by Daniel V. Garcia
Daily Lobo
In mainstream culture, reggae music is commonly associated with smoking ganja, cultivating dreadlocks and speaking in a colorful dialect.
Most people know reggae is Jamaican in origin, and it has something to do with Rastafarianism. But that is typically the extent of their knowledge. When I was growing up, the only reggae music I heard was Bob Marley's album Legend.
So, when I was recently hired to play keyboards in some local reggae bands, I received an in-depth education about reggae music and the thriving New Mexico reggae scene. The scene's success is due in no small part to the collaborative work of local bands with the renowned group Midnite, which played a show in Taos last
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weekend.
Reggae descended from ska music. Ska is faster but exhibits the same off-beat emphasis - called skanking - as the former. Mwata, a local Rasta musician, told me skanking came about when Jamaican people heard radio transmissions of American R&B of such poor quality that it sounded like the skank was deliberate, so they imitated it.
Early ska wasn't overtly political or spiritual, but reggae is, especially as it is influenced by the teachings of Marcus Garvey and Rastafarianism. An understanding of this connection is critical in gaining access to reggae by navigating the dense, heavily nuanced patois.
A niche of lyric-heavy roots reggae has been carved out by reggae artists throughout the genre's history. Midnite is a prominent band within this niche. The group is fronted by Vaughn Benjamin, a lyricist whose eloquence and erudition borders on the mystical. Several online groups are dedicated solely to the dissemination and discussion of his words. The profundity of his writing in concert with his prolificacy - he's released nine albums this year alone - makes his musical and literary contributions all the more awe inspiring.
"It's a world changing where no one knows where the direction is headed," he said. "I know, however, of Haile Selassie's version of the Earth and of the condition of the brotherhood of man. This I can put energy into. This I know. That's the truth."
Benjamin occasionally collaborates with other musicians, but he is selective. It is surprising that he has chosen to work with two reggae bands from New Mexico - Mystic Vision and Lion Tribe. Benjamin said he first noticed New Mexico due to its cultural diversity. He said he wants "to be a part of that fusion and to try to lay down some good guideposts for generations, that is all."
I am honored to have played in the band that opened up for Midnite at its Taos concert. Though I am not Rastafarian, the spirituality and thought-provoking nature of reggae resonates with me and many others who celebrate this life-affirming music.
