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Steel Pulse: “The Hardest Hard” |
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| By Marlon Regis 2/1/05 | ||||
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Just before they headed to the U.S., David Hinds – lead singer and songwriter of Steel Pulse – took a little time while at home in England to let me in on why he’s so passionate about the strong cultural and Afro-centric messages behind this album; his disgust with the direction of popular reggae and dancehall artists; and a rare memory of his first encounter with reggae great, Bob Marley. Q - This marks Steel Pulse’s 30 th Anniversary in the business. Have you looked at this as a milestone and as something very special to you as a band? David Hinds: “We think that a lot more ground could have been covered in that 30 years, so in a sense we don’t like to brag about it because of where we think we’re at and where we think we should be. There’s still a lot of work to be done. I mean, we’ve been here for 30 years, how many videos do you see of the band out there on MTV? So that’s what I’m talking about.” Q - Throughout this album, African Holocaust , you have a definite goal in highlighting the struggles that still continue to haunt black persons in the African Diaspora. But today, even amongst black people, the effects of slavery don’t seem that obvious. David Hinds: “The struggle in the African Diaspora which is like the post-slavery era is still prevailing as far as today is concerned. A lot of people sort of disassociate what went on with the Africans – ‘oh yeah that happened a long time ago, emancipation was 1833 from England , from the US it was in 1865, from Brazil it was 1888 and that was a long time ago.’ We’re talking about the aftermath and all the powers that be that are still pulling strings that keep us down., from the puppets that have been put there after colonialism to this present time. These are the sort of things that we mention. A lot of the leaders that are governing Africa , especially from the old school, are idiots as far as their (colonialist) philosophies which are absolutely getting us nowhere.” Q - Presently, besides enlightening the masses on the effects of post-slavery traumas, you’re also trying to redirect a positive image for artists – of course with African or cultural depth. Break it down for us, from your perspective, why you’re so passionate to call-out dancehall artists not really carrying the torch on the correct path. David Hinds: “My thing is, ever since reggae has been a stand alone music – a music that’s been recognized by the media – I find there have been a lot of acts over the years that simply have been calling themselves JUST names. Initially it started with names from Cowboys in movies – your Josie Wales, your Dillinger and your Eastwood. Then it snowballed into all kinds of names that have no relevance to us as a people or to any development of our minds – the cultural development of our minds. Before we call ourselves something that pertains to something positive, it’s always some kind of…I don’t even want to mention half of the names.” Q – Gimmicky? David Hinds: “Yes, gimmicky names! And then you find that the whole conception within their music follows that same kind of frame of thought when it comes to the name. And it goes on and on… For example, you’ve got your Black Uhuru, which came out of the time where it was a positive thing and a lot of bands were calling themselves African names. Since at that time they knew they had to call themselves that kind of name, they had to really defend their name. One could not help but put music out pertaining to what that name was about. When we call ourselves Steel Pulse, the intention was to come out with a groove that was of the hardest kind. And behind that groove was gonna be the lyrics that hitting of the hardest kind. It got a lot of controversy because a lot of people associate it with being a steel-drum band, then they associated it with a heavy metal band,” he laughs. “Even Bob Marley from meeting him for the first time when he heard the name, he screwed up his face and say, ‘ah what kinda name dat?!’ Then when he started hearing what the band was about, only then he was like, ‘Oh they’re part of us!’ And don’t get me wrong, nicknames and pet names are a thing that’s always grown and been part of the culture of the black man, especially from the Caribbean – everybody has a name in the street, and then even a name that people call them in the house. But as far as musically and culturally helping the masses out there, c’mon. That’s my take on it anyway. I’m sorry if I’ve stepped on anyone’s toes or mashed anyone’s fingers.”
David Hinds: “Let’s face it, there have been all kinds of slave trades throughout the years – where if a man owed money to someone, he became his slave to pay his debt; or if he stole or committed a crime, then he became a slave. But when we’re talking about that slave trade that took place from the 1400s or 1500s, the enslavement of the Africans has to be by far the most severe atrocity ever known to mankind. We too use that word ‘Holocaust’ because I don’t personally think it belongs to any sector of people. But I also thought it bore relevance to what happened to us as a people. I must admit too, in small communities around New York , there are people that have printed T-Shirts with the title ‘African Holocaust’ that I saw several, several years ago.”
Steel Pulse U.S. Tour Dates: 02/01 Fort Lauderdale , FL Culture Room 02/02 Fort Lauderdale , FL Culture Room 02/03 Saint Petersburg , FL Jannus Landing 02/04 Jacksonville Beach , FL Freebird Live 02/07 Carrboro , NC Cat’s Cradle 02/08 Norfolk , VA The Norva Theatre 02/09 Baltimore , MD Rams Head Live 02/11 New Haven , CT Toad’s Place 02/12 Falls Church , VA State Theatre 02/13 Burlington , VT Higher Ground 02/14 Providence , RI Lupos At The Strand 02/15 Morgantown , WV Metropolitan Theatre 02/17 Cleveland , OH House of Blues 02/19 Minneapolis , MN Fine Line Music Café 02/20 Long Beach , CA Long Beach Arena 02/21 San Diego , CA San Diego Sports Arena 02/25 Eureka , CA Mateel Community Center 02/26 San Francisco , CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 05/1 New Orleans , LA Fairgrounds Racecourse ( New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival) Marlon "Mr. Marlon" Regis, "Musical Murder" columnist, is the dancehall reviews selector, as well as the annual guest editor for The Beat's dancehall issue each year. He's occasionally the digi dj in the diverse settings he prefers under another alias, DJ Pelau and he's a music consultant for DMX Music Inc's REGGAE channel and custom Sean John channel. Outside of the reggae world, he's a staff writer for HipHopSite.Com, and continues to be a contributing writer to Vibe, The Source, Complex, Upscale, S.O.C.A., Jointz, HipHopDX.Com, thaformula.com, and more if you can catch him! |
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To
the youth in the UK, Steel Pulse may seem like a group of the past, while
some even wonder if they’re still together. To aid in that misconception
is the ever growing popularity of dancehall and other forms of black British
music like electro-soul, garage, drum+bass , trip-hop, and jungle – which
seem to drown out the legacy that one of roots reggae’s strongest and
most popular bands are leaving behind. Second and third generation West
Indians have to make an effort to seek the history of Steel Pulse on their
adopted soil to even know and appreciate songs such as “Bodyguard,” “Ku
Klux Klan,” “Taxi Driver” and countless other hits from LPs that remain
classics to older reggae fans. Times are changing they say, but for Steel
Pulse – close to embarking on a U.S. Tour to coincide with Black History
Month in February – three achievements stand out and carry them forward
in 2005: 
Q
– Speaking of names – that title ‘African Holocaust’ – one immediately
thinks of the term being associated with the Jews and the Nazis in Germany
. You can’t help but think of a comparison automatically. 
