""The Artists must show some class and say 'no' most of the time""

©2002 RasWalter  

Review of 'Black Spark White Fire' (italian)

       You’ve recently released your second album, but I know that you’ve been performing reggae since the Seventies: tell me about the beginnings of your career…

       WELL AS A CHILD I WAS BOMBARDED WITH A LOT OF MUSIC FROM THE USA, WHILE LIVED AS A CHILD IN KINGSTON JAMAICA. I  USED TO HEAR SONGS FROM ARTIST LIKE LITTLE RICHARD, NAT KING COLE SAM COOK, AND ELVIS PRESLY TO MENTION A FEW. THAT IS WHAT WOULD CLOSE MY EVERY WEEKENDS AS A CHILD. IN 1965 MY FAMILY MOVED TO THE COUNTRY, WHERE I USED TO SNEAKED OFF ON MANY WEEKENDS TO WHERE THE VILLAGE SOUNDSYSTEM WOULD BE PLAYING, KNOWING FULLY WELL I WOULD BE SLEEPING OUTSIDE WITH THE FIREFLIES, AND IN THE MORNING I WOULD ALSO GET A WIPING, STILL THAT COULDN'T STOP ME. IN 1969  I DID MY FIRST ADDITION  AT 13 BRENFORD ROAD IN KINGSTON, THERE I WAS TOLD TO GO HOME AND WORK ON MY SKILLS SOME MORE, WHICH IDID. I MOVED TO THE USA IN 1973 TO JOIN MY MOTHER AND THE REST OF MY FAMILY, THEN IN 1974 I MET A PRODUCER BY THE NAME OF WINSTON "STONE" JONES WHO TOOK ME TO THE STUDIO AND RECORDED A TUNE WITH ME ENTITLED "FREE NATTY DREA D" .I LEFT FOR TEXAS IN 1977 AND MET A BAND CALLED REGGAE FEVER, AND EVERY CHANCE THEY WOULD GIVE ME TO SING WITH THE BAND I WOULD GRAB IT. I MOVED BACK TO NEW YORK IN 1980 AND FORMED A GROUP CALLED "BLACK SURVIVORS" AND WE WON THE NEW YORK REGGAE FESTIVAL IN 1982, WHICH WAS A IRE FEELINGS.
AFTER MOVING TO FLORIDA IN 1990 I FORMED A GROUP CALLED NUBIAN RAS AND PUT OUT SOME SINGLES. 1999 I RELEASED MY FIRST SOLO CD ENTITLED "DAY BREAKS IN AFRICA", AND IN 2002 WE NOW HAVE "BLACK SPARK WHITE FIRE"CD.

    Your full name is Quenmaakes Amadi, are you of Latin American origins?

     MY BIRTH NAME USED TO BE VERON HENRY AND I CHANGED IT IN 1997 TO QENMAAKES AMADI, WHICH IS NOT OF LATIN AMERICA ORIGINS. THE FIRST NAME IS EGYPTIAN AND AMADI IS NIGERIAN, SO THEY BOTH ARE OF AFRICAN ORIGIN.

    Your new album is entitled ‘Black Spark, White Fire’, could you explain the meaning of this title?

    BLACK SPARK WHITE FIRE SPEAKS OF THE SCIENCES OF WHICH GOVERN OUR WORLD TODAY, AND HOW THEY FIND THEIR ORIGIN IN MOTHER AFRICA, WHERE THEGREEKS AND THE ROMAN LEARNED IT ALL. SO THE SPARK IS FROM AFRICA, AND THE LEARNED EUROPEANS BLAZED THE FIRE AS THEY GAVE IT TO THE NOW WORLD.

    Your new album features a huge number of collaborations, you’re well linked in the reggae world…

     I AM BLESS TO HAVE SOME OF THE WORLD GREATEST MUSICIANS WORKING ON MY CD MAN SUCH AS EARL "CHINNA" SMITH, WINSTON SAMUEL, DERRICK  HARRIOT, DR PAUL, DEAN FRASER, SHARON FORESTER, CHEVELL FRANKLYN, DONALD "SATTA" MANNING, HOPETON LINDO, CAT CORE AND BUNNY "RUGS" CLARKE TO MENTION A FEW.

     You have a great voice, it reminds me a lot of the great soul singers, what are your main influences?

     SOME OF MY MAIN INFLUENCES ARE SAM COOK, MARVIN GAY, THE PLATTERS, THE DRIFTERS NAT KING COLE AND CURTIS MAYFIELD.

     How would you define your style of reggae?

    MY STYLE I WOULD SAY IS SOME WHAT A CROSS BETWEEN R&B AND REGGAE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD CALL IT.

    You’re Jamaican but you’re living in the States: is it difficult to penetrate the reggae market from outside of Jamaica?

    I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S DIFFICULT TO BREAK FROM THE USA, BECAUSE TAKE A LOOK A SHAGGY AND INNER CIRCLE, THEY DID IT. IT'S ALL ABOUT IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

    What are your expectations from the future of reggae music ?

    LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD OF THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC, I KNOW THAT TO MAKE IT LONG LASTING THE PRODUCERS HAVE GOT TO BE MORE ORIGINAL, AND STOP USING 1 TRACK TO VOICE SO MANY ARTIST.  THE ARTISTS MUST SHOW SOME CLASS TOO AND SAY NO MOST OF THE TIME.

    Are you going to do live performances to promote your album?