King Tubby

[mnaz]

For awhile it seemed we'd win.
Leave the dark ages in the dust.
King Tubby never played an instrument
but made music, transformed its rhythms,
found their inner spaces and otherworlds
out past Kingston streets getting meaner.

For awhile it seemed we'd win.
Neighborhoods began to make music.
Then beats got harder, cocaine 'n Reagan,
reelection of war profiteers and the Deity,
the Holy, Sacred Deity of Money, the final
word of the Keepers, and how the music
died, or had to go underground, to wait
out the storms of excess and survival.

For awhile it seemed we might win,
but King Tubby was killed by robbers
outside his studio, and
that was that.

[theirishsea]

Not familiar with King Tubby but I've listened to Reggae at times. I like it. Will check out King Tubby---played Blood of Africa and Prince Jammy vs. King Tubby. I like what I hear.

Sadly America---all its human values have been co-opted and subjected to the making of money for the manipulators. Business is good but its values shouldn't be above everything else.

Enjoyed your poem.

[theirishsea]

Been playing a number of King Tubby songs---reggae but a unique sound to it..

[mnaz]

Thanks irishsea. "The unfinished poem"... My phone battery died before I could finish. (No more posting from the phone... )

Tubby's my favorite dubmaster, no doubt.

[saw]

history that's good to know, mon.....