By BEATA POZITIVA—’Lee Scratch Perry in the house, Lee Scratch Perry on the wire; Lee Scratch Perry in the house`

Lee Scratch Perry brings the fire

Original Rocker original Shocker Lee Scratch Perry came to earth in Jamaica on the 20th March 1936. With Sun, Mercury and also Venus in Pisces – where it is at its highest point: in exaltation, it would be practically impossible for him to be anything other than a Creator. Selfproclaimed Crazy and definately not Lazy he lives his life in constant appreciation of the present moment, fully in touch with and heeding his heart and his Roots whilst spitting in the face of convention and constriction.

His moon reflects in Aquarius, making him a Perfect Piper guiding us through to the Aquarian age.

Initiator, Perpetrator, Innovator; Christener and Elevator of both Reggae and Dub, Lee Scratch Perry left school and moved to Kingston, Jamaica as a teenager, first living on his wits and many talents – which included dancing and playing dominoes – and eventually becoming a talent scout at Sir Clement Coxsone Dodds studio one.

Working around Classic emerging Artists like Clancy Eccles and the Congos he swiftly immersed himself in music, and in 1967 he brought out a single called “People funny, boy” which proved to be an instant hit.

The chillaxe beat was picked up a year later by The Maytals with a song called “Do the Reggay” …and hey presto, ´Reggae` was the new sound, and a thousand ships set sail.

The same year, Upsetter Records was born, and Lee Perry and his band the Upsetters released the first album ´The Upsetter` followed by ´Return of the Django`, which were both Sensationally received by the public. A year later, they did their first big tour of Great Britain, where their audience naturally included the many people from the West Indies that were already settled there, to huge acclaim.

This was when Lee got back to Jamaica only to find that Bob nesta Marley and the Wailers had gone behind his back and approached the Upsetters, asking them to leave their mentor LSP and join forces with them.

At the time, Bob and the Wailers were not doing too well, as his first producer Leslie kong had turned out to be a well dodgy rip-off businessman and also didn´t understand the trend for rocksteady, meaning none of their latest tunes had charted. But this was no excuse to go behind Lees back!!!

We can sort this out, we are Duppy Conquerors

After his initial rage diffused, Lee, being the Good Soul that he is, met with Bob and agreed to become the Wailers producer. He honed their sound, encouraging Bobs vocal confidence and tightening up the whole set, making it deeper and smoother and bringing out the sweet healing vibrations that are the Soul of proper Reggae music. Soul Rebels was their first collaboration. It is fascinating how the sound changed, almost overnight, and how quickly they became mega popular, and this is why I always say that L$P really IS the musical God father of Bob Marley.

Many songs that became known as Bob Marley songs were in fact inspired and co-penned by Lee. Small Axe, which, at the time, was written in solidarity against the Big tree studios, might be the best known. You can hear several of them, like Soul Rebel, Sun is shining – in the L$P Live set to this day.

Few artists can so completely reach our Souls. Even when singing about sufferation: War inna Babylon rouses us to action, the poignancy and bitter sweetness of “Dreadlocks in moonlight”, a snippet of Jamaican life on the streets, evokes compassion and emanates healing vibrations in its twilight.

As Lee is so driven, constantly productive and prolific,he has always concentrated on just getting the music out; Creating, Innovating, and Exponating.

Because he does it from the Soul and not from the Ego and essentially just loves following his Passion, I think he has not always gotten the credit he deserved for his work, and even had songs taken over by other artists. I cannot begin to mention how many classics he has penned and sung. The Grammy he won in 2003 and the Musgrove medal he received more recently for his work in the community of Jamaica are but tiny testaments to his Greatness.

Apes against Demons

The notorious Black Ark studios which he ran during the seventies had to be razed to the ground at the end of its run due to bad energies that had gathered there. However, many Great Musical Works were born there during its all too short history, including the SuperApe and the return of the Superape LPs.

The Superape, smashing all demons in its path of Righteousness, lives on in the mega LP ” SuperApe Inna Jungle ” and more recent release with Pura Vida from Belgium `Superape strikes again ´.

Money comes and money goes – but I remain

By 1977, the time of Punky Reggae Party, L$P was fed up with how diluted he felt alot of the Reggae had become, and of hearing ´boring copies of my songs` and also not sure of where Bob morals were any more. So, he tells us, – to cut a long story short – he gave Bob the Reggae as a present.

From Soul to Dub Fire

For Sure, something different was approaching.

Because lately the Drums had been beating to a different Rhythm. in the walls of the studio the consciousness of the spirit brewing in the yards of the ghettoes the streetlife the sirens on the streets in the basements the soundsystems of Kingston the vibration of the youth the curves of the hills heartbeat of the beach the ebb and the tide of the sea the sound of the babys heart resonating times one thousand and calling out, was the throbbing groin of the mixing desk

L$P LSD ESP got behind this instrument, – took hold of the controls, started flipping the channels in and out and all about, and Dub was born.

De Dub is de Heart – De Heart who present de Bass and de Drum.

Boom Boom Boom !
Ba ba ba ba bam bam
and de other part of de dub
is de Titti Titti Titti Titti
Pum – Pum Pum

Chief Driving Force of Reggae and Dub, to mention every artist, producer and posse that have been InSpired by Lee Scratch Perry would literally fill a whole library. The list is Endless and Timeless, like the man himself. Dennis Bovell has to be mentioned as I think he is perhaps the next in line Dub master having directly learnt and worked with L$P from his early years. His project ´Blackbeard ´ with `I wah Dub ` was the first Dubplate I bought and that was when I fell in Love with Dub and ensuingly discovered de Master blaster himself.

Amongst countless other projects, L$P produced the first album of Seminal Roots artists Albert Griffiths and the Gladiators, and since the eighties has released Albums in Dub with Dub Syndicate, King Tubby, Yello, and Viennas Dubblestandart, with whom you will experience him Live at this years Ozora.

In 1996 he released ´ Dub take the Voodoo out of Reggae ` working with SouthEast Londons One and Only Mad Professor, a fellow Dub Warrior with whom he has since released 11 albums as well as Full Joying many Live performances together. It was in South London in the late nineties that I was blessed to meet L$P through my Good friend Bevan Fagan aka Running Water. He was so intense and forceful that I was a little scared of him at first. Later on I encountered him in a better mood and realized what a Lovely Kind Humourous and Fabulous Being he inherently is.

I am a Toaster – I am not a poster – but a Positive Toaster

L$P is not known for mincing his words or keeping his opinions to himself. He is and always will be a fulltime Up setter. Constantly reaching for the Top Level, he spends alot of time `Unwrapping´ the vampires, hypocrites, the IMF, the elite, the liars, fearmongers, and bad spirits.

As far as I understand this entails exposing them and putting them into the Light of Justice.

His immediate Vision is one of Paradise at his birthplace of Hanover, Jamaica, in the form of a selfsustaining Community of Good Hearts, Creators, Lovers and Innovators living in Lakesh – One Love.

Jamaica is an island
to take people as a ship –
So I say, a Space Ship…
Who feels it knows it

Film maker Volker Schaner, longtime Lover of de Roots and Culture and fascinated with this colourful, intense, and highly productive Freedom Fighter and Fire Lighter, has spent the best part of 15 years following him around the world and has recently released the film `Lee Scratch Perrys Vision of Paradise `.

As a special treat Ozora is presenting this film on the afternoon of August 1st, preceeding the LSP Live show and followed by a Round table discussion including the Director himself as well as the animator of the film, Maria Rodski.

How Volker managed to choose what to cut from so many years of footage, and what he intends to do with all the so far unused material, is likely to be one of my first questions.

Volker finds out what is under LSPs hat, on the inside sole of his boots, and about his Mirror Magic works. There is rare footage of Bob Marleys studio, and we get some real glimpses of this Showmasters `Everyday life ´ complete with beautiful footage of the blessed land Jamaica and Perrys second home in the Swiss hills. Marias animations highlight the psychadellic, playful, Eden like purity of LSPs visions, yet we are not spared the deadly demons such as Lust and Greed, for we must also be aware of them in order to be able to slaughter them.

Feel the Love.… See the Dove

Lee Scratch Perry is quite obviously tuned in to a higher purpose. In Essence, he evokes the Force and Spirit of African and Jamaican music from its very Roots to the Shoots pervading the whole of todays alternative music scene. He is just as forceful, but appears alot less angry than he was in his youth, as we are increasingly priveliged to see an even more talkative and humourous part of him.

As he spends more years on our Earth, I have noticed that he actually looks more and more like Haile Selassie, and actually appears to embody him at one point in his set, which is simply amazing to behold.

Watching his unstoppable NRG whilst performing live it is amazing to know that this year the Upsetter is in celebration of his 80th Birthday. To mark the event he is travelling around the whole World and playing almost as many concerts as there are days in the year – and that is only in this Dimension, as I am pretty certain he is operating on several Dimensions simultaneously.

Travelling the world like a fiery Satellite, adorned in Robes and Gems so Bright – spreading Dub and spreading Light – singing words of Truth and Love, Life and Laughter; Soul above: Teacher, Prophet, Son and Pastor, undisputed musical Master. Shining Light and Soaring High, Bringing in Change with the Butterfly –

Remaining true to his inner core, Innovator at the very Fore. Pushing the limits of Self and Others,

Bringing together Sisters and Brothers.

Music is Life
Music is de Comforter
Music is de gift of God to make us happy
Bless – Up

This remarkable man has done so much and created such a vast body of work that any preview can only touch the tip of his Genius. The best you can do is come and check him out for yourself. To experience Lee scratch Perry live truly is a Blessing. ♥

Beata Pozitiva, July 2016