George Nooks records ‘Tribal War’ for 1978 truce

In April 1978, Jamaica’s historic One Love Peace Concert was held at the National Stadium, St Andrew, as strong men ‘Bucky’ Marshall and ‘Claudie’ Massop pushed for peace across the political divide. The concert is remembered for Bob Marley holding up the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Edward Seaga’s hand, along with People’s National Party (PNP) leader Michael Manley’s.

It is also renown for Peter Tosh’s incendiary performance, complete with an extended speech in which he declared, “I am not a politician, but I suffer the consequences.”

It was also in 1978 that George Nooks re-recorded Little Roy’s Tribal War, the song done at a faster tempo for the Joe Gibbs production. It was a hit and continues to resonate with audiences, in and out of general election seasons when the ‘tribal war’ tends to peak.

That violence may be a thing of the past even as the song remains popular and relevant. When Nooks closed his set at Studio 38, Trafalgar Road, St Andrew, last Sunday with Tribal War, he gave thanks that these days people from opposing political sides are dancing together at election time. There was heartfelt applause from the bumper audience.

Nooks said he knew the Little Roy original before being approached by Gibbs to do Tribal War.

“I did not know all of it. We used to hear it in the dance,” Nooks said. “It was recorded about the time of the peace treaty between the parties. Joe Gibbs called me and say “tru di treaty and everything it was all about peace”.

Being courted by Gibbs to do a recording was no small matter, as “Joe had all the big singers at the time”. Nooks recorded Tribal War at Gibbs’ studio, Lloyd Parkes (bass), Bo Pee (guitar) and Sly Dunbar (drums) among the musicians. And “it was an instant hit”, Nooks said, while crediting the circumstances with some of the quick success.

“What help the response to the song so much was that peace was in the air,” he said.

Nooks first performed Tribal War at a Christmas Day show, held at Carib Theatre.

“When we do that tune is pure excitement in the place,” he said.

Not only were the two radio stations in Jamaica, JBC and RJR, playing Tribal War, but Nooks said top sound systems Jah Love, Ray Symbolic and Gemini gave it extensive rotation in dancehalls.

“It went to number one very quickly,” Nooks said.

Now, he said, with people dancing instead of shooting, he is thankful for the changed circumstance.

“It touch me. It really touch me. I can recall and many people will recall that election time wasn’t a nice time. It wasn’t nothing to jump and dance about. A just war time that. Place get damage, people have to run away from them place. It was a frustrating time,” he said.

The proof of relevance for Tribal War is that it has transcended the moment for which it was recorded into a standard song for Nooks’ performances. “I cannot leave that song out of my schedule, anywhere I go,” he said.

Also, although others have re-recorded Tribal War, Nooks is confident that his version has made the biggest mark.

“A couple people record it after me, but I am proud to say mine do the damage. I want to big up Little Roy anywhere him is, because that is a great song,” Nooks said.