Over 15 years of the Siamrootsical blog
Massive THANKS to all friends, visitors & associates
BIG UP!
We just passed a landmark 1.5M visits in 15 years 8 months so there's (almost) a nice symmetry there. Established in 2009, we trailblazed the sharing of reggae mixtapes in a blog format before the advent of widespread streaming. Moving from download-based sharing to streaming and then to live broadcasting, the content & mission basically remained the same: promotion of good conscious reggae music with good vibes while keeping up with contemporary styles & movements.
So much has changed since 2009 and so much water has passed under the bridge. The heady days of the new-roots era gave way to the upful roots-revival movement in the 2010s with much excitement along the way. The globalization of reggae has continued apace with fresh musical strands & new artists all around the world. Unfortunately this has lately been largely detrimental to the bonafide Jamaican music industry which has often, quite frankly, struggled to stay relevant or confidently project a cohesive front in the face of the current highly centralized musical landscapes (US pop-driven market) & contracting financial conditions as the industry is based increasingly in the US & Europe. This is a major concern for, as we all know, Jamaica always carry the swing when it comes to crucial vibes & rhythm. As good as international reggae can be, it's is no substitute for the real JA vybz an ting. During this time we've also witnessed a continued decline in interest in and a fall in output of reggae in the UK with the centre of gravity moving ever towards continental Europe.
I've always been a die-hard believer in the continued relevancy of contemporary reggae music and never bought into the thesis that real reggae music died with Bob, utter rubbish! Just listen to Tarrus Riley's Parables album or Samory-I's Black Gold for evidence to the contrary. But even I have had to come to the sad realization that the form has lost its way recently as we've had very little to be excited about for several years. To be relevant a movement needs to contantly refresh with new blood and its no good relying on old gold skool classics alone to carry a message forward to today's people. The cyclical nature of artform means that we've often treaded water in lean years awaiting the next sensation or movement but this current stagnation has gone on way too long and is direcly related to the shape of the 'industry'. The most captivating roots music of today is to be found eminating strictly from the underground (exactly as it ought to), but the musical resistance is now scattered & operates primarily in western countries, leaving Jamaicans struggling to be heard. We must have faith that a pheonix will yet arise from the ashes of a broken system (and world) and fresh, proper, undiluted Jamaican rebel music will take a stand for social justice and illuminate the world with consciousness once more.
We have also during this period witnessed the passing of many of the great founding fathers of reggae music. Too many to list them all here but stellar names like Gregory Isaacs, Lee Perry, U Roy, Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert, The Diamonds, Bob Andy, Israel Vibration, Trinity, Bunny Lee, Bobby Digital, Astro, Vaughn Benjmin, Peetah Morgan and the list goes on... While they all now rest I-ternally in glory, they left an incomparible legacy. Their transitions always seem to mark for us a further passage into this new era and uncharted territory. They will all long be revered & remembered (and listened to too) and we can only hope that conditions will again be ripe for new generations of Jamaican messengers, singers & players to rise & make a meaningful impact & once again carry the flame of this mighty tradition forward in fullness.
The above stats graphic runs as a bit of a personal timeline for me also. The lower numbers line up with the times that I lived overseas and then later when I lived off grid 2021-23. The peaks then came when we were putting on reggae nights in Bradford with Kali Hi-Fi and on into the early phase of Siamrootsical radio broadcasting with Rastfm - The Rewind Show. By the time we founded hearticalfm.com in 2020 online home-broadcasting had mushroomed along with media outlets, which is reflected in the gradual decline in numbers everywhere (radios & blogs) over time. Personally I feel its time to hang up my boots as a reggae selector & commentator. For some years, starting when we moved off grid, I've been increasingly focused on other things in life, most recently our return to Thailand and to being a teacher again from 2023. We've covered a whole heap of ground in this blog since 2009 and I hope that people will continue to stumble across it even as I have slowed down promoting it.
The hearticalfm.com network meanwhile continues to go from strength to strength with live shows and an irie jukebox. Tune in today.
Having focused almost exclusively on Jamaican music for so many years, its been great to just sit back and enjoy some of the other music that I've always loved as well. Check out our sister blog rovingrevellers.blogspot.com for folky roots music & more..
My thanks again to each & every one. I've really appreciloved all the imput and good vibes.
Blessings all one love stay in touch.
