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Joseph Israel stirs up reggae |
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Written by Glenn BurnSilver
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Friday, 16 February 2007 |
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Joseph Israel is not your average reggae artist.
For starters, Israel — born Joseph Montgomery Fennel — hails from Fayetteville, Ark., not Jamaica. Yet his heart lies in Jamaica. Through his father, who owned a nightclub in Fayetteville, Israel was exposed to reggae music. He began collecting reggae albums when he was 12, and, “I always had my own reggae concert in my room after school.”
Eventually, his father took him to Jamaica and he became fascinated with the laid-back vibe, spiritual nature of Rastafarianism, and of course the music. It was only fitting that when he got his first guitar, he began learning Bob Marley songs.
“It meant so much to me, the works of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh with the message they were communicating and how it reached me,” Israel said. “I realized that it needed to be carried forward for this generation, too. I felt like it was one of my duties to spread the truth through music, however it comes out. I just wanted to write my own songs.”
It is only appropriate then that Israel recorded much of his debut album “Gone Are The Days” (New Door) in Bob Marley’s legendary Tuff Gong studios with some of the country’s top reggae artists including Mikey General, Luciano, saxophonist Dean Fraser, bassist Chris Meredith and guitarist Earl “Chinna” Smith. It was his dream come true.
“We just became a family. Everybody took care of me,” he said. “I don’t know what it was. I guess it was the spirit that brought us together. It was thrilling, but it felt so natural, felt so right. Everyone’s heart was really open for that time period. It was real beautiful.”
“Gone Are The Days” packs an authentic island-vibe, full of tight rhythms and cool runnings. Israel shifts easily from roots-reggae to lover’s rock and dancehall. He never loses focus or determination as he rallies against injustice, racism and hatred; he also sings of love and peace. He sings duets with Luciano on “Ruff Times” and Mikey General on “Universal Love.”
Yet turning this dream into reality wasn’t easy. His music career began in earnest in 2000 with a series of original but short-lived reggae bands. Then he decided the time was right to record a solo album. With his wife’s support, Israel dumped the family savings into the project.
“A lot of people’s wives wouldn’t support them like my wife has and let us spend all our savings on my album,” he said. “We didn’t know how we were going to pay the rent next month, and we spent every single little bit of money we saved for the last five years. If I had a stressed-out wife, I wouldn’t be able to do it. She’d be badgering me. Instead, she supports me.”
What if the album flopped?
“We never really considered that,” Israel concluded. “We’re willing to sacrifice everything for the truth.”
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FROM THE MOUTH OF BABES
On Joseph Israel’s “Mankind” his children sing, “Stop Fighting/ Love one another/ Feed the mommies of little children.”
“I think that was the best thing I did on the CD,” Israel said proudly. “That song really is a joyous song. When you hear an innocent child speak, what they say really sums up everything. That was the greatest experience.”
Glenn BurnSilver
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