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September
2002 Edition |
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Mighty Diamonds
Hit The Road This Fall
by Shelah Moody |
Photo by: Diane ‘Livonn’ Adam
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The Mighty Diamonds know what soul is all about. When your van
breaks down, you are hungry, tired and emotionally spent after four grueling weeks on
tour, when you miss your loved ones and long for the comfort of your own bed, when your
money's not right--soul is the ability to perform each night as if someone just has just
given you a million dollars. Soul means that you can hold your own against singers and DJs
half your age in a competitive and volatile music industry. After 33 years together, with
42 albums to their credit, the Mighty Diamonds are a shining example of unity and strength
within a male harmony group. Following the success of their spring 2002 Rise Up tour, the
Mighty Diamonds will hit the road this fall with several California concert dates,
including a headlining performance at the 8th annual Monterey Bay Reggaefest, Sunday,
September 1st.
Fitzroy "Bunny" Simpson, singer/songwriter, is the group's outspoken, energetic
one, who delivers the ragga muffin DJ breakdowns during their shows. Lloyd
"Judge" Ferguson, (singer/songwriter) left the Jamaican police force more than
25 years ago to pursue music. The son of a Garveyite, Judge is the eldest and the anchor
of he group, responsible for militant tracks such as "Poor Marcus," "4000
Years" "Pass the Kutchie" and other Diamond classics.
Donald "Tabby" Shaw, lead vocals, is the group's marquee singer. Tabby is a
melodic genius known for his skillful manipulation of major and minor chords. At 47,
Tabby's crystalline tenor has a pure, spiritual quality that mesmerizes audiences. "I
Need a Roof" and a solo version of Main Ingredient's "Just Don't Want to Be
Lonely" are two of his show stoppers.
Since the release of their breakthrough album, Right Time, in 1975, the Mighty Diamonds
have had a tremendous impact on the singers that came after them. In fact, Stephen Marley
and the Ghetto Youth Crew recently incorporated a sample of "I Need a Roof" into
their stage show. The Mighty Diamonds are also featured with Luciano on a track called
"Identity" on VP Records' Old to the New: A Steely & Clevie Tribute to the
Joe Gibbs Classics. British teen sensations Musical Youth reached the top of the charts in
1980 with an adaptation of "Pass the Kutchie" called "Pass the
Dutchie." Lauryn Hill, Sanchez, Rocker T. and Shinehead have also performed versions
of "Pass the Kutchie" during their live shows. "We started way back in
December, 1969," said Judge. "Our thing started on the street side in Trench
Town. In the early stages, we were singing all kinds of music--American, Calypso,
whatever. We actually rehearsed for three years before we got an audition. We didn't have
a hit tune until 1975."
"We used to listen to most of the American singing groups, like Curtis Mayfield and
the Impressions, the Temptations, the Platters, the Delfonics, Stylistics the O'Jays and
the Manhattans," said Tabby. "There were Jamaican groups who inspired us in the
business, too, like the Techniques, the Uniques, the Gaylords, the Heptones, Toots and The
Maytals and Bob Marley and the Wailers."
"We were influenced by a lot of people, and a lot of people were influenced by
us," said Bunny. "We are the back locks of reggae. "Most of the things that
happen right now in reggae music happen for money purposes. When we first started, we
never had this need to get paid for reggae, we just sang. Most of the DJs are kind of
doing the same thing; they're on the same riddim."
On a similar note, Judge feels that much today's music is lacking in terms of promoting
conscious messages. He believes that a lot of integrity has been compromised for financial
gain. "This thing is a whole plan; the plan is really to take away the conscious
things that educate people and put in stupid things, so they push all the big money
things, the stupid things. If we were to follow that, we could make a whole pile of money.
However, we never chose to do that. My granny used to say that the longest liver would see
the most. At one point we said, well, we are gonna just stay here and work, if we can't
sing them out, we're going to wait them out!"
In April, the Mighty Diamonds, backed by a six member Jamaican band called the Yardbeats,
launched their spring U.S. tour in support of their latest Jet Star release Rise Up. They
received an incredible response, packing small clubs and bars in San Francisco, Nevada
City-even places as obscure as the Swindle Fish Saloon in Athens, Ohio. One thing that
kept the Diamonds in the limelight all these years is their openness to new music; they
have incorporated R&B, blues, gospel, jazz, dancehall and even classical music into
their recordings and live shows. (The New Orleans Symphony Orchestra played on their 1977
release Ice on Fire). Their lovers' tracks are achingly romantic and devoid of gratuitous
sexuality. Pleasing their female fans is crucial to success as a male singing group, and
this aspect is not lost on the group.
"Diamonds are a girls best friend," said Judge. "We haffe big up the ladies
dem because they really support the music. In truth, women buy more records than
men." During their Bay Area performances, the Mighty Diamonds will be backed by the
Yellow Wall Dub Squad USA, featuring Fazel Prendergast (guitar), Wadi Gad (drums), Stevie
Love (bass), Steve Hoffman (keyboards) and the West Coast Horn section. The Detour Posse
will back the Diamonds on the southern California stint.. For information on the Mighty
Diamonds California tour dates, contact Ms. Cool Promotions @ (415) 495-4709. Also, check
out their official website:
www.mightydiamonds.com.
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September 2002 Edition |
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