By Nathelie Taylor, Gleaner Writer 
Bob Andy in performance. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
THE POWER of his pen is as strong as it was over three decades ago and the strength of his ink is yet to dry. Bob continues to draw inspiration for his powerful lyrics from life, one that has been filled with many blessings and a few curses. As he states, "being alive is the only inspiration one needs."
It seems that one hears less of this legendary artiste, though, as the years fold into each other. At the very least, only old favourites like I've Got to Go Back Home and Young Gifted and Black are occasionally heard on radio. But Bob Andy, born Keith Anderson, has not been sitting idly by.
"I've been making new music that I've just released and given to all the radio stations, Hurry Back and Mama Africa. I've also been performing wherever I get work which, most times, is abroad."
Bob Andy is one of the
headliners for the December 4 staging of Heineken Startime and will share the stage with other legends like U-Roy, Nicky O.J. and Marcia Griffiths. After the show, he jets off to Europe for a one-month tour. This veteran definitely has no plans to go
gently into that good night.
STILL NOT PLEASED
With all he has achieved, Bob is still not pleased with the turn his career has taken in recent times, and it's due largely to one word - vintage. It's a word that is oftentimes used to describe him, but it's a term that has somewhat 'boxed' him into a particular
category and time.
"Despite the fact that they
have always been telling me how great a songwriter I am, they seem to be afraid to play the new music. All these people have been trying to behave as if I'm a relic and I take an affront to that. I'm not older than Aretha Franklin and if she makes a new record, the radio plays it. And she's also a vintage singer. I've been making music over the years and my ardent fans know that I have other albums. But, if you follow the traditional
attitude of radio, you would think the only album I ever did was Songbook."
Despite this, Bob vows to
fervently continue his work.
"My past is who I am in terms of the legacy that has been set. But what about my present and my future? I'm making music for now. The fact that they are not bigging up my new music won't stop me from making new
material. I'm an artiste, so I'm always creating."
Interestingly, Bob claims that while the new music he's
creating is of a different genre, he hasn't had to doctor his style. "As soon as you hear the record, you know it's Bob Andy. I'm probably a little more at ease and I know so much more now that I can express myself on a broader level. What you'll hear is my development and my
experiences, but not a change
of style."
CHANGES
The face of reggae music, in particular songwriting, has changed over the years. Some think that storytelling, for instance, once an integral part of the process, has slowly been eroded by the fast raps and
high-energy verses of these newer artistes. Bob, master of lyrical weaving, thinks that artistes have limited themselves. "Every generation has to be allowed creative expression.
So, we're not asking them to be what we were. However, they have deejayed themselves into a
corner because of their lack of creativity. They're only able to write about homosexuality and sexuality as if life revolves around that."
Bob Andy, who taught himself to play the piano, further states, "they are not melodically
creative. All these DJs write excellent poetry, but melodically they fail. When we started, we were into group singing and
harmony. Now, they don't have to learn anything about that. They can buy a piece of
equipment that does the job for them."
Bob Andy's prowess as a songwriter is evident in the
profundity of his lyrics. Once you've heard a Bob Andy song, certain lines are bound to stick with you through the years.
'I need nothing to be a man, because I was born a man', a
line from My Time, is a great example. It was not just specific to Bob's life, but also linked to more general happenings in
society during that period. Bob explains.
"When I said a man, I didn't just mean the masculine part of it. It was in reference to humankind. Because it seemed as if one class of people had a copyright on what you need to be to get by in life. If you weren't from a certain class background, economic background or colour background, then you wouldn't be good enough to be what you wanted to be. So that line came from that observation."
That line is also relevant today, even more so because, as Bob sees it, the socio-economic-
political circumstances that were rife in the 70s are still very real. As he points out, "racism and class prejudice are omnipresent amongst us. That hasn't changed. If it had changed, then the song wouldn't be so relevant."
Continued relevance, of course, is an important element of an artist's life. And Bob's songs have that. They have passed through decades, adapting to the musical climate of the times and registering in each generation of listeners. Bob Andy thinks that a few reggae entertainers have that staying power as well.
Laughing good-naturedly, Bob remarks, "it would be interesting to see if these songs nowadays will one day be termed oldies." Indeed, it does make one wonder if it is mere fantasy that 30 years from now, popular DJs like Bounty Killer, Beenie Man or Vybz Kartel will legitimately be called vintage. It's a projection which Bob eagerly comments on - after another bout of healthy laughter, that is. "To me, Bounty Killer is special among 'rap' artistes. 'Cause that's what I call him; he's poetic. Bounty has covered the social spectrum of lyrics. So, his thing will certainly find a place. Buju is similar. So is Sizzla. That song Solid As A Rock will be played forever."
Reggae's influence on the world cannot be doubted or
belittled. Bob, one of the founding fathers of this positive tradition, realises reggae's enormous impact. "For the past two and a half decades, Jamaican music has made its mark on the international stage. We have now been accepted and acknowledged as one of the leading countries that produce popular music. If a music can have such cross-the-board acceptance, it has to be influential."
But while reggae is internationally loved and respected, the music has recently been cast in unfavourable light, especially with the homosexual issue. Bob, though doesn't seem too surprised at this. "All good subjects will generate controversy. Because the fact that it is happening is not a bad thing that it is happening. I'm not saying that that these DJs are right to go about negating other people's lifestyles but, the DJs have made their point. So, whatever the homosexual groups are gonna say now, the damage is already done. The challenge to these artistes now is to show their creativity, both onstage and in recording. They need to show that they can rise above sexual lyrics and go even further."
Bob Andy indeed plans to go further. Despite what he views as radio's reluctance to play his newer songs, Bob remains undaunted. As matter of fact, this won't be the first time that Bob's faith in the industry has wavered; due to unfavourable issues in the industry in the mid-seventies when he took a break. But he came back, primarily because of the 'the people'.
Once again, it's the people who will be his pillar of support. Persons like the one who approached him recently in a bank and called him a 'national treasure' and the continued "respect, admiration, adoration and appreciation" which many others show will keep this musical giant standing majestically tall. Like fine wine, Bob Andy can only get better with time. He will continue doing what he does best - writing and singing lyrics that have power and meaning, lyrics that will impact on generations of listeners for many more decades to come.
