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 interview

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

JOSEPH HILL OF CULTURE STORMS BELGIUM

Joseph Hill, lead singer of the group called 'Culture'


The group Culture, with lead singer Joseph Hill doesn't need to convince reggae fans worldwide, the show they can put up when it comes to performing live. 


In the past thirty years, Joseph Hill's tunes against oppression, corruption, slavery, discrimination, racism, poverty, injustice, and war have won him an ovation, recognition, and respect in the field of reggae globally.

 

On July 25th, 2004, in Gent, the artists' program reads that the group culture plays from 11pm till 1am. Before 10.30pm, the crowd had swelled up at both sides of the river banks, waiting to see Joseph Hill, "the humble African to cast one stone for world peace." 

 

At 11 pm, the Culture group wasn't on stage yet. The crowd became a bit nervous.

The message has already been that the bus the group was traveling with from Germany to Belgium had a mechanical problem on the way, which actually caused the delay. At 11.30pm, the stage is already set. 

 

From nowhere emerged Joseph Hill in military boots, ready for action. With happiness and joy, the crowd gave him a thunderous welcome. Joseph Hill backed by Albert Walker and Telford Nelson, didn't delay at all to give the people what they wanted, taking most of the songs from the "LIVITY LIVE CULTURE 98" album.

 

Tunes like "Love shines bright", "Mount Zion", "See dem a come", "Jah Rastafari", "Iron sharpeneth iron", and hosts of sweet melodious tunes that made the group what they are today. He was awesomely sizzling on stage and had fans screaming for more.

 

There weren't enough places for the fans to dance, yet the music couldn't stop them from dancing their hearts out. After about an hour of continuous play, Joseph asked the crowd, "Anyone who wants peace should raise their hand."

 

Almost everyone responded positively. "I'm going to play 'World Peace". He said. The title track of his new album was released in 2003. A song Joseph is telling the world in a strong message that "We can't take another war, we want world peace." 

 

There was shouting and yelling, which created a pleasant atmosphere of happiness for everyone. Joseph Hill retired an hour and a half after an amazing, breathtaking performance.

 

But unbelievably, the possessed crowd wouldn't allow him to leave the stage. They yelled for more music. Joseph Hill would always do his best to entertain his fans. 

 

He took to the stage again and played three additional tunes. It was a natural instinctive feel when Joseph Hill thanked the fans for inspiring him to give them what they wanted.

 

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