"Isaac
Haile Selassie "
Isaac
arrived in the United States in
1980 and by 1983 he had reached
Los Angeles where he began performing
publicly, starting in an Ethiopian
restaurant, singing Ethiopian songs
and reggae both in English and Amharic.
Isaac's message of unity, love
and peace took off and he began
playing at many of the local universities,
popular clubs and venues like
the African Marketplace, Beach
Fest, Coconut Teaser, Kingston
12 and the Music Machine.
More recently, Isaac has performed
at the Sierra Nevada World Music
Festival (Marysville, CA) Roots
Mountain Reggae (Tonasket, WA),
Northwest Reggae Fest (Seattle,
WA and Portland, OR), Roots Revolution
Festival(Montana), Lake Casitas
World Music Festival (Ojai, CA),
One Root World Music Festival
(Sacramento, CA) and was a headliner
on the 2000 Annual Bob Marley
Exodus Festival, traveling and
performing throughout Texas and
Arizona. He has played shows in
Toronto, Canada, Boston and Cambridge,
MA, Virginia, Boulder and Denver,
CO and continues to tour and perform.
His debut CD, "UNITE"
was chosen as one of the Top Ten
reggae releases of 1999 and 2000.
Says Isaac,"This album was
born between friends who know
me, know my heart, who believe
in my music for its positive message.
Ethiopia's history has been a
struggle toward unity during the
past millennium. I contribute
this music for Ethiopians at home
and abroad who starve for peace
and unity and for Africans and
the rest of the world who pray
for happier times to come for
all of us."
"In The Reggae Spotlight"
is pleased to profile
"Isaac Haile Selassie"
.
In the annals of reggae music
and its devotion to Emperor Haile
Selassie, one thing becomes striking
by its absence: the lack of Ethiopian
voices giving thanks and praise
to the Almighty God through the
teachings of His Majesty. Now,
from Addis Ababa, by way of Southern
California, comes a striking new
voice whose direct links to the
King of Kings are stronger than
any other singer and player of
instruments this century has known.If
that seems yperbole, consider
the fact that Isaac Haile Selassie
not only carries the perial name,
but was, in fact, raised under
the supervision of His Majesty.
"I have been blessed,"
recalls the singer from his cozy
hillside cottage in Los Angeles,
"to have been raised in the
care of His Imperial Majesty personally,
at his boarding school a few miles
from
the palace. I used to see him
at least once a week throughout
my childhood."
When Selassie was deposed, Isaac
recalls sadly, "I felt like
I was cut into halves and I had
no place in my own land. War and
destruction surrounded me. So
I decided to walk out of my country
through the desert of Eritrea,
all the way to the Sudan. My companions
and I slept in the daytime and
walked in the night, hiding like
hyenas. I eventually found my
way to Khartoum, Sudan, and one
day I encountered a group of Ethiopians
who were lying in the 120 degree
heat under a fan in a small room,
listening to Bob Marley on the
radio."
This initial encounter with Jah
music came as a visceral revelation.
"His voice sounded like truth,
although none of us could understand
what he was saying. I'd never
heard of dreadlocks or Jamaica
or Rasta. I never knew there were
these people abroad who loved
Selassie I. But the spirit of
this man just hit me like he hit
the rest of the world."
http://www.isaachaileselassie.com
SPOTLIGHT
"In The Reggae Spotlight"
is a new forum from roadsidereggae.com
We will feature talented Reggae
musicians who have not received
support or publicity from the establishment.
We will write a feature article
outlining background, experience,
or information pertaining to the
person, group or band which will
give the Internet audience an insight
into the featured artist/artists.You
may also send your bio and we will
edit it if necessary. Please remember
to keep it brief! The goal of "In
The Reggae Spotlight" is to
give a voice to those who now speak
in whispers, together we will roar!
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