Twinkle Brothers Perform at Karibbean City

Article by De’Nise Dennis
Photography by Diane ‘Livonn’ Adam © 2008

Announcing what was about to happen the flyer read, A Night of Roots and Culture a Reggae Explosion Featuring the Legendary Twinkle Brothers. That is exactly what happens any time the Twinkle Brothers are on the bill. When you listen keenly,   they cause an explosion not only with their music, but, to your consciousness. The heat was already turned up and the stage set by the time Empress Della Grant had finished her set. When you attend a Twinkle Brothers show and Della opens for them, she always stirs up the crowd. Tonight she was an indispensable part of the show. Della Grant is the wife of Ralston Grant. He along side Norman Grant form the Twinkle Brothers. They come from Jamaica, the ghetto of Falmouth on the North coast, the Parish of Trelawney.

The Twinkle Brothers didn’t hesitate to explode onto the stage and swiftly ignite more fire under our feet. To stay true to a sound that only the Twinkle Brothers have mastered, they brought with them on Lead Guitar: Black Steel, who has been a staple in the Twinkle sound for many a year. The same goes for Dub Judah, putting down some wicked licks on the Bass. On Drums: John and on Keys: Ryan. Their Engineer for the night is, Demondo. Ralston Grant plays Rhythm Guitar and sings lead vocals. Norman ‘Twinkle’ Grant is a vocalist and musician.

Black Steel	Dub Judah

They got right into, ‘Babylon Falling’, and, ‘I Don’t Want To Be Lonely Any More’. I can clearly see and hear these people here at Karibbean City tonight are true Twinkle Brothers fans. It didn’t take much to get the crowd involved in the music as they sang along, word for word. They grooved on into the song, ‘Since I Throw the Comb Away’, which was met by the crowd with great enthusiasm. This song is a ‘Nottys’ anthem especially the ones in Jamaica who face discrimination for having locks, to this present day. I met such a man, who became a friend, his mother threw boiling hot water on him when he began to grow his locks and hail Rasta Far I. He is scared for life from the burn but, he is a big man now and he is still Rasta. Once you find love in Rasta Far I, there’s no turning back.

The Twinkle Brothers went into this a capella canticle, “Don’t you take deh wrong train, don’t take deh wrong train cause, deh Devil is a driver and he will drive you down to hell. Don’t take deh wrong train, don’t take deh wrong train, you better hop off and get on the other train”. Wow! What harmonizing. That was simply beautiful singing! Then, Norman didn’t hesitate to get right back into his high energy with, ‘It’s Only Rasta’. The tempo and the way this song is put together, is one of the reasons that made me start listening to and loving the Twinkle Brothers music. It is that deep pulsating reggae that gets into you and makes you move. They have this ‘old world’ style reggae that sounds complicated but the Twinkle Brothers deliver it with precision. Too wicked! Total high energy and this was followed with the track, ‘Jah Kingdom Come’.

Twinkle Brother Ralston Grant took center stage to sing lead on the tune, ‘Jehovah’. Both brothers write good, strong, and powerful lyrics. At the close of this song Norman introduces the next song, ‘Faith Can Move Mountains’, then tells us, “Have faith in Jah and all things are possible”. There might have been some one standing in Karibbean City that needed to hear those words and can get some encouragement from the Twinkle Brothers music and message tonight. He then asked the crowd, “how you feelin’, are you feelin’ the vibes?” The people respond with whistles, cheers and screams. He tells us, “I have to do some new songs because, he knows we ready for some new songs (don’t it?)”. Some people yelled out, “Old songs!” But he said, “same way, if we keep singing the old, you’re not going to come out, then the people won’t be bothered, they’ll say they hear the same song, so, we’re gonna pursue some new ones”. He really had to reason with the audience to get a few to overstand. He explained the next song was about a lot of people that have been mentally and physically abused by pastors and people they think they can trust. It’s called, ‘You Nah Get Way Wit It’. He said, “If you don’t know deh patois version to dat, tell dem Black Steel”. Black Steel replied, “You Won’t Get Away With It”. Before the song was over the crowd were singing the chorus along with the Twinkle Brothers.

Ralston ‘Twinkle’ Grant steps forward again with another new one, ‘Satan Go Down’. Maybe if enough of us chant daily, ‘Satan go down in your bottomless pit’, would manifest in binding Satan and his followers. After claps and cheers, Norman comes back and says, “It’s a Wed. night, we go back to London tomorrow, yes. Some of us don’t go to church, but, we go to dance. So we must praise his name in the dancehall. Let’s give thanks and praise to His Majesty right here tonight”. Jah know, that tune, ‘Praise His Name’, if you’re not feeling the music after that song, you must be a duppy! “Jah Rasta Far I, let his name be praised”, chants Norman after the song. He then calls Ralston forward again. They rotate well on stage.

When Norman comes back he speaks, “my stomach, my stomach is kind a’ upset, from all the tings that’s been happening all over the world. It’s upset my stomach. My stomach is sick, I feel like I want to vomit”. This song, “I Wan Vomit/My Stomach Sick’, had Norman all over the stage as did, ‘Reveal In Revelation’. The Twinkle Brothers incorporate dub into their music with such ease, you don’t know you’re hearing the dub version till they finish singing the song. Norman gave a little history on his, and, his brother Ralston beginnings. He states, “Twinkle Brothers started 1962, my brother and myself, we’ve been going a long time. You wan’ to hear the first song?” The crowd of course cheers, yes! “Nineteen sixty four, this is the first song, forward”. It is a ska tune titled, ‘Some Body Please Help Me’. He pull-up the music and told us, “It was more close to my brothers era you know. A lot of people don’t know, in the sixties, would go to dance very young. My brother is 60 now, 60 yeah, an ole’ man. I’m 58 yeah, I’m getting there. But, in the sixties, when you go to the dance, if you can’t dance, you stand around and watch the people who can dance, ok. That’s how we use to do it in the sixties. And this is how we use to do it, forward!” Then he was joined by Ralston and they showed us how they danced to their first song and to ska in the sixties. They are quite entertaining. He gave us a little more history, “yes Twinkle Brothers found their hits very early. In the seventies, on the first album, ‘Give Rasta the Praise’, this is the track and it is on the, ‘Rasta Pon Top’, album.

After that track, Norman says, “People of Oakland, you have one head, only one head, so, take care of your head, ok? Don’t loose it, forward the song, hold it! ‘One Head You Got’, this called”. The Twinkle Brothers music flowed non stop with, ‘Rasta Pon Top’, ‘Satan and The Devil Are The Same’ (Get Behind Me Satan). Tonight the music left the crowd exhilarated.

For any of the reggae massive who truly love roots music, I would recommend you to check out the Twinkle Brothers if you have never seen them before. You won’t be disappointed. They have been in the business over 40 years and have over 60 plus albums to choose from. One of my favorites is, ‘Don’t Forget Africa’, and another, ‘Countrymen’. Thank you Karibbean City and thanks Twinkle Brothers for another good night of solid roots reggae.                           

Love, Peace, Protection and Truth