kaya

Bob Marley recorded the easy skanking spirituality and potent personal reflections of this soulful celebration of his native land while in exile in London.  He had left Jamaica after an attempt on his life:    "The political leaders never told them to make peace. Is the spirit come and tell them to make peace. That spirit is the spirit of God...Let me tell you something once and for all. You see me, if my freedom depend on politics, then I wouldn't tell you I would not go into politics. But I do not deal with politics...It must come through religion. Is not the people make the war, is other send them to fight it. Why when Ethiopia was starving, America and Russia never sent food but now they give Ethiopia billions of dollars worth of sophisticated weapons. In Jamaica, when the youth go down into the ghetto and kill off each other, who feel it? The same people in the ghetto. Why didn't the politicians say they wanted peace?...Propaganda is a wicked thing. One day everybody must know the truth. I beat down politics. I am a Rasta man. I will chat with Michael Manley or Eddie Seaga. People must move free and talk to whom they want. When white people have political elections all they will throw is a salad. Down in Jamaica, we fire gun, I can talk for gun fire off of me and is only Rastafari save me. So I have proof...When they came for me, they came for blood. I am in a corner and right away the gunshots came blazing through the door. In the meantime another assassin coming around the other side. The gunshots that were meant for me caught Don Taylor. Is four gun shot penetrate Don Taylor and all of those were made for me. Is a whole heap of gunshot was a fire that night...When Don Taylor hear the gunshot he was startled. They fire in the corner where I was and when I do so and move, I hear gunshot like dirt against the wall and when I move again I hear more gunshot pass me...You better believe it. They came to kill me...To me Jamaica is a school. Seen. Everything that is happening in Jamaica is happening everywhere else. Look at Ethiopia. The Russians have given the Ethiopians and Somalians guns to fight each other. In Jamaica is the same runnings (situation). Just that, one big whig give the people guns to fight each other...Well, is the people in Jamaica really make me what I am. Is them say, 'go Bob'. All when I shame how I sing, the people applaud. Them (Jamaican) people down there is the greatest people in the world. Is them build I and I."

'Kaya' was recorded at Island Studios in London with practically the same lineup as on 'Exodus':    Bob Marley on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, and percussion; Aston "Family Man" Barrett on bass and percussion; Carlton Barrett on drums and percussion; Junior Marvin on lead guitar; Tyrone "Organ D" Downie on keyboards and percussion; Alvin "Seeco" Patterson on percussion; and Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt on backing vocals.  The sessions also included Vincent Gordon on saxophone; Glen Da Costa on trombone.  Some of the songs were rerecorded versions of songs that appeared on the 'African Herbsman' compilation five years previously. 

Marley described his disagreements with management over touring after a football injury:    "Here what happen now. What happen to them is that they do not want to run this thing like how I want to run it. Them want to run me on a star trip but I am not on any star trip. I want that any time I tour Europe and I look at myself and realize that my structure (health) run down, I must rest. But they are not concerned with my structure. They run and plan a North American tour. You must remember when I was in Europe, you don't even drink water. You have to purposely drink water and when you finish that tour, they set up another tour. I watch Muhammad Ali and Alan Cole and I see how these athletes take care of their structure. But the people who set up the tour do not work. They just collect money and when night come, you find them in bed with two girls while you 'bus' your r…e.. and a work hard all the time. When my toe was injured, they didn't even know. My toe nail had just come out and when the boy them still set up a North American tour...I tell them don't set up no tour until I tell you. But them don't want to live by that. What them say is 'Bob, it is always good to tour six weeks after your record has been released'. That is fine but suppose my structure don't run in that type of rhythm. I am not going to let them come f... me up. Is the same reason why I f... up my toe. If I was in Jamaica and my toe was hurt, I wouldn't work...I used to buck, buck the toe from long time. And in Paris I was playing soccer and a man gave a r... tackle in the rain. The foot started paining me and I wonder now why it kept burning for so long. You know when you playing soccer and you get hurt, it pain a little and then stop but this pain kept burning. Boy, I just scored a goal and just hop off the field. When I took off my shoes, the toenail was completely out. But I continued to perform anyhow. And hear this, hear what they had planned to do – they had planned to cut off my toe just so I could make the North American tour. I say the b... c... boy them plan to cut off my toe to do the tour. You understand what I say. I am in London and I consult a doctor. The record company phone the doctor and ask him how long will the toe take to heal. The doctor told them six months. Then they queried the doctor and asked the doctor how long it would take if the toe was cut off? The doctor told them that should take about a month. So them would cut off my toe just so I could work. Exodus was a bubble and if I make the tour Exodus would sell over a million. His Majesty said to me in London, 'Is what sin you do to agree to cut off your toe?' I just say to them f... off and go away. So I just decide and take a rest. And when you make a check, man collect money from all about and I don't know. Is in a Jamaica I am and a Jamaican tell me 'Bob, I know this business and you and I can do a little thing'. And I say, well let's go. And him is the same one who turn round and going on with some little things."

'Kaya' was released just before Marley agreed to return to Jamaica for the 'One Love Peace Concert'.   'Kaya' went to number fifty in the US, sixteen in New Zealand, fourteen in Norway, six in Sweden, and four in the UK.  The album was criticized for its less political lyrical content.  Marley responded to assertions that his music had been diluted:    "You have to play it and get your own inspiration. For every song have a different meaning to a man. Sometimes I sing a song and when people explain it to me I am astonished by their interpretation...How long must I protest for the same thing? I sing, 'Get up,Stand Up" and up to now the people still don't get up. So must I still sing 'Get Up, Stand Up'? When I say, 'Get up, Stand up' I mean we must get up and stand up. I am not going to sing the same song again. The thing is I do not want to be a prisoner. I don't want to hustle off suffering. I don't want to see people suffer and sing as if I am glad to see people suffer and to make money off of that. I want people to live big and have enough. I am not glad to see people suffer to sing about it all the time. It means if nobody is suffering, you can't sing a good tune...You see you have to try to please you own people and you have to try to please people here (Americans) and you have to compete with the music here...They can't judge me."







http://www.bobmarley.com/










I wanna love you and treat you right; 
I wanna love you every day and every night: 
We'll be together 
with a roof right over our heads; 
We'll share the shelter of my single bed; 
We'll share the same room, yeah! - 
for Jah provide the bread. 
Is this love - is this love - is this love - 
Is this love that I'm feelin'? 
Is this love - is this love - is this love - 
Is this love that I'm feelin'? 
I wanna know - wanna know - wanna know now! 
I got to know - got to know - got to know now! 
I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I - I'm willing and able, 
So I throw my cards on your table! 
I wanna love you - 
I wanna love and treat - 
love and treat you right; 
I wanna love you every day and every night: 
We'll be together, yeah! - 
with a roof right over our heads; 
We'll share the shelter, yeah, oh now! - 
of my single bed; 
We'll share the same room, yeah! - 
for Jah provide the bread. 
Is this love - is this love - is this love - 
Is this love that I'm feelin'? 
Is this love - is this love - is this love - 
Is this love that I'm feelin'? 
Wo-o-o-oah! Oh yes, I know; 
yes, I know - yes, I know now! 
Yes, I know; yes, I know - yes, I know now! 
I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I - I'm willing and able, 
So I throw my cards on your table! 
See: I wanna love ya, I wanna love and treat ya - 
love and treat ya right. 
I wanna love you every day and every night: 
We'll be together, with a roof right over our heads! 
We'll share the shelter of my single bed; 
We'll share the same room, yeah! 
Jah provide the bread. 
We'll share the shelter of my single bed



'Kaya' is a Rastifari term that can refer to enlightenment, peace, or marijuana.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0dv_D-EwEo


Wake up and turn I loose
Wake up and turn I loose
Wake up and turn I loose
For the rain is falling
Got to have kaya now
Got to have kaya now
Got to have kaya now
For the rain is falling
I'm so high, I even touch the sky
Above the falling rain
I feel so good in my neighbourhood, so
Here I come again
Got to have kaya now
Got to have kaya now
Got to have kaya now
For the rain is falling
Feelin' irie I
Feelin' irie I
Feelin' irie I
'Cause I have some kaya now
I feel so high, I even touch the sky
Above the falling rain
I feel so good in my neighbourhood, so
Here I come again
Got to have kaya now
Got to have kaya now
Got to have kaya now, Lord
For the rain is falling
(Kaya now, kaya, kaya) Huh

'Kaya'
full album:



00:00 Easy Skanking
03:09 Kaya
06:25 Is This Love
10:17 Sun Is Shining
15:16 Satisfy My Soul
19:39 She's Gone
22:05 Misty Morning
25:39 Crisis
29:34 Running Away
33:49 Time Will Tell
37:23 Smile Jamaica (Alt. Version)