Dwight Pinkney - File

Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

For the title of his latest project, a 15-track various artistes compilation on a single rhythm, guitarist Dwight Pinkney has chosen to reverse the traditional 'peace and love', and has named it Love and Peace.

It is also the name of the rhythm he made with Sly Dunbar, Robbie Lyn, David Hayle and Danny Axeman among the musicians whose input was added.

"I made it just as a rhythm. Then different artistes started writing," Pinkney said. "I did not know it would have gone so far ... It kept going until I had to call a cut-off time.

"After reviewing the material and seeing where the main messages were coming from, I decided Love and Peace would be an appropriate title. It was what I wanted to contribute to the music scene, to get the music into love and anti-violence, focus on the children. It just fit," Pinkney said.

Sharing the love

The 'Love' section is first up with seven of the album's 15 tracks Di Chick Hewitt's Boom Boom Boom, My Angel My Voice by High Quality, Come To Me by Juleen and its Spanish translation, Ven a Mi by Charmaine Limonious, among that half of the set. And it works out to an equal split, as the 'Peace' side is anchored by the Love and Peace Rock instrumental by Pinkney, Bunny Brown opening the section with Send Your Love, Pam Hall contributing Show The Children and Tony Tuff closing with Give Thannks and Praise. This section has three deejays, Capital D, Ras Mannnaseh and Gavinchi. Pinkney did not have deejays in mind when he made the roots reggae rhythm, buy says "these three deejays are different and have a powerful message in the song".

Two accompanying medley videos follow the sections that the album's sections.

Love and Peace is being distributed outside Jamaica by, VP Records and Pinkney says, "that was a nice plus for it. Sometimes you make a product and you don't have an outlet for it, which is bad when you are not in the mainstream of what they say is selling, guns and violence and sex."

This is Pinkney's second single rhythm project (the first was a take on the Nanny Goat rhythm in the early '90s which "never really take off") an he says "I am really proud to say all the songs have their own character and message" there won't be many (or any) more in the future.

Love and Peace strikes another balance in the artistes who are featured, with a blend of the new and the long established. "We have to sustain the veterans, as well as embrace the youths and encourage them in the business," Pinkney said.