Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay, St. Ann, Jamaica, as were Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey; who both had a great influence on Rodney's life. Garvey in his philosophy, which Burning Spear greatly took to, and Marley in directly helping Burning Spear get started in the music industry. Burning Spear was originally Rodney's group, named after Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and President of an independent Kenya. As fame took hold the name of the group gradually became synonymous with Rodney.
Burning Spear is one of the strongest proponents of Marcus Garvey's self-determination and self-reliance for all African descendants, thus leading to several album releases in commemoration of the African activist.
In 2002, Burning Spear and his wife, Sonia Rodney who has produced a number of his albums, founded Burning Spear Records.
Burning Spear advocates messages of honesty, peace, and love, which tie in with his religious and political messages of Rasta and black unity.
About Burning Spear
Burning Music
"I don't know how other people see music," reggae legend Burning Spear reflects. "Some people might see it based upon money, some people might see music based upon opportunity and access. But I see music as life. I see music as inspiration."
For more than 35 years, Burning Spear's music-thus, his life-has inspired people on numerous continents. Since the beginning, his songs have implored listeners to fight oppression in all its forms, to work at improving their own condition and to consider the social impact of their actions.
OUR MUSIC builds upon the Jamaican native's legacy of musical activism. With its inimitable dancing groove, the album percolates and bubbles rhythmically in its call for unity between races, between nations, between individuals and even between business associates.
OUR MUSIC is the second album released on his Burning Spear label, following 2003's Grammy-nominated FREEMAN. In the midst of its expected messages about love, oppression and African history is the title track, a public confirmation that his brand of positivity is tempered with a strong sense of self. "Our Music" is Burning Spear's reclamation of his own artistry-a justification for establishing his record company and a challenge to all artists to commandeer their own future.
"A lot of artists just have no time to really look within the business section of the music business," Burning Spear reasons. "There's no one to really sit them down and give them some of that business understanding before they get into what they get into. So then people walk all over these artists and do things where it's not appropriate and it's not right. It's not in the artist's love."
With his art and his business now firmly in his own control, Burning Spear's OUR MUSIC stands among the most joyful albums of his career. Bolstered by its throbbing basslines, bright horn parts and slinky female background singers, the songs embrace persistence ("Try Again"), self-analysis ("Friends"), love ("Fix Me") and community ("Together") through deceptively simple lyrics that point to deeper issues. It is, in effect, smart music you can dance to.
"It's like art," he says. "You're gonna paint this thing, and people are gonna look at this art and say that it looks like a tree, looks like a car, some people it looks like a flower. People are gonna say different things according to what they see. It's very different, what it looks like to them."
No matter who looks at Burning Spear's career, they have to be impressed. Of his more than 25 albums, nine have earned Grammy nominations, with one of them - 1999's CALLING RASTAFRI - receiving the Academy's Best Reggae Album honor. And he remains one of the few reggae pioneers still working and influencing the people today.
Born Winston Rodney in St. Ann, Jamaica, he was an early fan of Bob Marley. As the legend goes, Rodney bumped into Marley while walking through a field, and the two began talking about music. Marley encouraged him to visit Jamaica's Studio One, where Rodney and a fellow musician recorded "Door Peep." By the time of its release, Rodney had branded the duo Burning Spear, taking the nickname of Jomo Kenyatta, who was jailed by a colonial British government in Africa but rose to become the first president of Kenya.
"I believe in people who are gonna stand up for what they believe in," Burning Spear notes, "not only for themselves, but for themselves and their people, and that was what Jomo was doing."
Even more central to Burning Spears' mission - and it truly is a mission - was the doctrine of Marcus Garvey, a 20th century figure who pushed for a stronger black race through self-reliance. The Jamaican-born Garvey supported freedom and economic strength for all people, but made the African-originated population his focus and published his views in a New York-based newspaper, Negro World. Garvey was jailed in the 1920s and eventually exiled to Jamaica, though he never lashed out at the system that brought him down. His message survived, influencing the likes of Kenyatta, Martin Luther King Jr., Marley and Burning Spear, which titled some of its seminal albums MARCUS GARVEY and MARCUS' CHILDREN.
"Those men wasn't preachin' any violence," Burning Spear says. "They were preachin' about Oneness and the struggles of black people about where they can live and having their voices heard. I don't see anything wrong with his plan and his direction. I think he opened a lot of eyes and opened a lot of mouths so those people could really talk and their voices could be heard. I think the time is right now to clear his name up and set his record free."
Burning Spear's mission remains rather unchanged today, though the act and the music have undergone some alterations. The duo grew into a trio, but has long since morphed into Burning Spear, a solo artist. And while his music has always been a vehicle for social change, his songs are now increasingly melodic, developed with catchy hooks that use short phrases and point more subtly to internal truths for those willing to go through self-exploration.
The music survives in a much different musical era. The reggae genre, once a distinct idiom unto itself, has been co-opted by artists throughout the years and melded with other pop forms. Artists such as Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, The Rolling Stones, The Police, Stevie Wonder and UB40 combined it with pop and rock during the '70s and '80s, while Shaggy and Sean Paul have blended it with hip-hop textures in more recent years. Even country man Willie Nelson put together a hybrid album involving Toots Hibbert, of The Maytals.
Those efforts have called attention to the genre, and specifically to those who helped bring reggae to the world in the '70s, including Burning Spear, Peter Tosh, Hibbert and Marley. In his time, Marley gave Burning Spear his personal seal of approval, and the Spear continues to maintain a devotion to reggae's roots while continuing his service to Jah.
"I think people have to remember the originals," Burning Spear suggests. "So to be honest, I don't really feel no way about it when people put reggae in a different form. Regardless who's gonna do what with the music, I don't think they interfere with Burning Spear."
OUR MUSIC relies heavily on the roots of the reggae movement.
"What I tried to do with this album, musically and lyrically, is to go back to the '70s, when we were singin' about the history and the culture and the lifestyle of these people," Burning Spear observes. "A lot of Burning Spear songs of that earlier times, people would see as political. To me, it's just a natural thing. As an artist, I just expressed that."
Burning Spear continues his mission of expressing his heart, of entertaining and educating the masses. He cleverly accomplishes that by winning over his listeners' bodies before he impacts their minds. He witnesses that process each time he takes the stage.
"You see the head start to nod, you start to see one movement from one of these legs down here and another one, 'til the whole body just gets involved in the whole thing," he laughs. "You have to think about that when you're creatin' the music-you're not just creatin' the music for people to sit back and listen, 'Oh, that's all good and that's bad.' You need people to shake a leg."
As they listen at home and shake legs to OUR MUSIC, listeners will also be swept up with the headiness of Burning Spear's message. The political statements are still there, most obviously in the continued references to Marcus Garvey ("One Marcus" and "Little Garvey").
But OUR MUSIC also contains deeper ideas that penetrate quietly, subtly into the mind before they reach clarity. The bouncy "Friends" asks rather simplistically, "Are you my friend, my neighbor or my enemy?/Who are you? Who are you?" On further reflection, it's obvious that the question is a complex one about societal roles and provocative self-evaluation. "Together" recalls the image of African slaves, shackled together at the ankles, while suggesting that contemporary blacks can still link together figuratively at the elbow in the continued quest for equality. And "Fix Me" embraces the power and essence of love, which Burning Spear sees as the ultimate goal of humanity.
"Love," he says, "is a harmony thing, it's a communication. Love is a link."
Burning Spear's link is a pure one in 2006. Unfettered by someone else's record company, still linked to the roots of reggae and to the ideals of its forefathers, OUR MUSIC points to a better world for those who are oppressed, and for those who simply believe a better world is possible.
"Music," Burning Spear maintains, "is a very important thing. We have to remember that no force is stronger than the music."
Cry Blood
Burning Spear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To go through the same thing like
I and I foreparents go through
No, before that, cry blood Africa
Cry blood, cry blood Africa
Cry blood cry blood
Cry blood cry Africa
Who are they that invade Africa
They were so presumptious
Who dare them to say that
Cry blood, Africa cry blood
Cry Africa cry blood
I and I and I
I come this day to set just foundation,
Upon foundation, in foundation
If any one should trouble,
Cry blood cry Africa cry blood
No more invasion
No more black blood na go run in a River Jordan
No Cry blood cry Africa
Africa, cry blood, cry Africa
It's about time, African and African
Should come together,
Sing the same song
Cry Africa cry blood
The whole wide feel feel it when
Africa continent cry
Cry blood, whose fault
No trouble Africa
Cry blood
Free up Africa
Cry blood, African cry blood
Come on
It's about time African and African
Should hold hands in hands
Yes Jah it was adain
Cry blood cry African
No trouble Africa cry blood
Free Africa, cry blood
Cry, Blood, blood, blood, blood, blood
Blood, blood, blood, blood, blood, blood
Cry blood cry Africa
Cry blood come together African cry blood
Mek we sing the same songs
Cry blood
Show them we can hold hands in hands
Cry blood
The song Cry Blood by Burning Spear is a socio-political track that speaks about the need for unity and cohesion among Africans. The song encourages Africans to come together and sing the same song symbolically, conveying that Africans should unite and work towards a common goal. This message is evident in the repetitive chorus that urges Africa to cry blood, with the phrase 'Cry Africa, cry blood' as the centerpiece of this appeal. The song continues to describe the suffering that Africans have faced due to colonization, exploitation, and overall lack of unity. The lines "No more invasion, no more black blood na go run in a River Jordan, no Cry blood cry Africa, Africa cry blood, cry Africa, cry blood" express the need to eliminate these travesties and bring forth a united Africa.
The song Cry Blood by Burning Spear explores themes of African unity, struggle, and resilience. The song is a powerful message that urges Africans to think about their origins and their forefathers' sacrifices, who battled and suffered to protect their traditions and cultures from colonialism, slavery, and exploitation. Burning Spear points out the bleak reality: no one can be sure that history will not repeat itself, and Africans must employ all necessary means to safeguard their heritage. "Who are they that invade Africa, saying that they employ my sister? They were so presumptuous, who dare them to say that" describes the colonization of Africa by foreign nations and nations that have tried to have a say in African affairs in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I and I don't make up I and I mind
I am not changing my mind
To go through the same thing like
To experience what my ancestors endured
I and I foreparents go through
Ancestral suffering
No, before that, cry blood Africa
Africa's history is filled with pain
Cry blood, cry blood Africa
Shedding tears for Africa's suffering
Who are they that invade Africa
Who has the right to invade Africa?
Saying that they employ my sister
Claiming to employ my family
They were so presumptuous
They were acting arrogantly
Who dare them to say that
Who gave them the right to do so?
I and I and I
We are all equal
I come this day to set just foundation
I am here to create a fair society
Upon foundation, in foundation
It starts with the roots
If anyone should trouble,
If anyone tries to oppress,
Cry blood cry Africa cry blood
The people will rise up and fight
No more invasion
Africa wants freedom
No more black blood na go run in a River Jordan
No more African lives will be lost
It's about time, African and African
Now is the time for unity
Should come together,
To act as one
Sing the same song
To work towards the same goal
The whole wide feel feel it when
The world is watching
Africa continent cry
When Africa hurts
Cry blood, whose fault
Who is to blame for this tragedy?
No trouble Africa
Africa deserves peace
Free up Africa
Africa should be liberated
Come on
Let's do this
It's about time African and African
Repeat of previous stanza
Should hold hands in hands
To show solidarity
Yes Jah it was adain
It's time to do it again
Cry blood cry African
To show strength against oppressors
No trouble Africa cry blood
End oppression against Africa
Free Africa, cry blood
Africa needs liberation
Cry, Blood, blood, blood, blood, blood
Repeated emphasis on the tragedy of oppression
Blood, blood, blood, blood, blood, blood
Repeated emphasis on the tragedy of oppression
Cry blood cry Africa
Shedding tears for Africa's suffering
Cry blood come together African cry blood
Join forces to end oppression
Mek we sing the same songs
Unite towards the same goal
Show them we can hold hands in hands
Demonstrate solidarity
Cry blood
Expressing grief and pain
Writer(s): Winston Rodney
Contributed by Allison M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@silibelokamwi1641
From that time till now still relevant, cry blood Africa,big up to the burning spear big respect from Namibia
@marcustuuhetoka1340
That bass player is a beast. 🎸
@snakhokonkebuthelezi2959
One African continent, one African government, one African currency, one African economy. No longer shall we be divided and conquered by European, American, and Asian colonialism.
@wilbroadsikszwe4061
Am with you you.....
@timnamogotlane867
Growing up, I never understood the depth of this song, Burning Spear himself. Now that I'm older not only is it comforting cos it's been a childhood memory. I now understand that my father was trying to educate me.
@ismaelsissoko9178
Wright Burning Spear is the King of spiritual reggae. Congratulatipns so Much to himself.Big up .Thank,s.
@edouardousmanendiaye4877
Seems he succeeded.
@SidSid-hy6ny
@@edouardousmanendiaye4877veux 5 ^#4÷
@HarrisMendez-mt1nr
😅😅😂@@ismaelsissoko9178
@herculesskinny2030
This song blends so excellent with my Ghana splif🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭