No band is more associated with smoking than Bob Marley and the Wailers. I was lucky enough to talk at length to the new front man Danglin. We talked about the spirituality of music and what it is like to step into the shoes of one of the most famous performers of all time.
What is it like to be part of one of the most famous bands ever?
Danglin: “It is getting better with time. It keeps you humble because you travel the world and you see the appreciation for the music. And that came from a lot of hard work and commitment so (as the lead singer) carrying on that tradition, I adhere to that same quality and that same commitment. “
You have big shoes to fill..
Danglin: “The biggest!”
Is it a spiritual journey?
Danglin: “Yes it is its very spiritual because I don’t think you can take this path without being spiritual. The music itself transcends spirituality so, when you are on stage if you can’t connect on that level than it won’t be real. It won’t be sincere which is, I think, one of the key elements in the Wailers music . So when you perform you have to be sincere. Music itself is spiritual.”
Do you think technology is taking away from the spirituality of music?
Danglin: “Well in some ways yes but, in some ways no because it reaches a farer market. Now it’s easier to get than before because, a lot of people were hungry for this music and it took years for them to get it. Now as soon as its recorded they can get it out there. I think the only set back with the MP3s and the downloads is that the music has kind of lost its’ value because if its readily available . It’s not as appreciated because every song will be replaced by another song because there are so many. The market is very competitive because anybody can record a song now and get it on the internet and get it out but, at the end of the day there is quality and there is quantity. So, there are still people that still appreciate quality over quantity and those are the people we target. I think a lot of compilations are out. Albums are not as popular and people just put out 15 singles and they call it an album . Albums should have a story. Albums should have a theme. Each song can convey a different meaning that relates to that theme. If you don’t have that– you have that music but you don’t have that journey. There is a lot things that you consider when you are putting an album together– that you are telling a story and that you are staying consistent. You can’t say love and hate in the same sentence.”
Do you consider yourself a poet?
Danglin “Music is poetry If you are a writer than you are a poet. With music there is rhythms but, that’s the only difference. It’s the movement in the music, the movement in the melodies and the sound. Whereas some people will speak poetry, some people are singers. Singers, we sing poetry. If you are not poetic than you are not creative.”
When you perform do you feel like you are on a different realm?
Danglin: “You have to get lost in your performances. You can’t be too conscious while you are performing. You have to let your preconscious take leave. There are things in your preconscious that is already readily available but, you don’t really use it until you need it. Sometimes you might not even remember a song consciously until you do it. It is there you just need to hear the rhythm so, I think you cannot be entirely conscious when you’re on stage. You have to be into the music. You’ve got to be one with the music and, in order to do that, you have to transcend somewhere else. People pay to see performance because they pay to see something different. They pay to see something glorious, something magnificent. In order to bring goose bumps to somebody you have to be doing something special. You can’t be conscious, not too many of us do things special while we are conscious. It’s when you allow yourself to get caught up in that moment that people see something that glows and they go wild. It makes them want to see the show again .”
Do you feel closest to God when you are performing?
Danglin: “You feel like you are pleasing God; like you are doing the work that is pleasing to God. So, that is why I do music that is positive and preaches a positive message. You can’t serve two masters; you love one and hate the other. So, I think this work is pleasing to God. You feel that sense of God while you are performing.”
How do you feel about the negativity that is in a lot of music now?
Danglin: It is like good and evil in the world; the thing is we have a voice. Those with the negative messages tend to speak the loudest so, they get heard and they have a lot more support because they speak the loudest. So, the positive messages needs to echo. It needs to get out there’ it needs more support by those who claim to support it. If we don’t have support for this kind of music than the negative music will reign supreme. But, at the end of the day, good will always conquer evil. We are going to keep doing this kind of music and we are not going to compromise its’ quality or its integrity for sales or popularity. Many are called but few are chosen so we are going to keep doing what we are chosen to do.
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The Weed Street Journal