Burning Spear

Laura Gardner: I get the feeling that music is not only a profession for you, it’s more of a way of life. But when you’re not playing music, what do you do in your spare time?

Winston Rodney: There are so many things I do when I’m not playing music! [laughs] When I’m not playing music, I might just be creating melodies. Maybe I might just be playing some other kind of music…get relaxed and listen to some other singers. I might travel…go to some island and chill out for a weekend. Maybe I’m outside juggling my ball! But then, I always go gym. I go gym in the morning time. There are so many things I have to do and I can do when I’m not touring.

LG: What are some of your favorite songs or albums that you’ve put out?

WR: Everything is favorite to me, you know. Some track might stand out more, but when you combine everything, all the albums are great. I say favorites would be coming from the fans. They have all the right to come up with what they think are the best or what’s better than what. I don’t feel no way about that. To be honest, all my albums are very good.

LG: I agree. Who are some of the artists that you like to listen to in this time?

WR: I like to listen to artists wherein substance is within the music.

LG: With a message…

WR: Exactly! With a message and concept. The artist must be saying things wherein people can properly understand what he’s saying. I listen to various Reggae music. Today I was listening to the “Best of Aretha Franklin,” and I just turned it down because of the interview. I listen to blues, African music. I listen to so many different types of music!

Because I do my own production, people are always sending me stuff to listen to. It’s just a matter of fact that I’m not producing any other person away from myself. But I get a wide variety of music to listen to and it’s very good. When you’re a musician or a singer, it’s very important to listen to other people.

LG: Lastly, what’s next for Burning Spear? I know you have a big tour to Australia and New Zealand in April.

WR: It’s not a big, big one. But then again, it’s big. It’s the very first time Burning Spear is going to Australia. We’re going to be a couple of days doing a couple of shows, but the big tour is going to get started in July, back in the States. And it’s going to run us right up to the early part of November.

Special thanks to Joshua Blood for making this interview possible.