Interview with POP icon GAZEBO

This week I had the honour and pleasure to interview a true international pop star for my blog: Gazebo!
Lovers of Pop and Italo-disco music certainly remember him for his biggest hits from the '80s such as "Masterpiece", " I like Chopin", "Telephone Mama". After years of seclusion in his recording studio in Rome producing other artists, Gazebo came back on the scene with a vengeance, releasing a fantastic and delightfully sophisticated album "The Syndrone", which in addition to the classic Gazebo melodic sounds, blends in rock and world music elements.
A new video "Queen of Burlesque", filmed in Rome shows us a more mature artist who still posesses the looks and the charisma that made generations of girls fall in love. A true gentleman, a talented yet humble artist, Gazebo is back to enchant us with his sweet neo-romantic music.
Enjoy this exclusive interview for my blog.



Gazebo

1) You are a legend of POP music in Europe and Asia and an inspiration to generations. What were the highlights of your career?

I released my first single in 1982 "Masterpiece" a new wave track with some elements of dance and articulate melody which became seminal to the "Italo disco" genre that inspired many synth pop productions in the 80. People like Pet Shop Boys and Modern Talking have openly admitted to have been inspired. In 1983 along with my first eponymous album came "I like Chopin" which is by far my best selling hit. Got the Music Week's "European Top Chart Act" award for this. I then produced another 7 albums plus a couple of official compilations.



Gazebo





2) How did you manage to get a record contract when you first started? What were your characteristics and skills that made you stick out?

I actually got Masterpiece to be produced independently by a local deejay, the white label sold 20.000 copies in a couple of weeks and I had the luck of being able to chose the right label. I had clear ideas as to my look and my musical project. Was lucky to have an open credit as per decisions.

3) “I like Chopin”, one of your most famous videos was shot in England. Why this particular location and what can you tell us about this experience?

The director, David Rose is British and we decided to trust his know how. He fully understood the idea behind the concept of the song and we worked in perfect harmony. It was a lovely experience although videos where still to become the "must have" for promotion. I was lucky my record company backed up the project, after all it was not that cheap, it was shot in 16mm as opposed to video, it's a small movie on it's own right.

4)     What is your favourite GAZEBO album and video and why?
My favorite is definitely "The Syndrone". (up to now) my best album. It's not only a collection of singles but also a 16 tracks journey in a 50 years old man's (me) thoughts in this new millennium. The video I like most is of course "I Like Chopin" ... for sentimental reasons.




 

Gazebo's first album

 

 

Gazebo's latest album "THE SYNDRONE"

 

 

 

 

I LIKE CHOPIN video

 

GAZEBO performing MASTERPIECE

 

 

 

TELEPHONE MAMA video

 

 

 

LUNATIC video

 

 

Gazebo

5) Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics? Do you have to be in a certain frame of mind to start creating a new song?

Songs come from anywhere and at anytime. I thought of "Dolce Vita" (a song I co-wrote for Ryan Paris and is also a great favorite of the 80) while I was in a bus in Rome thinking about a follow up to "Masterpiece" .. we passed close to Cinecittà (where Fellini did all his best stuff) and it just clung in my head.

6) You have a new video called “Queen of Burlesque”. What can you tell us about it?

I bumped into some Mamie Van Doren clips on youtube, became a "friend" on Facebook and then followed some links she posted on Burlesque Shows where she often attended even if she is in her 80 I suppose.. I was caught by the idea that seduction can also be totally detached from the physical stereotypes that want women to be young and sexy to be appealing.. There is a lot of charm and humor that can be sexier than a beautiful 20-year-old naked girl whirling around a pole.When I face producing the video I tried to keep away of the obvious.. And chose a wonderful aged lady called Rome as main subject.

QUEEN OF BURLESQUE Gazebo's new video

 

7) What is your relationship with your fans? How do you interact with them?
Of course I follow my friends and fans almost daily on the usual social networks but we also have a special space on my website www.gazebo.info and we spend some time together when they come on the gigs, dinner or lunch the day after. It's a nice, small and cozy community :-)



Me with other Gazebo fans from different parts of Italy before one of his concerts

 

A photo of me, Gazebo and my friend Claudia backstage

 

8) You have a web radio called RADIO GAZEBO. How did it start and developed? What types of program do you broadcast?

Well being an 80-music fan myself I thought of Radio Gazebo as a group on Facebook, where everyone could freely post their favorites and discuss about songs, videos, etc. The step ahead was the web radio www.radiogazebo.com where we broadcast the best of the 80' ... 24/7 with special shows every now and then.

Gazebo, always elegant

 

9) What are you doing these days as what are your projects for the future?

I'm working on new songs, it's about time :-)

 
 

Gazebo

10) Do you have any live shows coming up?

I always have a flow of events happening round the world, which is due to the amazing spread of "I Like Chopin" from Asia to South America and from Europe to Russia.

11) Have you ever been harassed backstage by some crazy fan?

Fans are (in my case) pushed by genuine feelings. They're never crazy and I have a deep respect, as I owe all my success to them.

12) Have you ever felt stage fright? If so, how do you fight it?

Of course, well the best is still in my humble opinion a glass of a good ol' Jack. No ice.

13) Do you have any dream that you want to come true?

My dreams are now projected to my children's future. I hope they will manage to fulfill their dreams and to have a happy life.

Gazebo and his beautiful daughter Eva

 

14) If you could go back in time and change some decision you took for your career, what would that be?
We all make mistakes and I am no exception. I could have improved my career in at least a couple of occasions. I made wrong decisions ... but I don't regret anything, after all I got to be a musician and make my wildest dreams come true and that's far more than what I probably deserved anyway, so the balance is positive. LOL

 

 

Me with THE SYNDRONE t-shirt

 

Follow Gazebo on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/GazeboOfficial?fref=ts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant interview with MICKMO, american artist

 

 

Today's blog post is a special edition featuring another EXCLUSIVE and very interesting interview with a true character, my graphic artist friend Mickmo, all the way from Kansas City, USA!

Mickmo is a very talented, controversial artist with a fun and great personality to match.
He has a passion for metal and for Doctor Who and I know he spends many sleepless nights hyper from his energy drinks!

It was a pleasure to interview him and I must say he managed to give us a brilliant insight into the world of alternative comics , self publishing and graphic arts. Enjoy!

Mickmo and the NHL STANLEY cup

 


1) When did you start drawing and how did you discover you had such talent?

I drew as soon as I could pick up a crayon. So I was 3 years old when I first drew a light blue window on a cinderblock garage. Visualizing tomorrow in the eyes of a 3 year old many many years and decades later. Growing up, I was really really poor and came up from death and abuse. But back then.....they didn't have fancy computers or things like that. All you had was pencils, pencil sharpeners and pieces of paper laying around. BEFORE COMPUTERS AND SCANNERS!!!

And really, I suppose the art gets back to all of that. I guess you have to almost KNOW what you're going to do, then the rest just sort of maps itself out. Sometimes it takes a day....sometimes it takes MANY YEARS!

I got my Commercial Art/Industrial Design degree in 1996 or so. And found myself eventually in the back letter columns of THE MAXX! I guess that was how it all started for me with the comic book stuff! But I had been doing the art for a really long time long before that. They said I was a prodigy early on. My older stuff used to look a lot more realistic!

The Flaming C by Mickmo

 

2) Do you have to be in any particular state of mind to start drawing or working on your stories, or does the inspiration come spontaneously?

Oh, sometimes I draw solely from mood. Sometimes I draw from structure. Sometimes BOTH! Sometimes I can be in a assured mood and sometimes the art comes from disgust and anger! Sometimes the solution[s] in art come about based around philosophy and/or free forms! Sometimes you are allowed to be tight in the art and sometimes JUST THE OPPOSITE!

Rabbits & Dinosaurs on Neptune by Mickmo

 

I think I do the art, as a reclusive soul and mostly in private! I have never been to many places other then primarily Missouri and Kansas. I had been to Chicago, Illinois a few times and Saint Louis, Missouri! But yeah....Missouri is just a barren wasteland! I didn't even travel in a plane for a solid 26 years! I GUESS I AM REALLY “THAT” RECLUSIVE!

3) Can you tell us about your works and publications?

I had been published in numerous comic books, magazines, a few newspapers and television networks! JUST SO MANY FROM THE TIMES I HAD DONE THEM!!! And they vary from era to era, I suppose!

I am probably best known for being with Radio Comix for so many short stories of doing FURRLOUGH. [17 to be exact! I did six short stories of a story called DEATH METAL BUNNY BRIGADE towards the end of that particular run.] But I also did adult comics like MILK!, Genus and a pin-up comic called Hit The Beach for Radio Comix as well. And it was fun when I had it. I considered it to be a lot more pure and creative then what they dish out with typical superhero conglomerates! I also was in NUMEROUS issues of Gold Digger Annuals/Swimsuits with Antarctic Press. I tended to do way more color pieces with them, but it was more character driven! [Overall with that....I think I was in well over 45 comics with both. Probably about 60 comic efforts TOTAL!!!]

Mickmo at the Chicago Wizard World Comic Con 2012

 

I was also in Pirates Vs. Ninja Annual #1 with Antarctic. [Which was probably one of my favorites with that one!] And the last issue of Ninja High School Yearbook #20.

I used to do comics like Bug-Slayer and Tales Of Retribution. Those were my earlier to mid-stream works! Along with that old SHOW AND TELL Comics Creators Network stuff....before I was unfairly ousted, of course, by feeble and sterile minds who just plain DIDN'T GET ME THEN!

I had also been pretty known for my serial killers with Serial Killer Magazine for a year and a half! That was more/less my true crime stuff! I also did various album covers and metal art for bands like Grenouer, Punished Earth and Terminal Descent!

Three Bhuddas and Conan O'Brien by Mickmo

But as far as my television stuff goes I had completed 2 framed pieces with the Conan O'Brien and TBS people. That stuff became rather iconic after awhile. Especially the piece I am probably known for! IT LOOKS GOOD....IN NEW YORK! Which was featured as part of CONAN NYC! I did The Flaming “C” as well, but in more of an underground Kansas City style....that was framed by the Oprah Magazine people! That was more of a medium-sized piece, but it was shown at Comic-Con International 2011! And I have BOTH FRAMES from the TBS and Ted Turner folks! But i'd say the Conan pieces were partially inspired by a director named Yazujiro Ozu, especially the second one! [Low camera angles and “pillow shots” were his “thing”!] I had also had an art piece shown on SVENGOOLIE! [Which shows old cheesy horror films!] And UNSEALED: ALIEN FILES online! [A show on the WB Network about aliens and conspiracies!]

 

Mickmo's Conan O'Brien piece at a museum in New York

 

 

Below is a video of Mickmo's Conan O'Brien art featured on CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2011/10/31/vonat-conan-art-show.cnn

 

 

And here is another clip from youtube:
 

 

 

Destroyer of Worlds by Mickmo

4) What are your favourite comic artists and writers?

I have so many, it is hard to name them all in several paragraphs! Some of my outside favorites are not even comic book artists, per se! I like Vincent Van Gogh and H.R. Giger! I like Zdzislaw Beksinski too. Frank Frazetta was really an excellent draftsman of the arts too!

But with comic book creators. I always gravitated towards slightly more underground people like Richard Corben [Den from Heavy Metal Magazine] and Daniel Clowes [Ghost World and Eightball]! I was always fascinated with stuff like Eros, Heavy Metal Magazine and even the Verotik stuff from the 90s! I just went towards lesser-knowns with a much more interesting style!

Robert Crumb has a good underground pulp-ish style! I also like Paulo Eleturi Serperi. [Whom does a comic story called DRUUNA!] I also really liked Robert Williams and his MANIC-MANIAC LOOKING CREATIONS!

 

Gosh, there is just so many I like in terms of art! WRITING....I always was into stuff like Stephen King. But as far as film goes....I really like Yazujiro Ozu, Akira Kurosawa, David Cronenberg....things of the like! I guess I was a little obsessed with VIDEODROME! I still am certain days.....

 

Encrypting the Cryptic

5) Who is your favourite comic book character and why?

I like The Maxx from, of course....THE MAXX!!! And I always liked DEN from Heavy Metal! I also liked the characters in Ghost World and Eightball! I always veered toward lesser-knows and less popular archetype characters, really! And I totally like THE CROW! Or if Doctor House was a comic book character....HE'S BE A GOOD ONE!!! Or even MONK!

THE TOXIC AVENGER also strikes a nerve with me! A wimpy janitor guy who gets powers through a barrel of toxic waste! Or even GODZILLA!!! Another green monster created as a result of toxic waste!

I also like DOCTOR WHO!!! He is not a typical sort-of character either! But he has been around for so long anyway, I almost have to AUTOMATICALLY like The Doctor from Gallifrey! That is just a given! :D

6) Some people define your style as macabre and obscure. How would you define it?

Bob Berdella's Butcher Bloodbath by Mickmo

I do so much with it, that is almost perceived as “macabre” or ”scary”. But “obscure” would be closer to it, depending on what you look at from me and my artistic creations! I guess it means certain things to and within certain people. But sometimes the stuff I do borders on quirky and goofy! I guess my approach to the thing is “make it interesting”! Try new things every now and again! WORTH THE ART THEORY! You can make it straight or you can make it angular!

But DON'T LOOK AT THE OTHER STUFF OUTSIDE OF YOUR OWN!!! Make it my own somehow! Make it somewhat original! Cause there are quite a few cookie-cutter artists out there who just simply DO NOT DO THEIR OWN CREATIONS! And make a hefty mint of money off of it too! It is HARDER AND MORE OF A CHALLENGE to come up with something that is TOTALLY ORIGINAL!

I mean, I have seen what i'd call “potato art” sold on Ebay for 150 dollars! And some fool somewhere would STILL BUY IT!! [Which is nuts to me!]

THE PERCEPTION BEGINS when someone deciphers your art in their own particular ways, they may have had their own perceptions of what ART could BE in advance. And different folks can decipher an art piece differently. That is the interpretations of the vision[s]. To me, I guess it is still STRUCTURE to me! And that's the way it should be. It is harder to become a true original these days cause of so many cookie-cutter people who are just trying to scam folks out of a buck! But this is what I endure in a harsh Missouri tundra!

Mickmo and LLOYD KAUFMAN from Troma Films

7) Where did you get inspiration for the “Masque of Ten-Thousand Deaths” ?

 THE MASQUE OF TEN-THOUSAND DEATHS came from a few things from within and without me. It came from my numerous flashbacks from PTSD. [Post-traumatic stress disorder.] But another inspiration came from a Criterion Collection movie called ONIBABA.

 

The Masque of Ten Thousand Deaths by Mickmo

 

It was a mask that was sort of like that from an old black and white film, but my Masque is drawn a lot more edged-out! But IN MY VERSION OF THE MASQUE, The Masque is essentially WHAT A PERSON SEES WITHIN THEIR OWN SELF! Like dreams and nightmares! It sort of bends the rules of comic books....because it is meant to be SORT OF THIS BARRAGE!!! It is a non-superhero comic book, as it was intended to be!

Taking the usual meanings and the definitions of a story, THEN TURNING IT UPSIDE-DOWN! That is how The Masque came about. It is meant to be AN UNUSUAL STORY!!! I guess it is almost like a reflection of the psyche. IT IS REALLY REALLY DEEP!

 

The Masque of Ten Thousand Deaths by Mickmo

 

8) What is a typical day like in the life of Mickmo?

 The typical life for me. [At this moment in time!] Feed my cat Bandit and watch my coveted flatscreen. Getting through the occasional muscular aches and pains. Some days I see “The Therapist” to help me out mentally! Some days I may get a flashbacks or 10 from my post-traumatic stress disorder. Some days I watch Doctor Who or Troma marathons! Sometimes I watch Kansas City Public Television! Or Unsealed or whatever is on that looks interesting!

Artwork by Mickmo

I guess a typical day for me nowadays is just SURVIVAL!!! Just surviving the physical and mental aspects of it all above and below my PTSD! Listening to my underground death/black metal in the headphones most days EXCLUSIVELY! Drinking some energy drinks to keep me awake! Taking sleep pills so I don't go terribly neurotic at night, so I can fall asleep without a hitch! Getting on some sort of computer and typing away in social networks! Tinkering with my car at times to get it to run up to the grocery store...yep, SURVIVAL IN A BARREN WASTELAND!!! [It is what it is out here!] CAUSE MISSOURI SORT OF SUCKS ANYWAY!

 

9) Have you ever worked hard on a project and then decided to trash it ? If so, what was it and why?

Oh....I had a project called DORI-MU that was totally based from dreams that I had! The computer crashed and it never seen the light of day! It was a full comic book too! And the original thing I did of Bug-Slayer got scrapped till much later on! Yeah, my old publisher at Passline was a total jackass! I don't really miss those days either! But as they say....ONWARD AND UPWARD!!!

 

Vampire Dissident by Mickmo

 

10) If you could choose one of your creations to become either a film or a TV series, which one would it be and why?

I'd say, probably THE MASQUE OF TEN-THOUSAND DEATHS!!! Because it is intended to play out like an art house film...and that is sort of the way I saw it in my mind! [Like 8 1/2 from Federico Fellini or The Tin Drum!] It is probably the most “photogenic” of my creations that could be translated into a film.

 

11) What challenges do you encounter self-publishing your own work? What advice would you give to up and coming artists/writers?

Oh....I'd say JUST DOING THE ENTIRE THING BY MYSELF!!! When you are with a comic book publisher, there is almost a chain of command! And all you do IS THE ART AND STORY!!!

But when you self-publish ANYTHING, and you don't get no help or a bare minimum of help. Of course it is all on YOU! So the comic book runs just naturally TAKE MUCH LONGER TO DO! And of course, I am sort of this OUTSIDER with the Kansas City, Missouri scene of comic books anyway! Cause the so-called “scene”is rather ass-backwards here. But quite a few of them still consider me to be the one that broke the rules with everything else with it and even thought hey do not admit to it....I AM STILL AN INFLUENCE! I just came up from a weird corner of it all.

Thundarr the Barbarian by Mickmo

I guess I was just doing my own creations ON MY TERMS!!! And that is what I always have done anyway. I was selective in the process of what art assignments I worked on from early on! Some creators in comic books will pretty much work on ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING thrown in front of them! But me...I guess the art has to constitute some sort of ORIGINALITY FACTOR! That is why I did things like Furrlough and The Flaming “C” and stuff like that. CAUSE IT “WAS”DIFFERENT STUFF!!! [Not necessarily “fuzzy” or “comedic” or whatever. It was just ME AND MY ART!]

Contemplation by Mickmo

I don't know!? I guess I am unique in the fact that I am a self-admitting PTSD survivor of 27+ years, and I still do the art in some form or another! I guess it comes from my backgrounds and philosophy of what the art and the stories “can be” or “should be”. My meticulous natures and my approach to the artforms with it probably drive most people up the freaking wall! Oh well...YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO! One day at a time! LOL!

The thing I'd say to any upstart artist/writer/etc....is MAKE SURE YOUR ART IS EXACT! And by that....I mean, it it good enough to measure up to the standards of a certain publisher!? It took me at leas 10 years in order to even get with some independent comic books! AND DON'T EXPECT A LOT OF MONEY AT FIRST! It is sacrifice to do the art! TRUE SACRIFICE!
You don't get there without a certain amount of pain and agony in the long run.

 

12) What are you planning to work on in the near future? Did you set any goals for yourself?

I just want to get out of the house a little more! LOL! Really, I have had ideas that have not seen the light of day yet.

I wanted to be an extra goofy guy in a Troma film. [If your listening to me, Uncle Lloydie and Troma!] And I wanted to do a comic book that is totally based off of UTTER SARCASM!!! I will just leave it at that! ;)

I suppose doing all an exiled reclusive artist can possibly do in a barren wasteland called Missouri! THAT IS ALL ONE CAN DO....CAUSE I AM STILL THE ARMY OF ONE! ;)

My websites are these!

TWITTER:http://www.twitter.com/mickmoart

DEVIANTART:http://mickmoart.deviantart.com

FACEBOOK:http://www.facebook.com/mickmoart and http://www.facebook.com/mickmosmasque

 

Thank you so much for the interview! :D

 

Mickmo

http://mickmoart.deviantart.com

 

Human Ranking in British society

I don't know how others feel about this, but I find it seriously disturbing.
The "equalities monitoring form" when applying for a job in the UK, ask you to LABEL yourself under the following categories:

If this is socially ACCEPTABLE it must mean there is something VERY WRONG with the mindset of our society. First off, does it even matter what ethnic origin a person has? What counts is that the person is suitable for the job, nothing else!
What disgusts me the most is the classification and RANKING they made depending on the person's race....check it out!
So you are an A if you are WHITE, a B if you are a WHITE "contaminated" with another race, a C if you are Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, D if you are  BLACK and any other extra ethnic group not even worth categorizing is E !!!
And even if you belong to the so called A group ( that meaning that you are a " fine specimen " of THE ALPHA RACE), you are still ranked according to your grade of PURITY.... BRITISH of course is the top, then the Irish which is like a bad version of the original BRITISH and then all the other "whities", which of course are inferior to the two above but still belong to the White Alpha RACE, therefore deserving the A label.
IF THIS IS NOT RACISM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT!

It's GROOVY! new webseries coming up and more projects in the works

I have been working hard on my new project for the web called IT'S GROOVY!
With so many talented people in my circle of friends and so much going on in London, I feel the need to do my own thing. I have a clear image in mind for this project and I know exactly what kind of feel and vibe I want to have for it, so now it is just a question of putting it together.
I am now in the process of selecting creative and talented people to be featured on my show and working on the interviews and some fun activities which will make it cool and peppery!
I am very excited about it, I have no doubt, it is going to be GROOVY!

This is the promo trailer I made for it:

Furthermore I have some great artists coming up with interesting interviews for my blog, so if you don't want to miss a thing, subscribe and keep an eye out for it! Cheers! x

Exclusive interview with JAYLARNO - No 1 Reggae selector

When it comes to Roots and Reggae music JAYLARNO is definitely my number 1 choice. He has a remarkable record collection and plays old school 60's, 70's and 80's  Roots and Reggae tunes twice a week on ROOTS LAB INTERNATIONAL, the coolest Roots and Reggae webradio on the internet, with live dj's 7 days a week.
I just had the pleasure to interview him in exclusive for my blog. Enjoy!

JAYLARNO, YOUR MUSICAL TEACHER



Jaylarno Elandoworth, Roots and Reggae Selector

1)  Tell us something about your background, how you got into Reggae music and how you started your career as a selector.

My parents came from Jamaica in the early 60's and met in London. I have an older brother in the UK plus older half brothers & sisters scattered in America and the Caribbean.

I grew up with music always playing in the household during the 70's via my Dad's record collection, eg Rhythm & Blues, Ska, Rocksteady & Reggae, Calypso & Rock & Roll. My Dad did the accounts for the Tavistock Youth Club in Harlesden where all the soundsystems played during the weekends. In 1978 my parents took us to the Notting Hill Carnival where we heard soundsystems on the streets plus watching clips of Bob Marley concerts on TV and listening to David Rodigan & Tony Williams on the radio every weekend from 1979 onwards helped shape my idea of how Reggae music should sound and feel like.

At age 10 a soundsystem played at my local Church hall where my dad watched me skanking in my good suit. I also went to Tavistock and other local youth clubs listening to other soundsystems and local park events where soundsystems played. By the age of 13, I was going to The Colosseum Club on Sundays & the Roxy Theatre in Harlesden listening to different sounds and by that time, I was educated in the various soundsystems and Dub Plates plus I was a good dancer.
Also at that time I had a nice record collection and I stated getting hold of Dub Plates (Black Uhuru).Fast forward to age 18 in 1988, I started my own sound system Love Attraction, then it became Lovers Attraction which went on until 1992. We had a lot of Dub Plates from King Jammy's studio. I've already had a collection of Dub Plates mixed at King Tubby's, Joe Gibbs & Channel One studio's. We played in many Halls, Blues dances, House Parties & Christenings and we had a large female following.


2)  What was it like growing up in London as a person of Jamaican descent? What were the biggest challenges?

Funnily enough, there were no challenges per-se because the vast majority of people from my area and pupils from my nursery school, primary and secondary schools had the same Jamaican and West Indian parentage. My area was predominantly Black and Irish and we got along.

 

 

3)   What differences  do you  see between the Roots/ Reggae scene  in the 80’s and now? What’s the scene like in London these days?

The Roots Reggae scene in the UK during the 80s was mainly Shaka really. You had a few other sounds like Channel One, Jah Tubby's, Jah Revelation Music & others but Shaka had the bigger impact due to the type of Roots tunes & Dubs he played plus the way he presented it. All the rest of the big soundsystems from the 1981 - 82 had switched over to the dancehall style that was running Jamaica.
So Shaka dances back in the early 80's before computer rhythms started to run the scene in 1986 onwards were totally different to what you see in nowadays 'Roots' scene.
Those sessions back then had 99% Black(dreadlocks Rasta & 'baldhead') revellers skanking (70's Reggae dancing style) to good authentic Dub. The sound systems had valve amps and the musicians that made the music and engineers  that recorded and mixed the records and Dub Plates were very good at their profession. Plus each studio that made the tunes had their own sound and feel. Also the soundsystems selectors and MCs were also very good at their craft and each soundsystem had their own individual style. Eg. Coxsone, Shaka, Fatman, Unity, Saxon, Java, Young Lion, Volcano, Sovereign & V Rocket etc, had their own style of playing and presentation.




Jaylarno with dub veterans Original Dubman and Tony Benjamin

Now going back the the early 80's Shaka dances. When he played a hard Dub Plate that was mixed at King Tubby's, the effect, ambience and feel took you to another place. The intro of the Dubs will grab your attention and you knew the tune was going to be good. The tunes themselves had melody, definition, direction, personality, feel and 'told a story' which induced you to skank and even determined the skank you did.
Sometimes a particular instrument of the tune 'grabbed you' and you based your skank off that eg the bass line, rhythm guitar, snare drum, hi hat or bongo drums etc.
Plus the dancing was very creative with all types of fancy footwork, Kung Fu style acrobatics or you based your skank of something identifiable to the ravers plus the dancing itself told a story. That whole package is what created that magical feel. I myself went to a few of those sessions and danced plus when I left to go home, certain tunes would stick in my head, sometime lingering there for a couple of weeks.

ORIGINAL EARLY 80'S FOOTAGE FROM A JAH SHAKA DANCE

 

 

This is so unlike today in the new UK roots scene where anyone with absolutely no musical discipline can purchase or download a music program and claim that they're making Dub. The standard has dropped severely in Roots music production so bad that it no longer sounds like Roots. The majority of what these guys are passing off as 'roots music' today sounds cold, rigid and monotonous and very thin. There's not much melody, direction, personality, feel or storyline in the rhythms. Plus none of these guys are mixing like the old time style or the 70s or 80s. Most of the 'one drop' rhythms they're trying to make sounds a bit dull. On the other hand, the majority of the fast style or (warrior style) tunes they making are sounding more & more like Techno or Speed Garage which has absolutely nothing to do with Rastafari message whatsoever. I can hardly dance to these new tunes and if I do, its limited to a few moves of my feet coz those tunes doesn't have the vibe to make me want to 'shock out'. This is because the lead instrument in a lot of these new UK Roots productions since year 2000 is the footdrum tempo:- 'boom', 'boom', 'boom,' 'boom', 'boom. That is what the new young 70% White & multi racial crowd, especially university students are dancing off from, that footdrum tempo. This is because that's the main instrument in those productions that gets the people dancing. Unlike the golden years of the 70s & 80s when the crowd would dance to the 'STORY' of the rhythm track.

Nowadays when I leave a 'roots session' where the soundsystems are playing new tunes, I may nod my head and and move my feet on the dancefloor but by the time I walked out of the club, I would have forgotten every tune I've heard. None of those new tunes lingers in my head. These new roots productions sound very similar to each other.

 

4) Is there any particular artist or sound system that influenced you?

I’ve heard all the big sounds during the 80's but the soundsystems that influenced me are Sir Coxsone, Shaka, Java and a Jamaican soundsystem called Black Star.
My favourite 80's artist and who I think represented Jamaican Reggae very well during that 80's era was Frankie Paul. He sang in every style and could sing on every riddim. Roots, Lovers & Dancehall, he was good in all.



5) If you could pick 5 albums to represent Jamaican Reggae in the world, what would they be?

The albums I've chosen have the vast majority of tracks very good and playable in a dance or radio as opposed to picking albums with just one or two good tracks.
So my picks are:

 

1. Smile Like An Angel – Dennis Brown

 

 

 

 

2. Sings For You And I – Horace Andy

 

 3. Big Big Man - Trinity

 

 

 

 4. Stormy Night - Wailing Souls

 

 

 

5. Lets Go Dancing – Gregory Isaacs
 

 

 

 

 

6) Do you consider yourself a Rasta?
 

Yes

 

7) How did you get to work on Roots Lab? Tell us something about your show

 

It was in July 2012, I was a DJ on Genesis Radio and on my way home from that radio station after a short meeting. As I was walking towards another train station, I bumped into my friend Ras Terry Gad. He was with Ras Benji, Luca Bat & Bunnington Judah who was already a DJ on Rootslab and who told me the radio station was looking new Roots DJs. I got the phone number and joined them 2 days later. My first show on Rootslab was on Friday 27^th July 2012.

 

 

 My JAYLARNO Reggae Show on Roots Lab is known for specializing in strictly late 60's – 70's & 80's Reggae music. Plus I'm known for my vast collection of Dub Plates which are raw 'stripped down' mixed from the studio multitrack tape and unreleased tunes of that era (Pre release promotional cuts for the soundsystems).
My show is broadcasted from my home every Tuesday 4-7pm (UK time) where I start off playing the toughest 80's Dancehall for the the first 2hrs between 4-6pm. Then the last hour of my show from 6-7pm I play Revival, Rocksteady, Lovers Rock.The last 15mins of that show I play Dub Plates of that genre.
I'm also on Friday 3-6pm (UK time) playing strictly 70's & 80's roots music & Dub Plates in the last 15 mins of that show also.


As a person who was there in the Dancehalls and witnessed ALL the Top UK soundsystems during the 80s, plus knew all the tunes that were around at the time, when you listen to my shows, I give you a taste of how the dances were & felt like back in those good old days. Plus you can find my reggae show recordings which are regularly updated on this link:

http://www.talawa.fr/search/jaylarno

 

8) You are vegan.  Why this choice? What benefits do you see in this life style? Where do you shop your vegan products? Do you have any favourite dishes?

In late 2009, I bumped into my nutritionist friend Patrick Montegue on the train and he explained a lot to me about the toxic ingredients and additives that are loaded in commercial foods, confectioneries & soft drinks also explained why he was a raw vegan. At the time, the only meat and animal product that I was eating was fish and eggs, plus I didn't eat confectionery sweets or biscuits, so it was quite easy for me to change over to vegan. My girlfriend at the time was living in Kentish Town and she lived near three nutritional and organic fruits and veg stores so it was easy to get what we wanted. So over a period of one year, I slowly changed over to vegan but she stayed eating meat but buys organic fed meats and organic ice creams etc.
The benefits that I get being a vegan is that I can stay up for longer hours without getting tired. I don't get sick, ill or anything like that. My tummy doesn't hurt after a big meal, unlike meat based dinners. I can eat just one or two meals a day without having to run to the shop to get a snack. Plus vegan foods fills me up with energy.
I get my vegan productions from Wholefoods, Bumblebee, Neal's Yard.
I wouldn't say I have any particular favourite dishes but quinoa with mixed veg is quite nice.

 

9) Describe JAYLARNO in three words

Charismatic, Teacher & Perfectionist


10) What can we expect from Jaylarno in the near future?

Fantastic and brilliant mind-blowing productions of all Reggae genres especially Roots Reggae & Dub that sound and are mixed in the traditional and correct manner with melody, definition, direction, personality, feel and tells a story.




Berris Bassa, Errol Bellot, Jaylarno, Mister Bassie and Wolfman

Jaylarno with Man Fi Bill of Moa Ambassa

 

You could also catch myself JAYLARNO live alongside MOA AMBASSA at the Heritage Inn:- 301 Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewoodm London NW2 6PG. Wed 13th March & EVERY WEDNESDAY thereafter From 7pm – 1am.

Strictly 70's & 80's Roots & Revival Reggae. FREE ENTRY

(Click the link below and click JOIN)

https://www.facebook.com/events/591865050830397/

 

I'll also be playing at the One Love festival on the 16-18th August 2013 from the Roots section as one of the DJs in the line up.

 

Click on the photo to get your ticket!

 

 

You can also join JAYLARNO on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/jaylarno