Looking at Tosh

Written By Louis Ea Moyston

I grew up with a strong admiration for Peter Tosh and his music. His ability to sing and to compose lyrics and music that are politically charged has made him one of our most important thinkers and artistes. As a young man he has shown an exceptional maturity and detachment in the ways he views the world. His militancy increased as he grew older and set out to take on the world. He was always sharp on stage wearing costumes of different cultures as if he were reminding the world of its multi-cultural feature. His themes on global and national issues are as brazen as his M-16 guitar that he took on a world tour. He had the rare combination of being a visionary, a teacher and an artiste. Peter Tosh was murdered on September 11, 17 years ago. On this anniversary, Sonic Sounds had a re-launch of 12 of his albums at the Retirement Road office. The management of Sonic Sounds and all others associated with this project must be congratulated in their effort to resurrect the work of Tosh. Many young music fans will get a wonderful chance to look at Tosh and examine the worth of his contribution to our society and world affairs.

Sonic Sounds could not have selected a better time to launch Tosh's portfolio. Some of the themes that are dominant in Tosh's works are at play in today's national and global political debate. His works have been created out of a mould that is above parochial existence. His volumes have contributed to an important body of thinking covering the decades of the 60s, the 70s and some of the 80s. The importance of his works has been recognised by the liberation movements in Southern Africa as well as by the United Nations. It is the hope that this resurrection of his story will pave the way for the recognition of his sterling contribution to thinking and the arts in Jamaica. He lived the life he sang and sang the life he lived. He was a militant cultural exponent. Like the bird that flies highest, Tosh saw the farthest. How sweet it is to see the worldwide legalisation activities regarding ganja and the culmination of the World Conference on Racism at the time of the resurrection of Tosh's work.

Tosh was light years ahead of most of his contemporaries
Unlike many of the participants in popular music, Tosh saw and understood culture as complementary to civilisation. He was mindful of the excesses of commercialisation in terms of the negative impact on the music. In one of his last interviews he was loudly against the impact of commercialisation of the Jamaican popular culture. On this basis he was able to maintain the high standard and the militant quality of his music. He fought for what he thought was right and paid dearly for his struggles as he tried to build his career. Despite victimisation at home and abroad and against police brutality, Tosh remained as the "stepping razor" and a most militant cultural exponent. During the 70s, Tosh was the choice artiste for many of the young and militant youth. He was indeed the spokesperson for the people -- those having no one to speak for them. As a "nationalist cultivator" he was part of that critical core of his era that contributed mass consciousness. He was a fighter, a survivor and a most creative and enduring artiste. It is the hope that the radio stations will play a substantial role in giving life to these resurrected works.

When Tosh began his demonstration against Unilateral Declaration of Independence in southern Rhodesia, many people in Jamaica were not fully aware on the developments in Southern Africa. His trademark anthem Get Up Stand Up became a universal song of praise. For many Jamaicans and other people from the West Indies, Tosh was their first teacher in apartheid. He took on the Jamaican society and the global order as he campaigned for the legalisation of ganja. If Tosh were around he would be smiling at the developments in ganja relations globally. It was evident that he was an informed person and a cut above many artistes and musicians then and now. At his concerts he was sure to give a speech attacking the Pope of Rome to the local policeman. He used the stage to spread "consciousness" to the youth and the words of Rastafari to the world.

Many have used his militant nature to try and tarnish his integrity. He was light years ahead of most of his contemporaries. He had this appearance of authority and was not afraid to take on the world. He resurrected an old Wailers standard, Pound get a blow, and invaded the world with The day the dollar died. This song was his contribution to the war against the dominant international regime of the 1970s, the International Monetary Fund. He was mindful of the global concerns of nuclear war and made his contribution to this anti-war struggle in No nuclear war. He had a wide range of music and themes. The themes in religion and philosophy are just as clear as his lessons in the African liberation struggles.

Since the ganja issue has gained some amount of respectability, it is a good time to raise the issue of Tosh and what to do to ensure that the authorities give him the recognition that he deserves. It is also important for the people to renew their relations with this great artiste. As a student abroad, I lived through the hard times with the comforting and encouraging music from Tosh, Marley and Cliff. The point is, this music has its worth in gold. His work contributed to the building to a mass consciousness in Jamaica. Then, culture was complementary to civilisation. Today, the rampant commercialisation of popular culture has made culture the antithesis to civilisation. Tosh might curse on stage in a manner of protest but his stage appearance was more enlightening and creative when compared to much of what we have to tolerate in dancehall today. His interviews were always informative and inspiring. He was like the intellect of Jamaican music. He described himself clearly in the song, Mystic man: a man of the past, stepping in the present and moving into the future. Sonic Sounds have made a great contribution in resurrecting the work of Tosh. It is up to us, the public, to do the rest.