-Intervju med Ossie Dellimore-

Ossie Dellimore ga ut sin første skive "Freedom`s Journal" på A&B Records i 2000. Han kommer fra St.Vincent (ei lita karibisk øy), men har bodd i New York de siste 20 årene.

Junior Demus, gjesteartist:

Junior Demus, mp3, 47 sek, 322 kb

Ranja: On this song ("Sharp as a Razor") we heard Junior Demus. How did you hook up with him?

Ossie: Okay, Junior Demus, I met him while I was recording one of my first releases at the Easy Star record label entitled "Time Has Come". I released "Time Has Come" on the record label, and it went on a compilation CD on which Junior Demus was also featured. He did a song called "One God, One Master", and when I was recording "Sharp as a Razor" I was looking for a DJ to record with. And I really love the sound of his voice when it blends with mine...

Ranja: Yes, it`s a good combination.

Ossie: Yes, very good, and hopefully in the future we could work together again, because Junior Demus is a great performer and a really nice person to work with in the studio.

Tittelen "Freedom`s Journal":

Freedom`s Journal, mp3, 57 sek, 394 kb

Ranja: Maybe you can tell us a little about the history of the title of this album.

Ossie: Oh, yes. the title of the album "Freedom`s Journal" was, that`s an adaptation from the very first African-American newspaper to be published in the United States, in 1827. It also went by the name of "Freedom`s Journal". And I thought that seen that this is my debut CD that it would be paying respect to the publication by using the same name.

Ranja: Very symbolic.

Ossie: Yes

Ranya: So this is a movement that you want to be a part of?

Ossie: Well, yes, it`s a movement that not only I want to be a part of, but I think also all the people of the world. Because, you know, people, no matter where we go, share the same common feelings, people all over the world love reggae music, and I think it`s not just my feelings, but people no matter where you go.

Fra St.Vincent til New York:

Fra St.Vincent til New York, mp3, 1:49 min, 747 kb

Ranja: Is it more easy to be a recording artist from New York than from St.Vincent?

Ossie: It will be easier in terms of being, you know, having the facilities, having the resources to go into the studio and record. Here in the US it`s much more studios, the resources are there. In the Caribbean it`s not many studios that are available, so sometimes you may have to travel to another island in the Caribbean to record. That I think is the main..., the positive to it. But then again in the Caribbean I think, inspirationally you get a lot of inspiration when you travel to the Caribbean. So, you know, that is I think the downside of living in the United States for such a long time sometimes. I`ve been here for 20 years.

Ranja: You`ve been in New York for 20 years?

Ossie: Yes, 20 years.

Ranja: Oh, really.

Ossie: I came here in 1981, and from the time I landed here I continued working as a reggae musician. I`d started in the Caribbean, on the beaches and on the airports, playing with a box guitar, well, we call it a box guitar which most people know (it) as an acoustic guitar, going on the beaches playing for the tourists that would come to the island. Then I came to New York, starting my own groups, eventually I went to the Apollo Theatre, so I competed there and won first place, which was, it was like a catalyst. It really made me see, well hey, this is a sign, and you know something, Ranja, I won on November 2nd, which is coronation day. I went into the competition on Marcus Garvey birthday, August the 17th 1990, and on November 2nd I won the first place. So that to me was really something meaningful, and it made me see, well hey, you know, this is a sign from Jah, you know you have to go forward with this and really make this your life`s work.

Musikk som spirituell føde:

Musikk som spirituell føde, mp3, 1:28 min, 606 kb.

Ranja: ...that was in 1990. (at Ossie vant en amatør konkurranse på Hans Majestet Haile Selassies kroningsdag.)

Ossie: Yes.

Ranja: What happened between then and ten years later (when) "Freedom`s Journal" was released?

Ossie: Okay, you see, from the, during the 1990s it was swarms with digital music and dancehall music, and as you and most people know, what I produce is concious, positive roots rock reggae. I also at the time during the last ten years have worked basically with the same band, and we`ve been performing throughout the (?) New York area. We`ve done several shows at festivals and mainly performances. The opportunity came for me to record a live CD, that is what I was really looking for, the opportunity to record live. You know, in the 90s it was mainly digital studios that were available. You seldom hear real musicians playing real instruments on most of the recordings that came through in the 90s. So it`s just the opportunity that I was looking for. And also, you know, the Most High has a time for everything. When the time is right, you just have to do what you have to do. So I would say that the time is right now for me to reach out to my people of the world and give them this food, the spiritual food that I have been in the spiritual kitchen cooking up for the last ten years. Now the dinner is served, and the people, you know, it`s here, they have to come for it, and I will serve it to them wherever I go, wherever they need it.