The future Of Our Music When I write my breaking news or blog its base on my day to day experience and the challenges I face as reggae artists, operating my own label. Before I write any more I would like to thank all the wonderful people in the music industry that voted for Burning Spear Jah Is Real for a Grammy Nominee in the reggae category. This is my 11th Nomination and I won once for Calling Rastafari while I was with Rounder/ Heartbeat Records. I Burning Spear never believed in moving from record company to record company so I and Rounder/ Heartbeat had a relationship that spam over 15 years.
It was time for I Burning Spear to move on and distribute my records myself I had make up my mind that I would never sign any more licensing deal with any record label . Yes I have a strong catalog of over thirty CD plenty unreleased live show and unreleased studio work. Now if I Burning Spear and Sonia were able to accomplish all these things on our own without anyone help but Jah and you the people of the world are we not able to speak for ourselves and manage our record label? What I find over the past 3 year I came in contact with the wrong people that are only out for money, they don’t care nothing about the music or us we are only yes I will say it dumb reggae artist. And yes it don’t matter that I am Burning Spear with a career than spam over thirty seven years. They have a game that they used first they start drama, and then they send out emails and phone call to their friends to tell them not to work with us. Sending the fear tactics. One even when to the next level and send out email saying I am infringement of the copyright law and they are the owner of Jah Is Real and that company should remove it at once and forward all accounting to them. When question and ask for the UPC they didn’t even know it and inform the person that they will soon have the album. This was after they couldn’t get their way with Sonia. What I notice was that they can give it but they don’t like it when you speak back you are to believe what they say and follow their orders. And don’t call their office to quote one “Until you change your mine I will no longer take your calls”. Your calls are not welcome here and stop wasting your time sending emails we will not answer them either”. Then here it come again we are not criminal and let me tell you Sonia can read any agreement and plus we are very careful so we already had things review by a professor that teaches entertainment law while at NARM. Next they will advise us to get a lawyer because they will no longer speak with us since they cannot have their way with us. They the one that start all the problem don’t need a lawyer for they are smart, but we need one because we are not capable to speak for ourselves yet we are capable to make music that they are making money from. I cannot be a tenant in my own house. Or will I ever again allow anyone to speak for me but Sonia. The moment you have someone speaking for you that are not from your world and allow them to make decision for you, it’s over for your entire business. Every man or woman should make business decision for themselves. And anyone that cannot see you as their equal you have all rights to terminate all business relationship with them at once before things get out of hand. Once they see as money and not a person they will never have any feeling for you,since they dont see you the human being with rights to operate your business. I always say don’t ask a person to tell you about themselves, careful observe the person see how they relate to you, are they speaking with you or against you. What is their motivation for wanting to be in business or any relationship with you? Jah know I and Sonia are so careful now not to repeat pass lessons, we are keeping things just between us. We are not looking outside of ourselves and know who are truly our friends in business and in our day to day lives. Time for us to have some peace this coming New Year leaving the past behind us and embrace a live of peace. If we only sell one record it’s ok so it doesn’t matter to us if they place road blocks in our way. After seeing and face what Kevin when through with a brain tumor we have to count our blessing. Life is what important to us, there is not a moment we are not praying for Kevin to be ok and to be able to live is life and be healthy. How could anyone say this to parent that going through every parent worst nightmare? ‘Sonia I am sorry for your family trouble but you cannot sell Jah Is Real”. I never gave these people any rights to Jah Is Real and they were moving to take control of this album without my permission. This was the reason I did the song Wickeness, it’s not about the artist it’s what they can make from us. These people have no human conscience or ever think they are wrong . All they see is money for themselves, at the expense of us reggae artist. They didn't put out any money on Jah Is Real but they was ready to take over the money. I am calling on all Burning Spear fans to go to ITunes and Emusic and support Jah Is Real let’s send them a message so they can hear it loud and clear, that we have no fear and we can make it if we try. I will give a donation to brain tumor research from the sales of Jah Is Real and The Cruise. Support Tune core and ITunes and Emusic.Com they are for independent artists. Reach out to Sonia and I and Kevin about brain tumors. I have read so many encouraging words about how so many of you my friends have overcome cancer and other illness. We are here ready to learn and grow with you my family. I will not touch a penny from the sales of Jah is Real digitally. I will stick to the plan from where we get started from. Most of it will go to Brain Tumor research, after it reaches certain amount I will call the hospital that did Kevin surgery and donate the money and used some of it to pay for Kevin medical expense. To the staff of TuneCore.com and ITunes I thank you so much for believing in Burning Spear, and not giving in to the pressure and removing Jah is real, now so many will benefit from the digital sales and I will do all I can to bring awareness of Brain Tumor I salute you at Tune Core.com and ITune.com. Jah Is Real. Life is A Cruise we are all sailing on the ocean, sometime the sea gets rough and sometime it’s calm. Now is the time for us to reflect on what really important for all of us. I will not bring any of these old baggages with me and Sonia into 2009. They are our pass learning experiences never to repeat. We will focus on our future to be filling with joy and happiness and to write blog of encouragement and peace. Since I will not look back in the race I will never again face with any of these experiences. We also would like to note that these are just a few record broker the music industry are fill with many good people that know and respect the old Rastaman from 1969 until this time of Jah Is Real. I humble salute you all for the good you do will live after you. I come in peace Burning Spear will never sell out or lost control so they could destroy the future of Our Music. |