Burning Spear

Winston Rodney is a reggae stalwart. He's unflappable in his mission to give thanks and praises to Jah, his Rastafarian muse. His tenacity and integrity as a veteran singer, songwriter and bandleader is surpassed only by his resilience as a creative artist.

After assuming the stage name Burning Spear, Rodney first recorded for legendary producer Coxsone Dodd in 1969. His deep-roots style was far ahead of its time, and his early Studio One recordings were mostly ignored. But by the late '70s, the international breakthrough recording Burning SpearLive (Island Records) set the standard for roots-rock reggae and earned Rodney a rightful place in the pantheon of reggae's all-time greats.

Being accorded the esteemed status of living legend, however, does nothing to make the grueling business of making records any easier or more profitable (just ask Bo Diddley). So nearly two decades after setting the reggae (and music) world on its ear, Burning Spear (the identity of the band and the man are inseparable) steadfastly continue to release new records and tour from town to town. Somehow, either by divine intervention or the sheer force of a unique and unsquelchable creative gift, The Spear (as he is called by friends and fans) has remained fresh throughout the years.

Listen to Rasta Business (Heartbeat Records) and you'll hear potent, heartfelt messages of faith and redemption in songs that are at once contemporary and timeless in their lyricism. But the real strength of Burning Spear's vision is to be experienced in Rodney's transcendental stage performances. Using the persistent rhythm of reggae as a kind of trance-inducing hymn — words as mantra and chant — The Spear sometimes repeats a simple phrase across prolonged choruses to extract every nuance of meaning. The audience as witness becomes a mass of participants to the revelation of truth through Spear's gospel. A Burning Spear concert is a powerful experience, indeed.

Burning Spear,with openers Riddem Nation, perform on Tues., July 9th, at 8: 00 p.m. at Maui, 1143 North Delaware Ave., 423-8116, as part of the Reggae By The River Summer Concert Series. For info on the series, call 871-8349.

— Miguel Gonzalez