tune, now and dem say say ‘it’s still alive’, ya know.  ‘Bwoy, Jah know’.  Dem ge fine out dem lyrics, some of dem de lyrics teach de youth, de youth na beneficial noting pon it.   The next 15-10 years from now it's gun dem a draw.  Because the lyrics give dem no isaltation.  Fe hold up a vibes a sitting of demselves or look fe demselves an say  me now say, ‘Jah say lift up your head and hold it up high.  Jah know, bowy’….a certain kind of tune  where you know it will uplift you the next 25 years.  Some dem deal with someting next 25 years is the road of destruction.  Now we na wan dat. 

 But we set a example, like for instance, my kids dem, right. I get four kids, right, an me’s a man me naw take airplane.  Me naw take airplane ‘til me a big, big individual.  Right, now me youth dem fly out from a one month old, three month.   Ya see me a say?  So, check it, the whole of dem fly out when dem months.  When me a youth  a grow, me a couldn’t fly out, when I a my months.  Me neva hav no one make me fly out in a my months.  Much less fly out when me a year.  Me hav a nuff likkle youth in a dem fly out when dem a one year.  Nuff man dem fly out when dem sixteen.  Dem fly out when dem a twelve.  When me a big, big individual me fly out, but the example me set now, me set it for my youth.  Dat dem get tings before me or faster then me, when me use to get slow.  But what use to take me ten year to get me wan dem come wid it in a year.   So des are de tings you work fe try fe…. Because we bleach out we self and suffer we self for fifteen an fourteen fe make it.   They must come suffer dem self, bleach out dem self for fourteen fe come make it too.  Nah me wan to set an example fe dem can get tunes more easier, mon. Ya see mi a say?  

 Cause right now a bread in a Jamaica cost sixty dollar, right.   You have bread to a hundred dollar, right, a hundred and twenty dollar, right, a hundred and forty dollar.  So all the de youth dem ‘wer just coming up now, you can imagine when dem reach twenty-one how much fe a bread? By time de reach twenty-one, likkle six year old now or a likkle tree [three] year old now , by de time she reach twenty one bout a two hundred and fifty dollar she a bread.  Seen? 

 Ya know it’s red, truss me it a red out der, so sometime a man get a little butter rub pon him mouth and she might a little butter rub pon mouth, dem think everything gonna be alright cause dem safe.   But, him don safe, because remember – if I stan fe come the whole way I feel it..If the boat rock the whole we rock.  Don think you apon de rich side and a we apon de poor side.  But when the boat a rock, remember the rich rock and the poor rock. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Everybody rocks together. There’s an old saying about ‘we all came on different ships but we’re in the same boat now.’

 Everton Blender:  Ahhhh, you see me a say.  [laughter]  Yea so, so ya know, so you jus hav to hold the vibes and you know you have a little light shine for you, but don go a take it an show off fe people.   Because de same man you show off pon today, him go carry you tomorrow.  Him beg you a drive, and him say ‘fada give me a lift up the road der’ and you tell him ‘ya boy, ya nah go up de way der’.  and den you  know him a go up the road der.  And tomorrow morning you car punch or like your car at de garage an you need a lift somewhere and him see you an you don even make you stop him. Him go BRAAAXXX? ‘whe ya say fada be, where you a go?’  It make you feel a way, I say Jah know watch it.  Ya see me a say, probably ya cyann fight against truth, so ya tell him so ‘gwan!’.  ‘Mi alright mon.’  Cause me a wait a whole DAY an a get nothing!  Jah know it better fe me de go wid him. 

 But jus true in ya mind who ya deal with people ya just cyann really take forward the thanks when him do dat to you.  Because true you neva give him de thanks.  Cause you a neva give him a thanks. But you neva rate fe him the thanks.  So ya hav to jus careful wha ya do in life.  Cause trus me it hard up der, but come down is very easy, take you a year.  Come like a man career, take six, seven or fifteen years fe build a career an den if you don know what you are doing you flop in a minute, in a second.  Career finish. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  On your current release, ‘Visionary’, I see you pair up with Tony Rebel, Anthony B and Beenie Man.  During the course of your career, who are or were some of your favorite artists to pair up with.  Not necessarily just on this album, but people that you have enjoyed working with over the years?

 Everton Blender:  Ya right now.   Me nah tell no lie now.  Say him Tony Rebel, cause it’s ture a de times when, in the bad times, when we was coming from Mandeville, it was me, Tony Rebel, Garnett Silk, Youton Green, Culture Knox, Joker Irie in a dem time der, ya see me a say.  So to deal with de man him a close mongst, close mongst man a Sugar Minott, ya know. Close man like John Holt, Johnny Clark, ya know.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Yea, Tony, Tony I had the opportunity to meet him a few years ago.  That’s an article man, good positive vibes, gentle person.  What was your purpose behind starting Blend Dem Productions?

 Everton Blender:  Right now, ya kind treatment you get in a de music.  You should a get more.  The only ting me can do, for real, is save me self.  Start me own little production.  Me neva hav a money, fe tough, fe start out the right way, but you know. Hold on.[some commotion in the background and we had to stop the tape for a minute]

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  You feel with production you had more power of production over your products.

 Everton Blender:  Yea, you have more power over your product an sometimes most of des producers say ‘ya song nah sell’.  Rey, rey and blah, blah.  So, me say alright.   Me a do my tings myself and see what’s going on, me a come find out, me a find out, see things a gwan, but dem nah make ya know.   So, me wan fe know de business.  Me now know.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Do you also find it as being a vehicle for doing what your doing now.  Taking Richie Spice and starting to be able to expose him to the world, giving him the opportunity that he might not have had?

 Everton Blender:  Yea, ya know. Cause right now, me neva have no man fe do that fe me.  The man some time me ask various artists to help me out.  Came upon de road an even open for dem an ting, an ya know, dem say no.   No you cyannn fe open, or due certain tings.   But you know, me could have used that an build upon the next man.  So, right now, we just let them come pon de road so other people can see them, so dem can help another one too.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  From what I overstand reggae music is getting better response and attendance in Europe and Japan.  Having toured the world extensively, can you share your observations with us about the different fans for which you’ve performed?

 Everton Blender:  Ya well, right now, Europe nice. Europe nice, nice, nice.  Some place in Europe you cyann go der with no other artists’ songs they boo you or they fling on you on stage.  Certain places in Europe you cyann go der with no foolishness.  They don wan fe hear you.  But certain places now, if you have like an Everton Blender and like a cultural set up artists, people will turn out.  People will turn out, but you know the type of people, the Rastas and certain kind of roots people.    But like you have like Bounty Killer or Beenie Man or like Lexxus or like Baby Cham you find say, ramma down.  See me a say, corker down.  The people are not taking the cultural level to a highest level.  They take it fe granted.  Rather listen to de…..certain  kind of other likkle music.  

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Now I understand that in Japan reggae music and most the musician from the US get a really warm welcome that you’re treated like kings by the promoters.  Treated how you should be treated, through the promoters in Japan and the tours run smoothly.  How do you find the Japanese audiences?

 Everton Blender:  Well, ya see, me neva been to Japan yet ya know.  The first time was when I was to go to Japan, something went wrong, I don’t know what.  Nuff little vibes, ya know.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  So it’s something to look forward to, definitely.

 Everton Blender:  Nuff vibes, ya know. But IanI neva did get to go to Japan.  I don’t know what’s the vibes, why I didn’t go to Japan.  I was suppose to go.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Destiny

 Everton Blender:  I was to go because, I spoke to de, my management spoke to the promoter.  And then I don’t hear the promoter call me back.  Second time when I was suppose to go to Japan something went wrong, again.  Dem say, dem have a next artist, I nah call any name.  Right, but dem set up with the next artist.  It was on my behalf.  The second time, when me a go Japan, dem say dem bring up a next artist,  the next artist don turn up.  The third time when fe go to Japan, dem say bwoy ya cyann come cause de gone use a artist who dem make big money.  And them neva did call me.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  So the thrid time was the charm and it wasn’t the charm still.

 Everton Blender:  Yea, ya know.   Me just hold de vibes an know that me go Africa, an go Malawi, me go Tanzania, me go South Africa, Johannesburg.  Me neva been to Japan but me a been to me MaMa Land. 

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  You’ve been to Jo’berg, then?

Everton Blender:  Yea, so even if I don…..I would like to go to Japan but even I don get the chance to go to Japan I don’t feel no way, cause I went to Mama Africa.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  So you went to Johannesburg, how was the audience there?

Everton Blender:  I didn’t perform.  You have some radio station people and some Rastas that meet me there and take me around.  For a couple of hours and….I didn’t stay too long.   Just a couple of hours, just seven hours.   They took me around the area and showed me place and then I went to Jamaica.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  I’m hoping to get there this winter, myself, visiting some friends.

Everton Blender:  That’s nice, babe.  That’s nice to be with friends.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  I hear it’s a beautiful country.

Everton Blender:  It’s a beautiful country.  They just need some collateral, build up some industries down der, so that people can get jobs or something.  Cause down der it’s beautiful, beautiful kings, beautiful queens and all the children.

 Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Not just have it dependent on tourist and tourism dollars.

 Everton Blender:  Yea, ya know.    Right now me wan pick up a piece of land down der, like Shashamane.  Need some land down der in a place der. 

 Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  You made reference earlier, Everton, about the painting that you use to do.  I also heard another interview, somewhere on a website, where you said that you also worked in the cane field and chopping weeds and that sort of thing.   I’m just wondering, now that you’ve got all this success in reggae music, you know you’ve quote unquote made it.  I think you have a great career going.  Has that changed you as a person or your perspective on the world or people?   I was wondering how that has changed your life. 

Everton Blender:  Ya know, it nah change me life none at all, ya know.  I tell you truth, it change me life none at all.  Cause here’s wha’appen now.  It’s like if you know where you a coming from.  That’s the greatest thing, to know where you coming from.  Know you coming from one dumpling, know you a coming from half a dumpling, half a banana.  So you see a true me know where we a come from an me nah wan go back from we a come from.  So we try to do the tings de best way we can and the cleanest we can. Because, y know, we nah wan go back der so.  So sometimes, because you know you Everton Blender you know you hav a power, or you have a vibes with people, know you protected by Jah Jah, de heathen come to eat up I a flesh dem stumble and fell.  You know all these tings, see all des tings, neva make it gwan like go to ya head an like a wan hype and show off.  No, hold up your vibes and hold your cool.  Cause it’s the people make you big.  Yea, InI a star, da whole a we a star a whole a we represent a star.  But apon de musical business a man say you a super star.  But it not me a super star, it’s the people fe a super star.   If you keep a show an no one don turn up, who is de super star?  The people de super star, so hail up de people. The people make we have what we get and what we need.   The people dey support us.  ‘That bredrens is a nice bredrens, that Everton Blender, I need him CD, me go a store’.  Can you imagine if every man in a world say ‘hey, that man Everton Blender, love his CD’ every man of de world go buy a CD?  It’s nice! [laughter] Ya, just hold de vibes, can make certain tings a change you.  Some man cyann hold success.  If a you can hold success.  Cause sometime when me der Jamaica, me just easy.  An nobody know me de Everton Blender.  But a ‘who’s that, Everton Blender?’  A man say ‘who’s dat?  Everton Blender?’ ‘Ya mon, dat Everton Blender, mon’.  ‘Me cyann believe, me a see. Him so quiet an’….. me just humble.  Des are de tings me try to hold.  Me nah really try fe ups, ya mon me Everton Blender.  No, me sitting a side an a nah know me Everton Blender.  Cause for me to tell you me Everton Blender.  Unless some argument come up an den… like people like you so come up an like a autograph or somin’.  Dem like ‘ hey what’s your name.  You an artists?’  I say yea I’m Everton Blender.  ‘Oh, you’re Everton Blender?  I’m glad I asked, if I didn’t ask I wouldn’t know.’  I humble, I stay so, I nah really too high up. 

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  I have always been a firm believer that one doesn’t become a Rasta, you are a Rasta.  It’s something that is instilled with in you.  Like a baby who doesn’t know he can see he just sees.  At what point in your life did you come to the realization that this was a gift from Jah, that Rasta was your path?

Everton Blender:  Well right now, from creation from when I man born, ya know.  An why I say that now, because we nah deal with tings impossible, we deal with possible tings.  From Iman a youth, Iman know Iman blessed an fe become a Rasta.  Cause something happen to I as youth,  when Iman coming up in life.  I so come I know say I know me going to be Rasta, to now, when I see de vibe. 

Because a little youth, when I was going to school, cyann forget, right.  We had some bredrens de.  Me an dem use to walk, but the youth der was bad bwoy.    But me neva know see dem a bad bwoy.  So, it like dem go do some little antics an tings and so de [other] bredrens see me a come from school wid dem an ting.  Say dem, me wid dem when dem do de antics.  But I wasn’t der. 

But, no joke now…..My Auntie go a market an me out a road wid me bredrens dem, so me a wan go play cricket.  But me a home a go make me bat.  Cause me make my bat out of two by fours.  So me a make it, make it nice.  Me de de, sit down me yard now an make me bat an turn me back to de gate and de gate open.  Tree man come in a gate with cutlass [machete] to chop me up, ya know.  Cause dey say me an dem other youth dem in everyting me a talk bout.  At the time they come fe chop me up, ya know, a tree [three] of me dem see.   So dem neva know which one of who fe chop.   Seen?  So when dey see tree of me, dem say ‘chop him now, tree of dem we see, tree of de youth, me want fe chop de right one.’  So dey neva were a chop, cause tree of me dem see.   Dem wan chop de right one, but dem no who fe chop, cause dem neva see who de right one.

 So, you see, me when me done make the bat now and come out pon de road.  An I met with dem bredrens wid de ball.  A man der say ‘a tree man come ina yard fe chop you’  I say ‘tree man come in my yard fe chop I up?’   ‘Yes man tree dem come through the gate, the gate, man, it open and a man through the gate and come in a yard, you nah see dem?’  Me say ‘no’.  De man dem say ‘bwoy tree a dem dey see and fe know which one to chop.’  See, me nah see no man, cause me turn me back to dem.  So, when the man tell me dat now,  it ….true me a so young, me neva really hav de vibe or pick up de vibe. 

An coming up on things, my cousin now, control, get a job down by waterfront, down kings street in Kingston.  We hav nuff bad bwoy from all over:  Trivoli, Reemer, South Side, name it.  All bout downtown, kings street bottom to get work.  So use to have a place, wi use to go buy wi lunch ‘Slaughter House’, dem time me use to eat meat an ting, an so slaughter house and go buy lunch an come forward.   So, like when we come through the gate now, it’s like a vibes say ‘say don go through de gate, jump de fence.’ So me say, ’Jah how me fe jump de fence and everyone walk through de gate?’ People a go say ‘bwoy fe use de gate, cause de gate is der, not jump de fence.’  So de vibes come to me again an say fe me to jump de fence.   So me jump de fence, der a man stay so wid a cutlass, ya know.  Me don do dee man nuttin’, ya know.  I don do de man nuttin’.  But true, me come to work in de morning time me always slick.  Me carry me self, clean and slick.  An the man jus see me an go through an bad mind me, ya know.  An me jump de fence an I see de man stand der fe chop me up, ya know.  So you see, me passing him now an go to some bredren’s go play domino. So it like a six love and the next bredren six love.  Iman start ‘ahheee hee’ a big laugh an look, me see him, look round an him see me amongst the bredrens dem him wan fe know HOW!.  Him wan know when me walk.  Ya know so come up in the vibes now an see it me now say ‘oh ya know say, a Rasta man me fe be’. 

De year if seal it up now 1982, maybe 3.  True me go to so many churches, me been to a whole heap:  Anglican, Catholic, Church of God, name it.  An true me wan to do de right ting an stay de right way.  Me ask Jah for a vision and tell me say fe grow me lock.   If He give me a vision, but true me nah get the vision.  Ever night me a go my bed me wan vision.  But, it’s me neva get fe vision, till gwan for a year or fe couple months.  When me forget bout it, when me forget bout it.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Right, when you stop wanting it.

Everton Blender:  Right, when me stop wanting it, me get de vision.  Say me natty touch de toe, touch de earth.  Yea, when me get up off de bed me natty dread fe touch de earth.  So, fe message me get, me get de vibes, leggo de scissors and comb, you know. 

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Like your eyes suddenly become open.    It’s like you were always looking but all of a sudden you are seeing things differently because you are seeing things with the spirit of Jah.  That is something powerful.

Everton Blender:  True dat.  Now in a my house you always hav de King’s picture.   Everywhere you turn in a me house you have Haile I King Selassie I.  Ya know, cause de say dis man dead, but JOKE.  Not nah go so.   Seen, many times de man come to me a show me vibes an show me ‘de youth, na worry you self.’  Show me a early out fe right time come, men a talk bout me, dem a na know yet.  Try your best every night because, come tell you, come tell you me a still alive ya know.  So when dem spread a propaganda, you know in a yet.  Dem spread de propaganda, de jus stay so.   Jus, hold my firmness an Jah jus uplift me more.  Nuff time heathen stay so an go way ting a fall out, me jus turn up on dem.  Rastafari likkle youth dem know a him a do.  Nah search, him know it, ‘im know wa him do.  Me dat man, in a what I’m doing.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  I think within all of us, as long as we continue to carry Haile Selassie’s spirit he never dies.  The spirit that each of us carries and each of us teach and take care of our fellow human beings and our earth. 

Everton Blender:  Cause that is the most important thing.  The spirit, cause the flesh is nothing else.  The flesh is the outer for a beauty.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  A vessel for our spirits.

Everton Blender:  Alright, ya know.   The spirit is the greatest ting.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  We were given these vessels to learn certain lessons for our spirits. 

Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Do you think marijuana should be legalized in Jamaica?

Everton Blender:  Ya, mon.  Legalize, mon whole of de world legalize, everywhere.  Cause why?  Herb is ting where you plant it from a seed, like when you plant an orange.  Just like how you plant a grapefruit, the ginger, the callaloo, the mango, the niece berry, tangerine, the apple.  So you plant it from a seed an it grow to what it’s suppose to be.  It come from collie bud an twist up for man, for man, the purpose of man.  So, you cyann fight against a natural ting.  Try to tell me you bring in scissor an comb.  The time when you free scissors an comb you free de herb.  Because you try fe free ting we invent.  Cause scissors don grow up on tree.  Comb doesn’t grow on tree.  You have the fruits that grow up on tree, the sweet sap the sour sap an dem ting der.  At the same time ya a tell me a say, I go foreign an a carry six bottle of rum.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  It’s in it’s pure state, original state.

Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  It’s not like cocaine or heroine, there is no laboratory that you need to make it or change it.

Everton Blender:  Ahhhh, you see what I mean, you see what I mean.  So, it’s time people look in themselves an see herb is natural.  If you can’t deal with it, you don’t deal with it.  If  you want to deal with it you can get shirt, you can get pants, you can get shoes, you can get robe, you can get sheet.  So if you want to deal with it that way then deal with it that way.  You get a sheet, you get a shirt, you get a shoes, whatever.   But don’t fight against the herb, man. 

The other day I was looking on TV an, I don’t remember the area, they was giving out herb as sacrament.   Yea, on TV they were giving herb as sacrament.   Then in a next place, in a Canada, they giving people herb to smoke, because they have a sickness.  It’s the herb alone that can deal with. 

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  I read an article on rmr the other day.  Which is the news group that I was telling you about.  Josh B is on there.  Um there was an article on there that some of our beloved musicians like Junior Byles, Barry Brown and Tough Tony Brown are now homeless, destitute and begging in the streets.  Do you feel that today’s artists have an obligation to support the artists of the past?  Much like the rock and roll artists do for their forbearers of rock and roll?

Everton Blender:  Well, right now, truss me now, each music you supposes to have a pay back, ya know.  If you deal with your tings an you deal with your tings good.   Ya know, you suppose to get a likkle rocompence and likkle rocompence is there for everyone.  But, sometimes go, it how the business go. 

It’s like sometime when you have a certain kind of tune in next twenty five and fifty years from now a man go say me an old artist, ya know wha me a say?  And the next song a younger youth come up, but just because the type of the music you try to get yourself into.   Cause sometimes a man can say ya old but you can go in a anyting, anyting fits in, you a fit in a it.  If dey come with a calypso you in a calypso, if dey come in with a hip-hop you in a hip-hop so you a versatile.  But most of the long time youth dem, me like dem tunes still, but ya know.  Ones I want try to put a ting together, you can invite like, you mix it, you have like a reggae vibes, an a calypso an den you have a rock an roll and blend it in.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  Some of the easier questions now.  What’s the hardest part of being on tour.

Everton Blender:  The hardest part to be on tour is like, sometimes, you come in tired an de room doesn’t ready yet.   Ya know, like if you coming off a long drive and you reach the hotel an de room doesn’t ready yet and you need sleep man.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  And wash out your clothes.

Everton Blender:  Ya an you gotta wash your clothes. Ya, you know. [chuckles]

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  So what are your plans for the future?

Everton Blender:  Right now, I man plan for the future is to, ya know, bring more youth to de business and try fe uplift the music.  Cause right now, we needed a sound, a p/a system, lighting, back drop, backline, name it, stage.  Right now looking about mi studio, doesn’t finished as yet, but still tho, but all those things pertaining to all the music.  I needed it. 

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  One piece at a time.

Everton Blender:  Yea, I needed it so if there is a show to put on, ya know me have me own p/a, me have …. Me nah have to hustle the business like a man with a….. reap the music and give forward the music anyting.  Nuff spend forward de music.  Ya know, to deal with the music.  So when the younger youth dem come de prepare, prepare for de world.  So when de youth dem come we can establish dem.

Chicagoreggae.com/Steve:  Yea, I see you mentoring the younger musicians.  Kind of like Sugar Minott does and Junior Reid to a certain extent.  It’s good work.

Everton Blender:  Yea mon.

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  It’s important it keeps the legacy.  What feelings or thoughts do you want people to come away with after they have seen one of your show or performances?

Everton Blender:  Well right now, me don know.  Pon a spiritual level,  it not everyone that everyone can pick up on a spiritual level cause sometime we talk in a parable.    But, when I done sing the way how you have people, some of de people dem or most of the people, it’s like the songs that you sing they sing it along the way. Ya know, coming from work, sometimes dey feel a way, like they would give up.  When dey hear my song, is like it give them a vibes to trod along tomorrow.  You know say?  Give dem a spiritual healing. 

Like de udder day a bredren, ya know, talking to me, an him say it my song save him.  Because him was gone do some terrible tings.  Some drastic tings because him wasn’t working.  Him hav him kids to feed an ting.  So him was do certain tings an he hear me song ‘lift up your head and hold it up high’ and that change him mind.  Right now him now a drive, him have his own house now, an him youth dem look clean an ting.  To me he said him hav to come to my show anywhere my show a be an him can come he a come.  Cause him a change him lifestyle completely.  

Chicagoreggae.com/Issa:  It’s a big change when you decide to take that path of the things you need to change within and without.  Is there anything else that you would like to add to this or expand on before we go?

Everton Blender:  Well right now, the whole ting I man hav a say.  Cause right now I about to go on stage now an ting.  An ya know, all those people have good vibes and good mind and ya know, prosperity and never you say nuttin’ na gwan because every time you say nuttin’ na gwan nuttin’ jus a naw go gwan.  Behind that dark cloud is a silver lining, an jus as you going give up that’s the time tings coming your way.  Right?  So, you cyann give up. 

I can remember one time ago.  When I was a little lad, seen, going to the track, race track, and dis man gamble a portion a money on a horse an de horse run second an him faint a dead [the horse].  Him faint a dead, an fe take way de horse dat win and give fe horse that run second the winnings!    [laughing] You have to be careful. Be careful.

Everton Blender in Closing: Blessed love, youth and youth, the young the old the disabled Everton Blender love de I like how Christ love a nah go change di.  May Jah guide and protect you all in your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever more.   Just one love, ya know, Blessing.  Rastafari, prosperity.

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