Intervista a Cedric Im Brooks A cura di: Pier Tosi Scroll to right column for english version D: Da dove viene il tuo soprannome Im? R: Questo e' il nome che mi realizza, la mia personalita', il mio spirito, il nome da Dio, la mia spiritualita'. D: Da dove viene questo nome? R: Viene da Dio. D: Tu hai imparato la musica alla Alpha Boys School: puoi dirmi qualcosa sui tuoi anni ad Alpha? R: Si, e' stato la che ho incominciato con la musica, e' stata una ottima esperienza imparare musica e tutte le altre cose...sai...la mia educazione di base comincio' la, cosi' per me fu una ottima esperienza. D: Probabilmente hai incontrato la alcuni dei futuri membri degli Skatalites... R: Si, Don Drummond, Johnnie 'Dizzy' Moore...Don era un insegnante di trombone. D: So che eri molto vicino a Count Ossie ed al suo Rasta Camp sulla collina di Wareika: puoi descrivere come i giovani musicisti si avvicinavano alla cultura Rasta a quel tempo? R: A quel tempo io vivevo in quell'area ed ero parte della comunita' di Count Ossie: avevo il mio gruppo ed io e Count Ossie mettemmo insieme i due gruppi per formare i Mystic Revelation Of Jah Rastafari. D: il tuo era un gruppo che suonava nyabinghi o jazz? R: Suonavamo una combinazione di percussioni nyabinghi e strumenti convenzionali che venivano dal mio gruppo: questo era un po' prima del mio coinvogimento con Ossie nel camp. Suonavo con Tommy McCook, Lloyd Knibbs, Don Drummond e tutti gli altri che venivano a suonare al camp, cosi' questo genere di influenze si diffuse nella scena ska. Count Ossie registrava regolarmente per Coxsone prima dei Mystic Revelations. D: Con che nome registrava? Come count Ossie & The Wareikas? R: Si chiamavano Count Ossie & The African Drummers ed il camp si chiamava la Rastafari Bredren Association. D: Era la gente che veniva sulle colline per avvicinarsi a Rasta o i Rasta scendavano nei ghetti dalle colline per predicare? R: C'erano diversi camps: uno era a Wareika Hill e ce n'erano alcuni a Western Kingston, a Trenchtown dove c'era Morty Planner, vicino a Spanish Town Road, quello era il posto dove vievano Bob Marley, Peter Tosh e Joe Higgs. Alcuni dei fratelli del camp di Count Ossie andavano a predicare nelle strade, ma la collina era il posato dove la gente poteva realmente trasferirsi e vivere quel tipo di esperienza. D: In che modo sei entrato in contatto con Coxsone Dodd ed hai registrato per lui insieme a David Madden? R: E' successo quando sono tornato in Jamaica dagli Stati Uniti, prima vivevo a Philadelphia e decisi di tornare in Jamaica. Anche David Madden stava rientrando dagli Stati Uniti nello stesso periodo, forse appena prima di me, cosi' decidemmo di metterci assieme per suonare qualche pezzo per Coxsone. Uno di questi era 'Money maker' e divenne un pezzo molto popolare, un hit, poi ci unimmo ad un gruppo chiamato The Mystics che poi a sua volta si uni' a Count Ossie per formare i Mystic Revelation Of Jah Rastafari. D: Puoi parlarci della personalita' di Count Ossie? R: Si, Count Ossie era un percussionista molto prolifico, una persona molto astuta ed era veramente la personalita' che teneva insieme tutto il camp. Moti fratelli erano affascinati dalla sua personalita' perche' era una persona molto umile. Era molto bravo come percussionista ma sapeva anche parlare con la gente e ragionava molto bene. Era abile a rapportarsi a qualsiasi livello di intelletto: gente che arrivava dall'estero, dalle Universita' per apprendere su Rastafari, ed egli era abile a parlare con loro, era una persona molto profonda oltre che essere un percussionista molto prolifico ed io avevo molta ammirazione per lui. Questo e' uno dei motivi per cui unemmo i nistri due gruppi: io provenivo dalla scena jazz ed al camp ogni domenica c'era una session in cui molti musicisti jazz intervenivano, e tutti noi suonavamo insieme ai percussionisti Rasta. A quel punto io invitai i Rasta a suonare con il mio gruppo anche in alcuni clubs a Kingston. Ovviamente a quel tempo i Rasta non erano molto conosciuti ed anzi c'era un diffuso disprezzo verso di loro dovuto all'ignoranza ed al pregiudizio. C'erano molte cattive connotazioni associate a Rasta: la gente pensava fossero assassini, ladri, gente cattiva. Uno dei nomi che si usava per loro era Blackheart Men (Uomini dal cuore nero) e si raccontava di come rapissero i bambini...c'era quel tipo di idea di Rastafari e quindi era veramente una novita' quando la gente vedeva percussionisti Rasta suonare insieme a dei jazzisti in un club, la gente era piacevolmente sorpresa perche' i Rasta non si mostravano in quel modo in pubblico tanto facilmente, cosi' si creo' una unione tra il mio gruppo ed il loro gruppo e cosi' decidemmo di cementare ulteriormente quella unione. D: A quel tempo quali erano le tue principali influenze? Apprezzavi John Coltrane? R: Si, ovviamente! Prima di Coltrane ero ammirato da Sonny Rollins. Ero impressionato dalla sua storia. Suonavo con i Vagabonds, un gruppo di jazz da ba,llo ed una delle canzoni che suonavamo, 'Riding West' era di Sonny Rollins. La gente amava molto quel brano, era un brano molto popolare, ed amava anche il modo in cui mi avvicinavo a Rollins suonandola. Cosi' divenni molti interessato alla sua figura, alla sua vita, il modo in cui lascio' la vita convenzionale suonando per un certo periodo solamente sotto ad un ponte, poi torno' con un album chiamato proprio 'The bridge' che per quel tempo conteneva un suono nuovo. Ero molto coinvolto in quell'esperienza di Rollins e in quel tipo di suono, cosi' fu naturale interessarmi a Coltrane, che venne dopo di lui ed incomincio' veramente un nuovo concetto nel modo di suonare il sax e fu per me indubbiamente una enorme influenza. D: Parlavi di jazz sessions tra i Rasta: penso che i Rasta accettassero bene il jazz probabilmente come parte della eredita' culturale africana... R: Si, molti jazzisti come parecchi membri degli Skatalites, Don Drummond, Dizzy Moore, Tommy McCook, Lloyd Knibbs, venivano al camp e noi suonavamo con loro e tutti i grandi musicisti venivano la e spesso lasciavano gli strumenti per unirsi ai percussionisti e suonare le percussioni e diventavano amici dei Rasta perche' loro rappresentavano un certo tipo di consapevolezza interiore con cui loro si identificavano. D: In seguito hai lasciato i Mystic Revelation ed nhai formato un altro gruppo che si chiamava The Divine Light Of Saba... R: Si, in seguito ho fondato un gruppo di musicisti all'interno della Ethiopian Orthodox Church, io stesso ero coinvolto in questa confraternita ed anche tutti questi musicisti che misi insieme, ed il gruppo prese il nome di Divine Light Of Saba, che in seguito divenne The Light Of Saba, la luce dell'Etiopia, quella della Regina di Sheba... D: Nel frattempo hai partecipato come session man in tantissime sessions, ma i tuoi progetti erano piu' 'roots', una fusione di spiritualita' e di ricerca sulle profonde radici delle forme musicali jamaicane: questo succedeva grazie alla tua fede Rasta? R: Si, la fede Rasta e parte del mio bagaglio culturale africano, percio' mi identifico molto nella musica tradizionale che tramanda il suo sapore aricano e la sua precisa identita' culturale. D: Ricordi qualcuno dei tanti progetti in cui sei stato coinvolto? Sei mai stato in studio con Bob Marley & Wailers? R: Si, ho suonato delle parti di sax per l'album 'Kaya', ho lavorato in vari albums della big bad di Granville Williams, in vari albums solisti di Tommy McCook, Ernest Ranglin, Culture, e molti altri, ma nel frattempo lavoravo ai miei progetti. Con i Light Of Saba ho fatto 'From mento to reggae to third world music', ho fatto 'Saba in reggae' ed un album con Eric Gayle intitolato 'Negril', frutto di alcune sessions bellissime. Ho suonato molta musica per Coxsone come 'Money maker' ed il mio album solista 'Im Flash Forward'.   Su Vibesonline.net c'e' anche: Profilo di Cedric Im Brooks Recensioni album di Cedric Im Brooks Vibesonline.net - 2003 Per tornare all'inizio pagina Per tornare all'indice delle interviste

See also on Vibesonline.net: Cedric Im Brooks profile Cedric Im Brooks albums reviews Cedric Im Brooks interview Cedric Im Brooks is one of the true fondation brass players of the jamaican musical tradition. He did play on countless studio sessions expecially at Studio One and did carry on some importants projects as The Divine Light Of Saba, Mystic Revelation Of Jah Rastafari (alongside Count Ossie) or Africa United. Now he is part of the modern version of Skatalites band, playing with old friends as Lloyd Knibbs, Lloyd Brevette, Lester Sterling or Baba Brooks. You can read his musical history on this exclusive interview done by Pier Tosi Q: Why your nickname Im? A: That is my realise name, that's my personality, my spirit, my God's name, my spirituality. Q: Where this name come from? A: It comes from God Q: You did learn music at Alpha Boys School: can you tell us something about your years at Alpha? A: Yes, It was there where I actually started music, it was a very good experience learning music and learning other things...yunno...my basic education started there...so it was pretty good. Q: Probably you met there some of the future members of Skatalites... A: Yes, Don Drummond, Johnny Dizzy Moore. Don was using to teach the trombone. Q: I know you were very close to Count Ossie and the Wareika Rasta camp: can you describe how the youth musicians did develope a Rasta Consciousness at that time? A: In that particular time I was in that area and I was part of the Count Ossie experience: I had my own group and we both joined the group together to form the Mystic Revelations Of Jah Rastafari... Q: Was your group playing nyabinghi or jazz? A: We were playing a combination of nyabinghi drums with the regular instrumentation, which came from my group: this was just a little bit before my involvement with them in the camp, with Tommy McCook, Lloyd Knibbs, Don Drummond, those that used to be in the camp, so basically that kind of influence did spread into the ska music. They also, Count Ossie used to record with Coxsone before Mystic Revelations. Q: Which name he used? Count Ossie & the Wareikas? A: They used to be Count Ossie & African Drummers and the camp itself use to be the Rastafari Bredren Association. Q: But was just people going to the hills to Rasta or Rasta going preaching to the ghetto from the hills? A: There where different camps sites: one was up in the Wareika Hills and you had some in the Western Kingston area, in the Trenchtown region where Morty Planner was, near Spanish Town Road, this was the place in which Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Joe Higgs lived. Some of the bredren of the Count Ossie area, they used to go on the road and preach but the hills was such a place into the people could go and really live that kind of life. Q: In which way you got involved with Coxsone and you started to record music for him with David Madden? A: That was when I got back in Jamaica from the States, I was living in Philadelphia and I came back, David Madden was actually coming back from the States like me at that time, maybe a little bit before me, so we got together and we did some music with Coxsone. One of them was 'Money maker' which became a very popular song, it was a hit, and we then joined forces with a group called The Mystics which eventually joined forces with Count Ossie Group the become The Mystic Revelations Of Jah Rastafari. Q: Can you tell us something about Count Ossie? A: Yes, Count Ossie was a very prolific drummer, a very astute person, he was the one that actually kept the entire camp together. A lot of bredren was really affected by his personality because he was a very humble person. He was very able to play the drums but he could reason very well. He was able to reason with any level of intellect: people came from abroad, from the univesities just to reason about Rastafari and he was able to relate with them, he was a very profound person aside from being a very prolific drummer which I admired very much. That's one of the reasons why we actually had our groups together: I was involved in the jazz scene and in the camp they usually have sessions on sunday where jazz musicians use to come out to the camp and we used to sitting and play together with the drummers. From that I would invite them when my group played to come and partecipate with us in other clubs outside. Of course at that time the Rastafari awareness was not so very prevalent in the general public, there was a kind of fear and mistrust of the Rastafari. There were a lot of bad connotations about Rast A: the people thought they were killers, thieves, no good people. One of the names they used to call them was Blackheart Men, they said they would capture their children...so with that kind of consciousness about Rastafari it was a kind of novelty when we would bring them out into some of the clubs and play, and the people really loved it because they were not really accustomed to see out in the public that much, so it became a good mix between my group and his group and of course eventually we decide to really cement that mix. Q: What were your main influences as musician at that time? Were you into John Coltrane? A: Oh yes: before I was aware of John Coltrane I was very much impressed of Sonny Rollins. I was impressed with his story. I used to be play in the Vagabonds dance group and one of the songs we used to play was one from Sonny Rollins, 'Riding West' which people love to hear when I play that because it was a popular song at the time and I more or less kinda play almost like Sonny Rollins. So I became more and more interested in Sonny Rollins life, so I really follow his life story, the time when he went into under the bridge and spend some time there and came out and put out an album called 'The bridge' which was a new sound but by the time I became so involved in learning about him, and his whole concept that I was very able to pick up on that music and from that music then I got involved into Coltrane, who came after him and really started a whole new concept in the way of playing the instrument and so he was also a great influence for me. Q: You spoke about jazz sessions amongst Rastas, so Rasta people did accept well jazz probably as an african cultural heritage too... A: Yes, as a matter of fact, most of the jazz musicians, sadly most of the members of the Skatalites, Don Drummond, Dizzy Moore, Tommy McCook, Lloyd Knibbs, all those people used to go to the camp, Count Ossie Camp and we really play with them and almost all the great musicians used to come out there and sometime just sitting and play drums and have fellowship with the Rasta bredren because they represented a certain consciousness that they identified with. Q: You then left Mystic Revelations and formed another group named the Divine Light Of Saba... A: Yes, actually I started a group of musicians from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, I was involved with the church and of course the same Rasta people was involved in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and so a number of these young musicians as well, so we formed a group together called The Divine Light which later we changed the name in Light Of Saba, the light of Ethiopia, the Queen of Sheba... Q: I think in the meantime you did keep playing a session man in countless reggae sessions but your main projects were more 'rootical', more into deeply popular forms of jamaican music: was it because of your Rasta faith? A: Yes, the Rasta faith is a part of my african awareness, and because of that I identify with a lot of this music the traditional music that retain more of the african flavour and cultural identity. Q: Do you remember something about the reggae albums in which you were involved as session man? Did you go into the studio with Bob Marley & Wailers? A: Yes, I did something in the Kaya album, I did something on Granville Williams Big Band albums, I did something on Tommy McCook solo albums, Ernest Ranglin, Culture and so many others, but I was involved more into my own projects. With the Light Of Saba I did 'From mento to reggae to third world music', I did 'Saba in reggae'and an album called 'Negril' with Eric Gayle and was quite a nice session. I did a lot of music with Coxsone as 'Money maker' and the 'Im Flash Forward' album.   Vibesonline.net - 2003 Back to top page Back to interviews index