NEWS
January 2008 - Now available ...
Pass The Torch (2008, Tafari Music)
TRACKS:
1) Pray Dem Off (Joseph)
2) Wickedness (Joseph)
3) Take My Hands (Kenyatta)
4) Mighty Race (Kenyatta)
5) Daddy (Kenyatta)
6) Niahbingi Tonight (Joseph)
7) Mariwanna (Kenyatta)
8) Study Rasta (Joseph)
9) The Message (Kenyatta)
10) Same Situation (Kenyatta)
11) Mr. Music (Joseph)
12) Times of Trouble (Joseph)
13) Camp Yard (Joseph)
14) Empress Haffe Clean (Kenyatta)
PRODUCTION: Kenyatta Hill & Linford 'Fatta' Marshall
Kenyatta Hill's debut single is now posted on MySpace. An album featuring new tracks from Kenyatta and unreleased songs from Joseph Hill will be released this fall. To hear Kenyatta's tribute to his father titled 'Daddy', and obtain additional information, go to the following MySpace website:
http://www.myspace.com/kenyattahill
'Raw Truth - The One Riddim Showcase' CD now out on ababa janhoy records. The CD includes multiple artists on the 'Raw Truth' rhythm including Joseph Hill and Kenyatta Hill.
For additional information: http://www.ababajanhoy.de/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=269
Robert Christgau's ROLLING STONE review of the 30th anniversary edition of TWO SEVENS CLASH
Mike Powell at Pitchfork:
Review by Sasha Frere-Jones in the NEW YORKER
http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/notebook/2007/07/30/070730gonb_GOAT_notebook_frerejones
(scroll down for CD details)
Culture & Kenyatta Hill - live in San Juan, PR (May 2007) ....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKM4ZDqVjF8
Culture & Joseph Hill - live in Kenya (2004) ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAGUYhwCCXU
Photos by James Cadden - The Arches, Glasgow - June 22, 2007:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cadd/sets/72157600455056672/
UPCOMING 2007 'CULTURE FEATURING KENYATTA HILL' TOUR DATES:
June 13 - Trinity Theatre - Tunbridge Wells, UK
June 14 - Jazz Cafe - London, UK
June 15 - The Project Centre - Leicester, UK
June 16 - Global Fusion - Hastings, UK
June 17 - Africa Oye, Stefton Park - Liverpool, UK
June 21 - Buttermarket - Shrewsbury, UK
June 22 - The Arches - Glasgow, Scotland
June 23 - The Drum - Birmingham, UK
June 24 - Zion Arts Centre, Hulme - Manchester, UK
June 27 - Komedia - Brighton, UK
June 28 - Princess Pavilion - Falmouth, UK
June 30 - The Point, Mt Stewart Sq - Cardiff Bay
August 3 - Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash - Sunshine Daydream Park -Terra Alta, West Virginia
August 11 - NW World Reggae Fest - Marcola, OR
August 18 - Chicago Reggae Festival
*** All tour dates are subject to change - please consult venues and local listings ***
For updates and additional Culture tour dates contact Pollstar.
Coming soon from SHANACHIE RECORDS - 30th Anniversary Edition of 'Two Sevens Clash' - including rare dubs and 12" mixes. Release date is July 7, 2007
Track Listing
1) Calling Rastafari
2) I'm Alone in the Wilderness
3) Pirate Days
4) Two Sevens Clash
5) I'm Not Ashamed
6) Get Ready to Ride the Lion to Zion
7) Black Starliner Must Come
8) Jah Pretty Face
9) See Them A Come
10) Natty Dread Taking Over
11) See Them A Come - 12" version with Prince Weedy
12) See Them A Come - dub version
13) Natty Dread Taking Over - 12" version with I Roy
14) I'm Not Ashamed - 12" version with I Roy
15) I'm Not Ashamed - dub version
Roots Man Dub - new double CD from Heartbeat Records - contains classic dubs from Dudley 'Manzie' Swaby and Alvin GG Ranglin. No Culture dubs but essential material including the original 'Roots Man Dub' album (1978) and rare dubs from such artists as George Faith and Tony Tuff.
Jamaica Gleaner - May 1 2007 - 'Kenyatta Hill rocks Western Consciousness'
LINK: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070501/ent/ent1.html
The new CD from Richie Spice titled 'In The Streets To Africa' (VP Records, 2007) includes a duet with Joseph Hill. The song is titled 'Digital Ways'.
Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill to play the Western Consciousness Festival on April 28, 2007
Llandilo Cultural Centre, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070413/ent/ent4.html
Upcoming 2007 Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill tour dates ....
Feb 3 - Bob Marley Day at Ranny Williams Centre in Kingston
Feb 18 - Raggamuffins Festival - Long Beach, CA
Feb 19 - Raggamuffins Festival - San Diego, CA
Feb 22/23 - Santa Cruz, CA
Feb 24 - Raggamuffins Festival - San Francisco, CA
http://www.raggamuffinsfestival.com/
April 28 - Western Consciousness Festival
"Kenyatta Hill keeps the voice of Culture alive" - Jamaica Gleaner, January 21, 2007
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070121/ent/ent6.html
Culture at REBEL SALUTE - January 2007
http://www.versionist.com/news/2871-kenyatta-hill-culture-2007-a.html
Culture 'RAW TRUTH' CD single now available from ababa janhoy Records:
http://ababajanhoy.com/catalog/index.php?language=en
ROBIN ARMSTRONG websites:
http://www.robinarmstrongmusic.com/
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=107821129
New Myspace website for STABLE ROOTS: http://www.myspace.com/stablerootsproductions1
Stable Roots features longtime Culture backing musician Chris 'Peanut' Whitley, as well as other players who have worked with Culture.
Steve Samuels, Joseph Hill & Peanut
sound check in Ottawa Canada - 2001
Upcoming Reggae Culture 2006 (November 4, 2006 - Hammerstein Ballroom, New York) concert to feature Kenyatta Hill. Other artists on the bill include Luciano, Steel Pulse, Dean Fraser and the Jah Messenjah Band. For additional information see the the following links:
http://www.hardbeatnews.com/editor/RTE/my_documents/my_files/details.asp?newsid=10792
Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill will also be performing in Washington DC on November 5, 2006.
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On-line Joseph Hill Tribute Book: http://www.consciousparty.com/joehilltributebook.html
Articles on the Joseph Hill memorial service and tribute concert:
Jamaica Observer: September 10, 2006: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20060909T150000-0500_112712_OBS_CULTURE_S_TRAIN_BOUND_TO_GLORY___PM_.asp
Jamaica Gleaner: September 11, 2006: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060911/ent/ent1.html
Jamaica Observer: September 10, 2006: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20060909T150000-0500_112719_OBS_CULTURE_S_NIGHT_SURPASSES_EXPECTATIONS_.asp
Joseph Hill tribute article by Eric Dourmerc from the September edition of Reggae Review:
http://www.reggaereview.com/feature.htm
CHURCH SERVICE & TRIBUTE CONCERT
JOSEPH HILL (1949-2006)
On August 19 the reggae world lost one of its most prominent figures. Joseph Hill, the leader of the veteran reggae group, Culture unexpectedly passed away from a sudden illness. At the time, the group was in Berlin, Germany at the mid-point of a European tour.
Recently, Hill had received a number of honors - including an induction into the Jamaican Reggae Walk of Fame and a 2005 Independence Award presented by the Prime Minister of Jamaica. This year the group continued to draw rave reviews with typically upbeat performances at the 'Bob Marley 61st Birthday Celebration' in Ghana and 'Reggae Sunsplash 2006'.
Joseph Hill will probably be best remembered for the impact Culture had on the reggae scene when they first appeared in 1976. During this period the group had a string of highly successful singles for producers Joe Gibbs and Sonia Pottinger. Perhaps most well known was the song 'Two Sevens Clash' which, due to its infectious rhythm and apocalyptic imagery, left a lasting impression on both Jamaicans and UK punks. The 'Two Sevens Clash' album was a landmark in reggae music and was named by Rolling Stone magazine in 2002 as one of the '50 Coolest Records' - the only single artist reggae album to make the list. The group also scored a major hit with 'Stop Fussing and Fighting', a song that addressed the chaotic political climate of the late 1970s and the attempt on Bob Marley's life.
Joseph Hill and Culture quickly developed a reputation as a fearsome performing group. The group put in a stunning performance at the 'One Love Peace Concert' in 1978, and was soon regularly touring the United States, Europe and Africa. In recent years the group has not displayed any signs of slowing down as they continued to perform at least one hundred concerts each year - with Hill's wife Pauline performing road manager duties. Fans of the group know that Hill continued to be an electrifying presence on stage - part deejay as he directed his band to reconfigure songs on stage and part teacher as he commented on Jamaican history and current political issues. In his lyrics, Hill often explored how the legacy of slavery continued to have an influence on Jamaican citizens. Yet, what made Culture unique was that Hill always tempered his messages by having a smile on his lips and a dance in his feet. He was never without a good joke at hand.
Growing up in the parish of St. Catherine Jamaica, Joseph Hill has often recounted how he built a homemade drum as a child. He first became involved in the Jamaican music scene as a sound system deejay. By the late 1970s he was performing as a percussionist for the Soul Defenders group who were based out of Linstead. It was with this group (which included such figures as Nana McLean and Vincent Morgan) that Hill made his first recording at Coxsone Dodd's legendary Studio One - both as a musician and lead singer. Notably, the group backed such Studio One stars as Burning Spear and Dennis Brown.
In the early 70s, Joseph performed with two groups that included future reggae star Glen Washington - C35 Incorporated and Stepping Stone. In 1976, Hill formed the harmony trio Culture with his cousin Albert Walker and Kenneth Dayes. The group immediately struck a chord with audiences by combining sharp social commentary and catchy rhythms. Hill has often noted that the group earned their name Culture. The group gained the reputation as one of the most reliable and enjoyable acts in reggae music. They had a string of memorable albums - most recently the album World Peace for Heartbeat Records in 2003. Significantly, Hill was not content to let Culture be a mere oldies act. In recent years he had recorded duets with Buju Banton and Anthony B., and demonstrated a keen desire to be both faithful to his roots and a contemporary artist. Joseph Hill was remarkable for his ability to simultaneously look backward and forward. He will be greatly missed by both Culture fans and the reggae community.
Condolences go out to Pauline Hill, Kenyatta Hill, the entire Hill family, Albert Walker, Telford Nelson, long time agent George Michailow and the numerous musicians who formed the backing groups Dub Mystic, Moja Nya and Forces of Justice.
Jim Dooley
Ottawa, Canada
August 10, 2006: Video interview with CULTURE in Sweden from Zion Guide website:
August 25, 2006: Kenyatta Hill & Culture performing a tribute to Joseph Hill ... pictures from reggaephotos website:
http://www.reggaephotos.de/culture8252006.html
To see the complete collection of Culture photos (1994 to 2006) from the reggaephotos website:
http://www.reggaephotos.de/culture.html
Thanks to Julian Schmidt at Reggaephotos.de
ADDITIONAL LINKS ABOUT THE PASSING OF JOSEPH HILL:
Jamaica Observer: Africans Hail Culture: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20060902t210000-0500_112451_obs_africans_hail_culture.asp
Jamaica Observer: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20060829T210000-0500_112243_OBS_A_NIGHT_FOR_CULTURE__THE_KEEPER_OF__ZION_S_GATE_.asp
Jamaica Observer: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20060819T200000-0500_111575_OBS_SINGER_JOSEPH_HILL_DIES.asp
LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-hill23aug23,1,488866.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Times of London: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,60-2325831.html
London Times: Kenyatta Hill with CULTURE: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,14936-2329577.html
Niceup NZ: Kenyatta: http://www.niceup.org.nz/reviews/culture.php
It is with extreme sadness that I report the passing away of Joseph Hill the lead singer of the veteran reggae group Culture. Joseph suddenly took ill and passed away in Berlin Germany this morning while the group were in the middle of a European tour. Hill (born: January 22, 1949) enjoyed a lengthy career in reggae music and will be greatly missed by both fans and peers. The group plans to finish its current European tour and honor all other commitments with Joseph's son Kenyatta standing in on lead vocals as a tribute to his father. In coming days additional information will be posted on the following websites:
This website and ...
Jim Dooley August 19, 2006
CULTURE: THE LIVE ROOTS TOURS (ENTS TV, 2006) PAL Format. Culture concert recorded at the Buttermarket, Shrewsbury in August 2003. Available from ENTS website: http://www.ents.tv/ents.tv/
Summer 2006 festival reviews .....
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060809/ent/ent1.html
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=160990318
Recent Culture pictures form reggaephotos.com:
http://reggaephotos.com/images/Culture_5-4-06/culture_featuring_joseph_hill.htm
Concert review in WASHINGTON POST:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/07/AR2006050700788.html
HEARTBEAT RECORDS have reissued their early Studio One compilations with many extra tracks. Joseph Hill's pre-Culture song 'Behold The Land' can be found on 'Full Up', and an extremely rare Soul Defenders instrumental ('Popcorn Reggae') appears on 'Downbeat The Ruler'. All three CDs contain prime (and hard to find) Studio One material.
An article on the Reggae 'Walk of Fame' from the Jamaica Gleaner (March 27, 2006):
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060327/ent/ent2.html
REGGAE NEWS: JOSEPH HILL A DUBBED JOURNALIST
Veteran roots-reggae group Culture front man Joseph Hill was honoured with the first Singing Journalist Prize in Stockholm Sunday November 27th 2005 by legendary reggae promoter Tim Badejo of Maestro Entertainment at the fashionable nightclub Bern's in Stockholm.
Singing Journalist Prize Every year, the Prize will go to an artist who through socially conscious lyrics in the furtherance and reporting of world peace.
Motivation: This special honour to Mr. Joseph Hill, a cultural musical icon that has raised the flag of Jamaican indigenous music in a very positive manner across the world with his socially - conscious lyrics, spreading his message against war, oppression, crime, discrimination, poverty, racism, corruption and injustice. Apart from being a professional musician with vibrant and honest music, he is as well a singing journalist, reporting situation as he sees them, warning others in a positive manner made him the obvious candidate for 2005 singing Journalist Award. With his last album World Peace we can not think of a better person to receive this first award than Joseph Hill of Culture.
The occasion was attended by the Jamaican consulate to Sweden Mr. Lennart Andersson representative from the Jamaican Association in Sweden and many others distinguish personalities.
Tim Badejo
Maestro Entertainment
CULTURE downloads from the FLOYD FEST now available on-line from DIGITALSOUNDBOARD. See the following link:
http://app1.dsbd.net/dsb/artist_page.jsp?give-me=FF-01
JOSEPH HILL receiving 2005 Independence Award from Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson .....
LINK: JAMAICA OBSERVER
BBC RADIO 3: Recent CULTURE performance (July 29 2005) at the WOMAD festival .....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/womad2005/culture.shtml
Joseph Hill of CULTURE awarded for his contribution to reggae music:
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20050422/ent/ent1.html
Music fans around the world were saddened by the recent passing of BBC DJ John Peel. Mr. Peel was an active supporter of reggae, and in particular, a big fan of Culture's music. At the BBC, he organized a number of Culture sessions, and played them regularly on his show. His adventurous contribution to music in general, and reggae in particular, will be greatly missed. Simply put, what made Mr. Peel special was that he lacked musical prejudices. I had the great pleasure of interviewing him recently, and he was as humble as he was interesting. Condolences go out to his family and friends.
For additional comments, and various tributes, see the following link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/johnpeel/0,15271,1336461,00.html
Jim Dooley, October, 2004
From the Reggaephotos.de website - photos from Paris - November 2005
http://www.reggaephotos.de/culture11172005.html
Also from the Reggaephotos.de website - photos from Summer Jam, Cologne, Germany - July 2, 2004
http://www.reggaephotos.de/culture722004.html
RECENT REVIEWS & ARTICLES ....
INTERVIEW: http://westword.com/issues/2003-07-10/music.html/1/index.html
CONCERT REVIEW: http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid1=1859
http://www.furious.com/perfect/culture.html
Gleaner article: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20030913/ent/ent1.html