Interview: Michael Rose (2015) | United Reggae

Online Reggae Magazine

Articles

Articles about reggae music, reviews, interviews, reports and more...

Interview: Michael Rose (2015)

Interview: Michael Rose (2015)

Interview: Michael Rose (2015)

By on - Photos by Franck Blanquin - Comment

"Sly and Robbie is like genius at work"

Reggae legends don’t come much bigger than Black Uhuru’s Michael Rose. His status – like his back catalogue – is full of sugar and spice and all things nice. It is beyond question one of reggae’s most impressive archives. It harbours some of the sweetest sounds to ever emanate from a reggae artist. Who can argue with ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?’, ‘Sponji Reggae’, ‘Shine Eye Gal’ and so many many more? Nobody can. Little wonder then that in 1985 he should lead Black Uhuru to reggae’s first ever keenly contested Grammy award.

Still going strong, Rose dared undertake a winter tour in early 2015. It had him criss-crossing Europe in the company of rising reggae artist Etana. At the end of February last, United Reggae caught up with the touring party for their grande finale concert in the liberal city of Amsterdam. The evening’s entertainment was split between Etana and Rose, and this reviewer was very pleasantly surprised to find that the two sets were of an equally high standard and both thoroughly enjoyable.

After Rose’s set, he generously granted an interview to United Reggae. A striking feature of the exchange is how Rose says as much through his piercing eyes and warm smile as he does through his tongue. Though crudely cut, the footage offers a rare insight into parts of Rose’s wonderfully warm persona that are normally kept firmly under wraps. In the course of the brief exchange, Uhuru’s Rose comments on the tour, family, musical influences, new work, achievements, disappointments, the Grammy, his Blue Mountain coffee farm produce and business, Black Uhuru’s demise, remaining ambitions, politicians, heroes, the homophobia issue and his arrest in Miami that resulted in a 7 year confinement.      

Share it!

Send to Kindle
Create an alert

Comments actually desactivated due to too much spams

Recently addedView all

Video
Var - Poor and Needy
27 Sep
Video
Mortimer - Lightning
11 Aug

© 2007-2024 United Reggae. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. Read about copyright

Terms of use | About us | Contact us | Authors | Newsletter | A-Z

United Reggae is a free and independant magazine promoting reggae music and message since 2007. Support us!

Partners: Jammin Reggae Archives | Jamaican Raw Sessions | Guide nature - Traversées de la baie du Mont Saint-Michel | One One One Wear