'I am a rebel with a cause'

- Michael Sloley

Tony Rebel in performance at "Rebel Salute 2001", held recently in Port Kaiser, Manchester

"Not the rebel who will rebel and the consequences will be destructive to me. When I rebel I make sure I do it in a diplomatic way. I am a rebel with a cause."

SINGER and producer Patrick George Anthony Barrett, a.k.a. "Tony Rebel", is very outspoken.

Born January 15, 1962, Tony Rebel is happily married, "according to African custom, Rasta custom and my wish," he said.

In a one-on-one interview with The Sunday Gleaner, Tony Rebel talks about the things which matter most to him and others. The interview was done by reporter Eugene Pitter.

SG: You claim you have a third eye open, are you some sort of obeah man?

TR: No, I am just a divine man who is working with the spirit of the most High. I understand the way this universe works and know enough to preserve me.

SG: So you consider yourself wise?

TR: I certainly don't consider myself otherwise. It is wisdom that runs the earth and I want to be a part of that. Knowledge is good and I want to be a part of this wisdom.

SG: Is this hereditary?

TR: Well my father, Livingston, is not stupid and my mother, Daphne (who died when I was age four) was not considered stupid. And my grandfather, Dudley Shepherd, was not stupid. My grandmother, Inez, is also not stupid. And I have a few prominent people who I do not wish to be named who are not stupid.

SG: Could you tell me a few?

TR: No, to the time yah now, politics time me nuh inna it.

SG: You should have a good education?

TR: If it is about schooling I have not been to any prominent school, but I was able to educate myself through reading and listening. I am an avid reader. From I was a child I studied the dictionary - page by page - and the Bible too.

SG: So your parents were well-to-do people?

TR: I use to live with my aunt, Victoria Mullings, who was a school principal. She was the mother of Seymour Mullings (politician). A betta mi tell yu now. But reporter mi nuh waan yu mash mi up now. I never vote from I born.

SG: Which other politicians are you related to?

TR: I have friends in politics from all parties. But, as I was saying, my grandfather was a great teacher, he was a policeman named Shepherd and he told me how to live, how to be strong and a lot of things like, what we should do from what we shouldn't do.

SG: Were your guardians strict?

TR: Very much so, so you might wonder how I came into music. I get run from the backyard for making what they call noise when I was really training to sing. And wi get lock out when wi tief out and go dance, so wi affi hitch out and wi get a beating pon top a dat. But wi love di music more than we were afraid of the beating.

SG: So you chose music over a good education?

TR: Music choose me and that was not over anything so you can't say that. You must be educated to deal with music effectively.

SG: Who influenced your music career?

TR: My family is musical. Victoria Mullings used to teach music lessons. Both my grandmothers sang on the choir. My grandfather could play the guitar, but it was the deejays who influenced me. Bob Marley, U Roy, Jimmy Cliff and American singers like Stevie Wonder.

SG: How did you 'bus out' in music?

TR: It was in 1983. I was 21 years old and having entered the JCDC's (Jamaica Cultural Development Commission) song and deejay contests placed third in the singing category and first in deejaying at the parish level.

On the second occasion I placed second in the song contest and first in deejay contest. I came to Kingston to find the secret and was around Sugar Minott's sound system. I went back to the country and on returning to Kingston in 1988 met Germaine (record producer) at Penthouse and the rest is history.

SG: What was your first release?

TR: One called Casino in 1984. It was very controversial coming at a time when the Government (JLP) was planning to introduce casino (gambling).

SG: Was it easy for you to 'bus'?

TR: It certainly took power, strength, prayer. A lot of work, a lot of blessings. Still it's not an easy road. It wasn't a matter of links, like now when I help someone in music.

SG: How did you get airplay?

TR: I sang songs which disc-jockeys gravitated to. I remember Riche B playing a part of my song A Fresh Deejay Coming One day I said to Richie B why don't you play all of it. Richie B played all of it and now he is my friend.

SG: Do you agree with entertainers paying for their songs to be played?

TR: When I produce my song it is being played because of its quality. Disc-jockeys will just love it and play it but the right person to ask is the prominent producers.

SG: What were the other songs you did which became hits?

TR: These were Chatty Chatty (1992); Sweet Jamaica (1992), Jah By My Side (1996), Man Fi Know Jah (1995) and One Day (1994).

SG: What are some of your latest hits?

TR: Loyal soldier...I also have nine albums."

SG: You have travelled extensively?

TR: I began to travel extensively when I got my number one song Fresh Vegetable.

SG: Did you make a lot of money?

TR: I got paid and I used the money to take care of my children.

SG: Were you a Rasta then?

TR: I was a Rasta from age 17. It was in-born. I got a fight as a lot of people try to influence me against it (Rastafarianism) They (my family) thought that rasta wouldn't be good for me.

SG: Were Rastas different in your days as opposed to now?

TR: They are still the same but now there are a lot of impostors ... Rastas didn't deejay any slack lyrics.

SG: How many children have you fathered?

TR: I have girls and I have boys. I just don't wish to tell you how many.

SG: Do you believe in polygamy?

TR: I believe in polygamy and monogamy. It depends however on the individuals.

SG: Are your children Rastas?

TR: They are Haile Selassians.

SG: Do you eat pork?

TR: No, nothing with a face, not even fish...because human teeth were not made to chew flesh. It is not important to the human structure. It is the nutrients that the body needs.

SG: What about oral sex. How do you feel about that?

TR: It exist but I don't do it. I don't bow...mi nuh smoke, a don't even drink alcohol ... I drink natural juice because it is medicinal and industrial.

SG: Where do you think our music industry is heading?

TR: A good place. After it reach to the rock bottom there is no better way than up. They playing better music. People are understanding certain music have short life.

SG: How can we improve the quality of our music?

TR: Write about positive things. Producers must produce better songs and the radio must play better music.

SG: What are your parting words?

TR: The darkest part of the night is when day soon light, so don't give up.

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