Permission is being requested to use this infomation obtained from Ice Records http://www.icerecords.com

Welcome to all lovers of Classic Calypso, Soca And Ringbang Music.

You have just arrived at the true home of the greatest artistes of those genres, and I sincerely hope that you will find something in our music and lifestyle, to make you a little happier in your day to day existence.

As I travel the world and listen to my peers talk, it seems that the Music and Entertainment field in general, is going through a process of rebirth. They say this is brought about, through the advent of PIRACY, as a delivery device of the intellectual material dreamed up by our music creators and others.

While this situation does of course exist, and believe me in the poorer areas of the world it seems particularly rife, and in a way rightly so; I find it hard to believe that at such a time as they are all bellyaching about the lack of sales, that so little is being expended on bringing to the world real TALENTS. It is now more than ever about your hair stylist than your ability to write an “original song” hence no songs.

Haven’t you noticed how most of the songs sound the same in some way? the instrumentation the same in some way? the beat the same old tired one that you know you have heard a million times in exactly the same way, virtually unaltered from the processed one that Yamaha or Roland sold to someone? (By the way this is not a knock on those companies, as they generally make good instruments. It’s the general lack of artistry in their application that I’m talking about).

Most people have just given up, feeling powerless to alter anything and or they have stopped buying “popular fare”. Everyone, even the ones making money from its proliferation, seem to make a joke out of the “Pop Idol Syndrome”(for those of you who don’t know, it’s a glorified TALENT CONTEST where non-talented people have the opportunity to insult generally young people, who have believed the television lie, that in order to be an artist, you just copy the latest version of what you see on TV).

They in the record business think it’s funny. They think the great YOU, who give us all our livings in this used to be great business, or in my case way of life, are an easy touch, because they have the MEDIA at their command and you buy what you see advertised, on TV in particular.

Sure, somebody will sell a million records or five, but at what cost? You suffer, because you pay the cost. I know you’re not laughing.

Music of the Islands

We have all been conned by our education system in the widest sense which has generally allowed us to envelope ourselves in our prejudices, musically and otherwise. From my perspective as an African I have seen the most terrible wrongs justified as acceptable, particularly in the field of entertainment, where it has been taken for granted that the “Black Man” is fair game and must never be allowed into the real game. The thinking is now so institutionalized that even Africans have started to believe it.

We all see so many conflicts on TV. We don’t understand. Nobody has prepared us for this awakening. We have all been trying so hard to do what the Anglo Saxon Media (all others have been busy copying this model) has been telling us for years; dress the same, wear the same make-up, look the same, dance the same etc. that everyone has forgotten that the great GOD has made us different and not for all the money, power or political machination can we be made the same. We have been constructed in these different physical and mental ways for God’s purpose, a purpose that we were not really made to understand. It’s like the computer on your desk or lap cannot conceive of Bill Gates’ ultimate purpose. Mankind is beautiful in its diversity; like the other animals when we leave them alone….BEAUTIFUL.

What has all of this got to do with music and music business? Very little, or a lot depending on your orientation, your willingness or capacity to think outside of your EDUCATION.

The next time you switch on your radio or TV, or read your newspaper or any supposedly informative journal or watch a movie ….Think. Think hard.

The more we try to make everything THE SAME, the more CONFLICT we create. Trust in nature. . If it does not make any sense to you, Think Again Don’t Get Angry. A lot of it wasn’t made for us to understand. Find yourself and Trust YOU. Trust in RINGBANG.

RINGBANG

Ringbang is our culture
It’s what we speak, without language
It’s what we understand, without education
It’s the greatest awareness, that of ourselves
And through this philosophy, we will be able
To stand strong culturally, in a hostile world.

………

The Ringbang philosophy was conceptualized and articulated by the artiste Eddy Grant for the people from whom he was born, namely the people of the Caribbean, but it is applicable to any group.

Recognising the degree to which the people of the Caribbean, in particular the youth, had become culturally dependent on other states, Eddy Grant has introduced an original word, philosophy and music to the world…….Ringbang.

The simple tenets of Ringbang are:

1. We must learn to LOVE OURSELVES FIRST.

2. We must LOVE THE THINGS WE MAKE OR CREATE.

3. We must BUY THE THINGS WE MAKE OR CREATE.

When we have achieved these without seeking to oppress others, and not until then, will the people of the Caribbean, my “RINGBANG PEOPLE”, be truly FREE.

Compliments of http://www.icerecords.com