By Shelah Moody
Meet Jubba White. The prolific drummer and producer are one of the artists on the frontlines continuing to make quality music with conscious messages in the age of the COVID 19 pandemic. Streetwise Radio’s Creators Corner: A Chat With Grammy-nominated Reggae Producer Jubba White
On May 15, White dropped the reggae track, “Declaration of Rights,” featuring legendary Jamaican harmony trio, the Mighty Diamonds, and Aaron Nigel Smith. https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=4CnEkCHzCUY&fbclid=IwAR3mcnjnXAymI9bRsw0zVlpWKjmkmTBkU1ZfvZksvxT7IilaAu3K0MNK-28. The video for “Declaration of Rights” focuses on the rights of every citizen to health care, especially during critical times. “Declaration of Rights” and “Concrete Jungle” are the first two singles from White’s upcoming album, “FREEDOM (the Declaration of Rights)” on his independent White Stone Productions label. White recently joined Streetwise Radio for an in-depth discussion.
Q: How have you, as a working and touring artist, been coping in the coronavirus pandemic. How has it affected your livelihood?
A: As a touring musician/artist, the COVID-19 certainly has affected my livelihood. The closure of borders and venues has impacted my most important income stream. However, whatever is happening, is making our work as creative people even more relevant at this time. A world in times like these, without any form of art, would be devastating.
Q: Tell us about your remake of the reggae classic “Declaration of Rights” and how it relates to the world situation today. Who originally recorded the song?
A: The declaration of rights has been one of my favorite songs by the Abyssinians (the original writers), but there was also a version done by the Mighty Diamonds, which was released in the 1980s. I have had the opportunity to perform their version with them a few times on tour in my earlier years. I developed a habit of paying tribute to the founding fathers and pioneers of reggae music, by choosing to cover songs by them that resonate with me. This time, it is “Declaration of Rights.” It is quite relevant today but more-so timeless; both songs are.
The marginalized and oppressed need a voice, and most times, that voice needs to come from those who are being oppressed themselves, but understand how to echo strength and resilience through their words and actions.
Q: Tell us about your experience touring and recording with the Mighty Diamonds?
A: My experience working with the Mighty Diamonds has been unforgettable, and significant. The very first opportunity I had to tour; the Mighty Diamonds were among the artists I was with, and I was a teenager. The impact those experiences had on me created the foundation for further development, which by my own interpretation, has been positive.
With that said, I feel very honored to be doing a project that they participated in.
Q: Give us a brief history of your musical background and how you ended up in the Bay Area?
A: My love for music started as early as three years old. I use to drum on pots and pans with utensils and sing loud in the home. At around eight years old, I was playing the drums in the church and singing at events. My dream was to play music and I took every chance I had to do so. After high school, I enrolled in Edna Manley College of the visual and performing arts (Jamaica), to study Caribbean, Latin American, and jazz music, but two years into college, my first opportunity to tour internationally came. This was great because it’s an experience I shared with friends I grew up playing music with.
We went on to tour together with several artists for years, in many parts of the world. We also had experience performing jazz and popular music in the tourism sector, where we performed in hotels. I’ve had the opportunity to participate on several successful projects in earlier years as a recording musician. Some of the projects that come to mind are: “Freeman,” by Burning Spear, (Grammy-nominated album of 2003), the “‘I Swear” riddim, released by 5th Element Records, and the “Overstand” Riddim by Pow Pow records. As early as 1997, I was a part of the support band for Bushman and in 1999, for Junior Kelly. Both were premier artists at the time. Both bands which I was a part of played an instrumental role in their live shows and some of their recordings. References may be found in the notes of albums such as “Signs” (Bushman), “Smile” and “Tough Life” (Junior Kelly).
Other popular singles included, “Ready to Party” by Voicemail and “Downtown Girl” by D’Angel. Both songs on the Champagne records label. “Music Alone” by Ginjah and “Calm Dung Yu Nerves” by Bescenta are also songs to mention.
In 2003, the idea to start a Dub project resulted in Dubtonic Kru; and the brand was established in 2006. As Dubtonic Kru, we toured to many places across the globe, —inspired and co-created platforms that helped in the resurgence of band culture in Jamaica and live music in general. Such events were the annual Bands Incorporated and the weekly Plug N’ Play in Jamaica. In 2012, after a few years of intense touring, most of the time spent was spent in the US. The decision was to have the family closer to where the majority of our activities were, and the place of choice was the Pacific NorthWest.
Q: Tell us about some of the current projects you are working on?
A: The current project is “FREEDOM” [the declaration of rights]. It’s an eight song ep, which also features Mighty Diamonds singing their version of “Declaration of Rights” featuring Aaron Nigel Smith on Abyssinians version of accompaniment. There are more in the works but right now, it’s about “FREEDOM.”
Q: What will the music industry be like in post-pandemic culture?
A: It’s hard to say, but so much has been moving towards a virtual world for so long. However, my experience shows me that human beings are meant to interact with each other, and music brings us together, but the virtual aspect of it will remain. It will continue to play a big role in what we do with continuous evolution.
Q: What’s the key to producing a great reggae song?
A: My personal opinion is, it has to be in you. You have to feel it in order to effectively create an emotional experience. It’s about connecting with emotions in a true way. However, some may judge a great song by its popularity, which in a lot of cases it’s true, but equally as much not.
Popularity most times have to do with effective marketing, which does make things easier when your product is considered good.
Q: Can you name some resources available to musicians in post-pandemic culture?
A: The resources that might be available to musicians, post-pandemic are already pretty much in full swing: virtual platforms and streaming. The tech industry has been at the forefront for over a decade and becoming even more relevant. Most platforms that offer such service and experience, are geared towards being some of our main resources for the future.
To buy or stream the “Declaration of Rights,” go to https://ingroov.es/declaration-of-right?fbclid=IwAR0A6AW5BrvqB6I4bQg6Calocm3Yaf3XypO5G9rGvbh78mmU6445xerHcfMhttps://ingroov.es/declaration-of-right?fbclid=IwAR0A6AW5BrvqB6I4bQg6Calocm3Yaf3XypO5G9rGvbh78mmU6445xerHcfM
