'Further Notice' of community involvement

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

Andre Carter, guitarist for the Further Notice band, outlines a mandate for the eight-year-old outfit that speaks as much to community involvement as musical promotion in Jamaica. On January 2, the band held a treat in the community near radio station Roots FM's offices on Mahoe Drive off Olympic Way, St Andrew - the same place the band will hold its official launch on Bob Marley's 68th birthday in 2013.

"We went to the square, cook some food and give away. Is a music, is a movement," Carter said.

He points that all the band's members are also vocalists, Ruel 'Klyve' Moncrieffe on percussions, Wayne 'Unga' Thompson playing drums, Jason Welsh on bass and Adrian Morris the engineer.

The inner-city location for the launch is an unusual choice, but Carter said that at the point where new music is officially presented to the public as "they always separate the people from the music. They have a launch uptown". However, Carter said, "they are the people we need to be amongst, to spread the message of love".

Further Notice is one of the bands formed at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts under the guidance of Michael 'Ibo' Cooper, who Carter said "give us the name too". They came together as a unit through being classmates, though not to a prescribed plan. "Music is about expression. We became friends first and the whole love go over in the music," Carter said.

Individually and as a unit, they have played for a wide range of artistes, including Damian and Stephen Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Bounty Killer. However, the current focus is on doing their own material, The Gleaner sitting in on a guitar overdub session for their song Beautiful Day. "Is a morning prayer to Jah. It is young people praying to God through music," Carter said.

Album to come

Beautiful Day is one of 12 tracks for their as yet untitled album, due out in early February, with guests Dejah Gomez and Describe. Further Notice leaves Jamaica later this month to put some presence behind the project. "We know the market and we going there. And we have the product also, so it's a good combination," Carter said.

He emphasised the scope of Jamaican music. "The world is ours, but we don't use it up. The world big," Carter said. However, he breaks down showbiz into 10 per cent show and 90 per cent business, underscoring how important it is to be competent at the latter.

The song In My Bed gained Further Notice traction in Canada and Italy late last year and, as the band heads out to maximise on the inroads they have already made, Carter puts the distinction between the band being in Jamaica into the context of "feed the people".

"Feed them with brain food, body food, soul food, pay some school fee for who can't pay school fee, support some jerk chicken man," Carter said.