Dia defends the roots

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Despite producing a number of computer-driven songs for dancehall's elite, recording a concept album has always been musician/producer Diavallan 'Dia' Fearon's primary focus.

He believes he has achieved that with Defender of The Roots, a live set the 35-year-old keyboardist plans to release on his Builders Music label in early 2011.

"Yuh have people throughout the world who still love roots music, 'cause it spiritual," Dia said in a recent interview with The Gleaner. "Dem listen to Bob (Marley), Burning Spear an' Israel Vibration, but the young people in Jamaica not hearing 'bout these things."

Oh Haiti and Hungry Belly, songs Dia recorded early this year, are included on Defender of The Roots. The former was inspired by the suffering in that country following a massive earthquake in January that destroyed its capital, Port-au-Prince.

He said widespread poverty in inner-city Jamaica drove him to write Hungry Belly. Both songs are driven by the one-drop beat synonymous with roots-reggae's golden era of the 1970s.

Ironically, Errol Barrett, son of Wailers drummer Carlton Barrett, played drums on some Defender of The Roots tracks. The older Barrett's distinct work with Marley helped make the one-drop famous.

Drummer Rashaun 'Kush' McAnuff of the Uprising Band also contributed to the set, as well as veteran session guitarist Earl 'Chinna' Smith and keyboardist Dennis 'Jah D' Fearon, Dia's father.

While he is excited about the project, Dia says there is no rush to get Defender of The Roots released.

"Roots music is special, so wi not going to put out anything if it don't have the right elements," he said.

Raised in the tough St Andrew community of Grants Pen, Dia cut his teeth as a musician in bands like Food, Clothes and Shelter, Earth Ruler and Kausion. He had a minor role in the dancehall roots explosion of the 1990s, playing keyboards on songs for Garnet Silk and Everton Blender, which were produced by Richard Bell's Startrail label.

He kept that roots flavour for The Warrior his impressive 2000 debut album, but in recent times has concentrated on producing hardcore dancehall acts like Bounty Killer and Elephant Man.

The outrageous lyrics and behaviour of Shabba Ranks and Ninja Man were the rage in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A flood of artistes from central Jamaica led by Silk, Blender, Tony Rebel and Yasus Afari, sparked a roots renaissance that provided an alternative and inspired stellar albums like Buju Banton's 'Til Shiloh.

With the controversies dancehall has experienced in the past 18 months, Dia thinks the time is right for the music to get back to basics.

"A lot of our artistes jus' looking at the music from a commercial point of view an' that's not what reggae is about. It has always been about feeling," he said.