Dibentuk pada tahun 1998, Rude Rich & The High Notes digawangi muka-muka lama yang sudah aktif di scene sejak akhir dekade 70an. Band asal Amsterdam, Belanda pengusung Authentic Jamaican Music (Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Dub) ini sudah melanglang buana ke penjuru Eropa. Bermain di berbagai macam gigs dan festival, serta menjadi backing-band musisi Jamaika pendahulu seperti Alton Ellis, Derrick Morgan, Rico Rodriguez, Dennis Alcapone, Winston Francis, The Heptones, Ernest Ranglin, Ken Boothe, dan sebagainya. Kecintaan dan dedikasi mereka terhadap musik ini membuat mereka dihargai dan dihormati sebagai duta musik Jamaika. Berikut adalah tanya jawab yang saya lakukan bersama mereka.
Hi Rude Rich and The High Notes, greeting from Indonesia! What are you currently doing in the band?
Greetings, I, personally, am the keyboard player and co-founder of the High Notes.Currently we are doing some shows in the Netherlands and Germany and building a new recording studio in Amsterdam and preparing for next year's gigs and fetivals for the summer season.
It's about 15 years on, how to keep your band alive?
Yes it has been a while. There is still a core of three original members so obviously we had some personel changes over the years. Most of the musicians that we worked with have been playing this music for more than 20 years and know every aspect of it. But what really keeps us going is the love of this wonderfull music and the possitive reactions of our audiences all over the world.
How it feels to be a backing band for many Jamaican artists?
This is one of the greatest things that can happen to a band (whatever kind of music you play) to actually perform with your musical hero's on stage. Because these people stood at the cradle of reggae music they have so much to teach and share. It is a great honour for us and we allways put the standard real high to play their music as authentic as is possible. This they do appreciate very much and allways give us compliments like; "You guys sound just like Studio One or Treasure Isle".
Tell me about your latest release!
Our latest release is a compilation album of artists who are sadly no longer with us. We picked out certain tunes which we liked best and recorded them. The album is what it says it is, a tribute to these wonderful artists who's musical legacy will allways inspire people all over the globe.
What's the activities of each members outside the bands?
Most of us have a regular job besides the band to pay the rent and the monthly bills and to eat and drink. At this stage it is not possible for us to live from musical incomes alone and here in Holland it's getting harder year by year with different laws and tax regulations made up by the government every time. This is also relevant for upcomming new artist and bands and small venues, they are having a hard time now.
You play authentic Jamaican music such as ska, rocksteady, reggae, and dub. What do you think about the modification of itself like ska-punk/core, etc?
As you say, we play authentic, in other words, the real stuff as it was played at the time it was originated. We are purists so to speak. But music is music and if artists feel like they have to mix it all up, that's fine with me, but speaking for myself, I prevere to keep things as they are, stick with the roots of things.
How about the ska/Jamaican music scene in Netherlands? When it's started? And how's the scene today?
It all started here in the late 1970ties that's the time when the first reggae bands emerged. I myself started in 1979 with a reggae band called "Inity". In the 80ties it was really booming, a lot of bands and sold out venues was the order of the day. Ska and Rocksteady wasn't done in those days, it was stricktly Roots and what came before that was looked down upon. Interest in Ska and Rocksteady came through the English Two Tone scene which made some people look further into the history of reggae music but there weren't any bands who could actually play the authentic Ska and Rocksteady. That all started to happen in the 90ties when Rude Rich and the High Notes hit the scene. What I see nowadays is that the make up of the audiences is very different from what it used to be, a lot of different people appreciate Jamaican music now, which is a very good thing.
What do you know about the ska/Jamaican music scene in Indonesia?
To tell you the honest truth, we didn't know anything about that, we looked in to it because of your interview. But then again I am not surprised. This music that started in a small Island in the Carribean, called Jamaica, in a small capital city of Kingston, in a small part of that capital called Trenchtown (Ghetto of Western Kingston) has spread to the four corners of the globe. This music is now played everywhere, which is great!
By the way, how about the usage also buying-and-selling of marijuana in Netherlands?
Here in the Netherlands it is kind of legal to sell and use herb. It's illegal though to bring it to the so called "Coffeeshops, but once in the shop it is legal to sell, up to a certain amount. These shops are also entittled to pay taxes over what they sell! The Dutch government has now introduced a "Weedpass" for Dutch people, in certain parts of Holland. They did this in order to reduce the amount of tourists that come to the Netherlands and particular Amsterdam just to smoke freely. The city of Amsterdam is not happy with this for it will cost them an enormous amount of income since the majority of tourists come to the city just to do that; experience a visit to a coffeeshop and smoke some herb without being afraid of getting arrested.
Any last words for our readers?
Yes, all you music lovers, keep on listening to the real authentic music, keep in touch with Rude Rich and the High Notes and enjoy live to the fullness. Nuff respect and love to all.
Ras P, Rude Rich and the High Notes
PS : We would really love to visit you and do some shows in your beatiful country! Mabey u can help us out?
Nah, itu tadi interview dengan Rude Rich & The High Notes yang dijawab oleh Ras P, keyboardist dan co-founder dari band tersebut. Banyak informasi tentang band, scene, ganja, dan sebagainya. Mereka juga mengutarakan keinginan untuk mengunjungi Indonesia. Mungkin bagi kalian yang ingin mengorganisir show bagi Rude Rich & The High Notes, dalam artian mengundang atau menampung jika barangkali mereka mengadakan tour, bisa mengontak langsung via facebook : Ride Rich and the High Notes. Dan kunjungi website mereka di : www.ruderich.nl
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