WHY VISIT JAMAICA IN YOUR LIFE TIME

The lead singer of reggae group Culture, Joseph Hill

Many people call Jamaica a paradise on earth, the diamond in the sea, and heaven in the Caribbean. There is magic in Jamaica, but listening to the great reggae tunes isn’t enough until you visit this great country in the Caribbean, which has attracted millions of tourists worldwide.

The mere mention of Jamaica brings to mind great reggae artists such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Joseph Hill (Culture), Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Desmond Decker, and other artists, but there is more in Jamaica that makes it unique than the sweet coconut-water reggae.

Jamaica is part of the Greater Antilles and is the third-largest island located south of Cuba and west of Haiti. The island boasts of beautiful, exotic nature, vibrant, distinctive, magnificent mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, and miles of first-class beaches.

The natural beauty of Jamaica attracts travellers from all over the world. The most visited places of the island include the Blue Mountains, where one of the most popular and top quality coffees in the world comes from, and Dunn's River Waterfalls.

In the northwest of the island, there is a huge resort area of Montego Bay, where half of the best hotels in Jamaica are located, including Half Moon Resort, where Queen Elizabeth II stayed, and Round Hill Hotel and Villas. 

It is understandable why the island boasts of beautiful, exotic natural beaches, places untouched by humans, good infrastructure, and beautiful locations, such as Font Hill Nature Reserve, Cockpit Country, a limestone platform with many caves and valleys. 

Montego Bay is famous for its magnificent beaches, old mansions, and plantations, as well as many attractions of historic and entertaining attractions. Tourists enjoy their visit by rafting along the rivers Marta Brae, Black River, taking a tour of the Blue Mountains, or play golf on the best fields of the island.

Negril is one of the most environmentally friendly resort areas in the world. It is located in the west of the island, revealing its natural beauty of the seven-mile sandy beach of Kaliko Jack, Bladi Bay, 18 reefs and islands in Bubi Bay, Yas waterfall, Joseph caves, Anansi Park, and picturesque fishing villages.

It's intriguing to know that Jamaicans also call inconsistent or untrue stories 'Ananse stories.'

The resort of Ocho Rios in the north of the island is famous for its chic tropical vegetation, as well as the 180-meter-high Dunn River Falls, fruit and coffee plantations, and the viewing platform of Murphy Hill with a height of 670 meters. 

The famous Blue Lagoon, where the filming of the same name (The Blue Lagoon) took place, can be visited in the north-east of the island, in Port Antonio, and in the south-east of the country. It is worth visiting the Spanish town, the former capital and one of the main attractions of the island. 

Diving in Jamaica gives the chance to see the diverse and mysterious underwater world. The waters of Negril have great visibility with a rich variety of fish, turtles, eels, and dolphins. At a depth of 19 m reveals the so-called Throne Room is revealed, a cave filled with yellow sponges. 

On the territory of Jamaica, there are 10 excellent golf courses, because Jamaicans love this sport very much. In Kingston, the capital, you can also enjoy the sight of historic, beautiful buildings, paintings, and products inspired by Rastafarians.

Amazingly, today, Jamaica is no longer known as the reggae kingdom, but also an athletics country, thanks to good athletes, such as Melene Ottey, Asafa Powell Usain Bolt, etc.

Joel Savage's interview with Joseph Hill

 MY FULL INTERVIEW WITH JOSEPH HILL

Joel: I have to call you, Sir Joseph Hill. Let’s rally round Jehovah’s throne. I have a few questions to ask you today.

Joseph: You are welcome. (Then he smiled)

Joel: It was in the seventies, I heard of Culture. Can you please tell what has inspired you to be in this hard music industry for all these years?

Joseph: It’s Jah (referring to God) that gives me the strength. Always feel that there is something to watch out for. For myself, I love to play for the people. They are also part of my inspiration. These are what have inspired me throughout these years.

Joel: You have been singing all your life about corruption, oppression, war, poverty, discrimination, crime, and so on. Were you a victim of such things in any circumstances?

Joseph: There are people I saw in comparison to various countries. Yes! yes!! Yes!!! I have seen people die, and not a word of justice has been said. Think of a person’s life. It is priceless. The last grief I had. There was this woman in Afghanistan, separated from the land. They treated her so badly that she and her child were eating grass.” G R A S S- grass”.(Joseph moved with sorrow, spelling the word grass)

Joel: Your lyrics and beats in every song of Culture touch and move everyone on the road of trials and tribulations. Where do you get such wonderful rhythms and lyrics from?

Joseph: The big man who rules the earth. He is the governor. (He laughed)

Joel: You were in Sierra Leone when the war was at its peak, with the brutal fighting activities of the rebels. Did your visit create any impact or bring a change to the suffering masses?

Joseph: Yes, my visit brought a change. When the people saw me, they didn’t know what to say. They just cried and cried. You know the rebels told the government that “You should be glad that Joseph is here. If he weren’t here this place would be destroyed within 24 hours. Imagine. I just came back from there a few weeks ago.”

Joel: I learned that at the capital, Freetown, at the guest house you lodged, there is a tree nearby, and every morning a bird came to sing, and out of the song of the bird, you composed a song from it.

Joseph: Yes, it's true.

Joel: I ask the same question of any reggae artist I interview. Reggae music is loved by everyone. But why is it that the music is given less attention?

Joseph: Because the truth is God’s friend. But not a lot of people are friends of the truth.

Joel: You have been following the Palestinians and Israeli conflict for a very long time and have even visited the Gaza Strip. Who do you think is the stumbling block to this peace everyone is seeking?

Joseph: Greed, greed, greed. Because there is enough to satisfy every man’s need but never enough to satisfy no man’s greed. So greed is the stumbling block.

Joel: In one of your songs, you played a song against Yasser Arafat, as the stumbling block.

Joseph: He made himself like that. He has to change his ways, and the other man would change his ways. There is something called “Repentance”. When repentance meets their hearts, we shall have a beautiful world.

Joel: You successfully came out last year with the remarkable “world peace” album. What message do you still have in mind for your numerous fans worldwide?

Joseph: You know, people should respect one another. To be used, abused, refused, and our hearts trampled by fea and living in doubt, thinking we are living on top of the world. No, we shouldn’t live that way. We have to seek happiness, love, mutual respect, joy,, and justice of God around us, and peace would find its rightful place.

Joel: Thank you very much for this interview, Sir Joseph Hill.

Joseph: Thanks be to Jah

Read other interviews of Anthony B, Andrew Tosh, U-Roy, Prince Malachi, Alton Ellis, Gregory Isaacs, Junior Murvin, Julian Marley, ASWAD, Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Tutu Puoane, and many others in ‘The Passion of Reggae and African Music. 

 Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Joel-Savage/e/B008SCTYI6/

CULTURE LEAD SINGER JOSEPH HILL'S VISIT TO SIERRA LEONE STOPPED THE WAR

The Great Joseph Hill of the Group Culture

Once you are a music lover, especially of Reggae, you will know who Joseph Hill is. He was the lead singer of the group popularly known as Culture. Joseph Hill was one of the talented early pioneers of reggae whose rich vocals and classic recordings made him one of the greatest reggae icons, along the line with Jimmy Cliff, Gregory Isaacs, etc.

Apart from his masterful compositions and his invigorating style of writing his songs, the calm and humble gentleman who inspired a lot of musicians did what many world leaders tried and failed to do. In over three decades as a professional musician, Joseph Hill not only sang as a peacemaker but was also practically involved in seeking peace worldwide.

During the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between the Jewish and Muslim populations inhabiting the lands covered by Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and the surrounding Arab nations, both Israelis and Palestinians were killed in the fighting. All efforts by world leaders to stop this terrible conflict, dating from Biblical times, were abortive.

Despite the mortar attacks and deadly missiles demolishing the Palestinian settlements and the killings, Joseph Hill bravely went to Israel promoting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Mr. Hill’s bold attempt was seen as an ironic approach to world peace.

That wasn’t the end. After seeking peace in the Middle East, Mr. Hill visited Sierra Leone during the war.  The forced recruitment of child soldiers by the Revolutionary United Front and the rebels’ atrocious behavior against civilians killed thousands of Sierra Leoneans. 

The decade-long civil war left Sierra Leone flowing with blood and amputated hands and legs of victims when Mr. Hill landed in Freetown, the capital.

As soon as Mr. Hill arrived in Freetown, he told the rebels, “I will only go if you put down your guns.” The rebels quickly obeyed him, and they laid down their guns. Afterward, they sent a message to the president saying, “You are lucky that Paa Joe Hill is in Freetown, or else we shall destroy Freetown within 24 hours.”

A bad farmer quarrels with his tools, but the hand of the expert produces fruit. Near the hotel where Mr. Hill lodged in Freetown was a tree. Every morning, a bird comes to the tree. Out of the sound of the chirping bird, Mr. Hill composed a song with it. Is it not amazing?  It wasn’t surprising when Prime Minister Miller recognized him as “a towering representative of our homegrown idiom, reggae.”

Born in the rural Jamaican parish of St. Catherine in 1949, Joseph Hill started his musical career in the late 1960s as a percussionist.  During the Rastafarian influence on reggae in the 1970s, Mr. Hill formed Culture, producing more than 30 albums.

Two Giants Clash: Bob Marley and Joseph Hill

While on tour in Europe in the year 2006, Mr. Hill suddenly fell sick and succumbed to his illness. His selfless sacrifice seeking peace worldwide and his ebullient musical achievements placed him in the history of reggae as a great artist.

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Building the future of war affected children in Sierra Leone

Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone


Sierra Leone is diamond-rich but one of the poorest countries in the world. It was like that country never existed until a decade-long civil war brought it to world attention. Thousands of Sierra Leoneans were victims of the horrific war.

Adults and children suffered mutilations, amputations, and thousands of children were abducted by warring factions and forced to become child soldiers, porters, and child slaves. The country and its victims are still struggling to come to terms with their recent past.

The United Nations Secretary-General's special envoy for Children and Armed Conflict, Mr. Olara Otunnu, who visited Sierra Leone, said that "Without the prospect of jobs and education, Sierra Leonean children could be a source of instability in a country which is yet to recover from a decade of war."

During his week-long visit to Sierra Leone last year, Mr. Otunnu launched "The Voice of the Children," a radio station run by the youths in the capital, Freetown. Otunnu was delighted to see the effort of people trying to rebuild the schools, which are in deplorable conditions.

He said, "Children should be at school rather than mining diamonds. He was shocked to see many children forced as slaves in the diamond mines at Kono district, yet wallowing in poverty and not attending school. Because they don't have adequate facilities."

"He was delighted when the children told him that they preferred to be in school to working at the mines. To rehabilitate the country's war-ravaged health and educational sectors, the World Bank approved 40 million dollars in grants to Sierra Leone. Part of the money will be used to restore what the bank called "The most essential functions of the health delivery system."

On February 25, 2003, President Tedjan Kabbah formally inaugurated a National Commission for the War Affected, calling it "One of the most far-reaching decisions we have made for the future of this nation." A war crime tribunal has been set up to investigate those who committed serious offenses and violated international humanitarian laws.

In the heat of the war and after it subsided, many great musicians, such as Lucky Dube and Joseph Hill of Culture (Jamaica), were in the country to play "Peace Concerts" in their efforts to unite the people for lasting peace.

The American-born film actor and producer, Michael Douglas, was also in Sierra Leone on a five-day tour to view the remains of the weapons surrendered to the United Nations and talk to some of the victims. Mr. Michael Douglas was named United Nations "Messenger of Peace" in 1998.

Greed is the stumbling block to world peace- Joseph Hill

Joel Savage interviews Joseph Hill, the lead singer of the group Culture

POLE-POLE FESTIVAL-GENT- BELGIUM (2004) BY JOEL SAVAGE

Down in Jamaica, where Garvey comes from, many groups and musicians started in the early seventies, as the mighty Joseph Hill of Culture. But they are nowhere to be found today. 


Like the spirit of the Lord upon Joseph Hill, for the past 30 years, nothing at all could stop him from spreading his message against war, oppression, crime, discrimination, poverty, racism, corruption and injustice. 

Last year, 2003, he came out with "World Peace," seeking peace worldwide and rejecting war totally through music. On July 25, 2004, after performing live, he granted this interview to "The Voice Magazine" Belgian correspondent. Joel Savage.

TV: I have to call you, Sir Joseph Hill. Let's rally round Jehovah's throne. I have a few questions to ask you today.

Joseph: You are welcome. (Then he smiled)

TV: It was in the seventies that I heard of Culture. Can you please tell me what has inspired you to be in this hard music industry for all these years?

Joseph: It's Jah (referring to God) that gives me the strength. Always feel that something is watching out for me. For myself, I love to play for the people. They are also part of my inspiration. That's what has inspired me through all these years.

TV: You have been singing all your life about corruption, oppression, discrimination, war, poverty, and so on. Were you a victim of such things in any circumstances?

Joseph: There are people I saw in comparison to various countries. Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! I have seen those things for political reasons. I have seen people die, and not a word of justice has been said. 

Think of the person's life. It is priceless. The last grief I had was this woman in Afghanistan, who is separated from her land. They treated her so badly that she and her sixteen-year-old child were eating grass. That was my last grief. (Joseph moved with sorrow, spelled the word grass "G R A S S")

TV: Your lyrics and beats in every song of "Culture" touch and move everyone on the road of trials and tribulations. Where do you get such wonderful rhythms and lyrics from?

Joseph: The big man who rules the earth. (He laughed) He is the governor.

TV: You were in Sierra Leone on two occasions, when the war was at its peak, with the brutal activities of the rebels. Did your visit create any impact or change your view on the suffering masses in the country?

Joseph: Yes, my visit brought a change. When people saw me, they didn't know what to say. They just cried and cried. You know, the rebels told the government that "You should be glad Joseph is here. If he weren't here, this place would be destroyed within 24 hours. I just came back from there a few weeks ago.

Joel: I learned that in the capital, Freetown, at the guest house you lodged, there is a tree nearby, and every morning a bird came to sing, and out of the song of the bird, you composed a song from it. Is it true?

Joseph: Yes, it's true.

Joel: On July 4th, 2004, I interviewed Lucky Dube, who told me that as a friend, you are one of the best men in the music industry. How do you react to this nice compliment?

Joseph: I take it easy. That's it.

Joel: I ask the same question to any reggae artist I interview. Reggae music is loved by everyone. But why is it that the music is given less recognition?

Joseph: Because the truth is God's friend, but not a lot of people are friends of the truth.

Joel: You have been following the Palestinian and Israeli conflict for a very long time, and you have even visited the Gaza Strip. Who do you think is the stumbling block to the peace everyone is seeking?

Joseph: Greed, greed, and greed because there is enough to satisfy every man's need but never enough to satisfy any man's greed. So greed is the stumbling block.

Joel: In one of your songs, you played a song against Yasser Arafat, as the stumbling block.

Reggae interviews

Joseph: He made himself like that. He has to change his ways, and the other man would change his ways. There is something called “Repentance”. When repentance meets their hearts, we shall have a beautiful world.

Joel: You successfully came out last year with the remarkable “world peace” album. What message do you still have in mind for your numerous fans worldwide?

Joseph: You know, people should respect one another. To be used, abused, refused, and our hearts trampled by fear, and living in doubt, thinking we are living on top of the world. No, we shouldn’t live that way. We have to seek happiness, love, mutual respect, joy, and the justice of God around us, and peace would find its rightful place.

Joel: Thank you very much for this interview, Sir Joseph Hill.

Joseph: Thanks be to Jah

Read other interviews of Anthony B, Andrew Tosh, U-Roy, Prince Malachi, Julian Marley, ASWAD, Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti, Tutu Puoane, and many others in ‘The Passion of Reggae and African Music.

http://www.amazon.com/Passion-Reggae-African-Music-ebook/dp/B013L9A1JQ