Burning Spear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Burning Spear
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Burning Spear live at Reggae Geel, Belgium, in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Winston Rodney |
| Born | 1 March 1945 Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica |
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| Years active | 1969–present |
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Winston Rodney (born March 1, 1945), known as Burning Spear, is a famous Jamaican roots reggae singer and musician. He is a Rastafarian and one of the most important reggae artists from the 1970s. His music often shares messages about history and culture.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Roots
Winston Rodney was born in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica. He is married to Sonia Rodney. When he was young, he listened to R&B, soul, and jazz music from US radio stations. Artists like Curtis Mayfield and James Brown were big influences on him.
Marcus Garvey's Influence
Rodney was also greatly inspired by the ideas of Marcus Garvey. Garvey was a political leader who believed in Pan-Africanism, which is about uniting people of African descent. He also taught about self-determination, meaning people should control their own future. These ideas became very important in Burning Spear's music.
Starting His Music Journey
In 1969, another famous Jamaican musician, Bob Marley, gave Rodney some advice. Marley, who was also from Saint Ann, told Rodney to talk to Coxsone Dodd at Studio One. This meeting helped Burning Spear start his amazing music career.
Burning Spear's Music Career
Burning Spear was first the name of Rodney's music group. The name came from a military award given by Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya. The group originally included Rupert Willington, who sang bass.
Early Recordings and Hits
In 1969, the duo tried out for Coxsone Dodd. This led to their first song, "Door Peep." Later, Delroy Hinds joined the group. The trio recorded several songs and two albums with Dodd. In 1975, they started working with producer Jack Ruby. Their first song with Ruby, "Marcus Garvey," became an instant hit. This was followed by another popular song, "Slavery Days."
Albums and Growing Fame
The group worked with Ruby on their third album, Marcus Garvey (1975). This album was very successful. It led to a deal with Island Records to release the album to a wider audience. Rodney later started his own label, Burning Music, to have more control over his music. Other albums like Garvey's Ghost and Man in the Hills also came out.
Solo Career and Live Performances
In late 1976, Winston Rodney began using the name Burning Spear for himself alone. He released Dry and Heavy in 1977. By this time, he had many fans in the United Kingdom. He performed a sold-out show in London that year, which was released as the album Live!. He also appeared in the film Rockers, singing "Jah no Dead."
Independent Music and Awards
In 1980, Rodney started his own company, Burning Music Production. He signed with EMI and released Hail H.I.M.. Later, he signed with Heartbeat Records and released many popular albums, including Resistance in 1985, which was nominated for a Grammy Award.
Since the mid-1990s, Burning Spear has lived in Queens, New York City. In 2002, he and his wife, Sonia Rodney, restarted Burning Music Records. This gave him even more artistic control over his music. They have released many singles, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl albums through their own label.
Touring the World
Burning Spear has toured all over the world for many years. He has released several live albums, including Burning Spear Live, Live in Paris, and Live in South Africa. His live shows became more complex, mixing reggae with elements of jazz and funk.
Grammy Wins and Recent Performances
Burning Spear won his first Grammy Award in 2000 for his album Calling Rastafari. He won another Grammy in 2009 for Jah Is Real.
In 2016, Rodney announced he would retire from touring. However, in 2022, he returned to perform at festivals like Rototom Sunsplash in Spain. He also performed shows in California, Colorado, and the United Kingdom in 2022. In August 2023, he performed in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Discography
Awards and Recognition
Burning Spear has won two Grammy Awards for Best Reggae Album. He won in 2000 for Calling Rastafari and in 2009 for Jah Is Real. Overall, he has been nominated for 12 Grammy Awards.
Grammy Award Nominations
- 1986 Resistance
- 1988 People of the World
- 1990 Live in Paris Zenith '88
- 1991 Mek We Dweet
- 1994 The World Should Know
- 1996 Rasta Business
- 1998 Appointment with His Majesty
- 2000 Calling Rastafari (winner)
- 2004 Free Man
- 2006 Our Music
- 2008 The Burning Spear Experience
- 2009 Jah Is Real (winner)
- 2024 No Destroyer
Other Honors
On October 15, 2007, Winston Rodney was given the Order of Distinction in the rank of Officer. This is an important honor in Jamaica.
See also
In Spanish: Burning Spear para niños
