Peter Tosh Interview
Peter Tosh, founding member of
the original Wailers is currently on
the biggest reggae tour of all time.
Recently, he played the Berkeley
Community Theatre and we were
fortunate enough to rap with him
and check out his point of view.
Q. When you and Bunny Wailer left
the original Wailers, it was reported
that you did so because of bad
touring conditions. Since you are
here now, does that mean that
touring conditions-have improved?
A. Yes, mon, that situation was terrible.
That is not to say it is better,
because we are people who fight for
our rights, to get to our rights. The
spiritual environment has remained
the same. But because the message
of the music must get out there to
the people, we are the ones who
must get the message to the people.
Q. What musicians are you using for
this tour?
A. Fully Fulwood on bass, Santa on
drums, Steve Golding on rhythm
guitar, Donald Kinsey on lead guitar.
The percussionist is Vision and on
keyboards we have Robbie Lyn and
Keith Sterling.
Q. Would you tell us of life growing
up in Kingston as a boy?
A. Life in Kingston? Same shit still,
mono The same ghetto life with our
people caught up in the shitstym
(system) and politricks (politics).
Q. Were you Rasta even before you
grew your Dreadlocks?
A. Yes mon, I was born a Rasta.
Q. How is the new government in Jamaica
and is it any different from the last one?
A. New Government? Same government. Same t'ing.
Q. Who is the best dub band in Jamaica now?
A. Best dub band? I don't know. We
don't compete.
Q. On your latest album, Wanted
Dread & Alive", one tune, "Nothing
But Love" doesn't seem to have such
a strong reggae beat. Is that a
conscious effort on your part to get
Black Americans into reggae/Rasta
consciousness by giving them a beat
they are familiar with so they can
feel the message?
A. Yes mon, you see, people only
see reggae one way. I am the architect
of the music, and I can make my
music flexible. I can make people
listen to my music by putting in
different variations of sounds.
Q. We read in the book, Reggae
Bloodlines, that you lost your wife in
an auto accident, and we were sorry
to hear it. Have you remarried, or do
you have more than one wife, as does
fellow Rasta, Jimmy Cliff?
A. I never marry, yes mon You see,
any woman that I take unto myself is
my wife. I can't wait for some guy to
come with the contract to make it
legal. He no know if I love her.
Q. How many children do you have?
A. Oh goodness gracious mon, I just
make them.
Q. Do you think it's possible- for a
Black person" in America to be a
Rastafarian?
A. Is it possible? Yes, mon why not?
Q. Did you write "Legalize It", while
in jail for ganja possession?
A. I have not been in jail. I have been
brutalized by the police so I did not
have to go to jail:
Q. They said you were almost beaten
to death. Is that true?
A. Yes, mon Twice.
Q. Besides yourself, who are your
favorite musicians. Your major
influences?
A. Influence? I and I don't have no
influence. Favorite and influence are
two different t'ings. I love a musician
because of the way he plays his music
or the message within his music, but
that does not mean that I am in
fluenced by him, cause when you are
influenced that means that you will
literally paint a picture from that
influence you get from his music.
- Thurman J. Watts