Also recently Angus did a piece on Michael Smith, a protégée of Linton Kwesi Johnson, and his only album release album "Mi Cyaan Believe". I have heard this album and although it may take you a while to get into it as it is a mixture of poetry and music, it is worth listening to, as I can almost guarantee you will not have heard or are you likely to hear another 'reggae' album like it again. Michael Smith was an incredibly talented and politically ferocious dub poet who was quite outspoken and raged against the insular Jamaican political machine (across all parties) that seemed to continually fail the majority of its people.
For the album review follow;
http://www.unitedreggae.com/articles/n193/081708/michael-smith-mi-cyaan-believe-it
The following is taken from an article that appeared in the Jamaica Observer on Friday January 18th, 2002.
“Born in 1954 to a working-class family, after attending various schools, Mikey Smith in 1980, graduated from the Jamaica School of Drama with a diploma in theatre arts.In 1978, Michael
Smith represented Jamaica at the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students in Cuba. That year, saw the release of his first recording, a single titled, Word, followed by perhaps his most famous piece "Mi Cyaan Believe It" and "Roots".In 1981, he performed in Barbados during CARIFESTA and was filmed by BBC Television performing "Mi Cyaan Believe It" for the documentary "From Brixton to Barbados".In 1982, Smith took London by storm with performances at the Campden Centre for "International Book Fair of Radical Blacks and Third World Books", and also at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton for "Creation for Liberation".While in Britain, together with Oku Onoura, Michael Smith also did a successful poetry tour and
recorded the "Mi Cyaan Believe It" album for Island Records.Linton Kwesi Johnson recalled how the circumstances of Smith's death was shrouded in controversy…"As far as I understand the facts, Mikey had attended a political meeting in Stony Hill where the ruling JLP Minister of Education was speaking and [he] had heckled her. The following day, he was confronted by three [persons believed to be] party activists, an argument ensued, stones were thrown and Mikey died from a blow to his head,"
To this day no one has ever stood trial for his death (although it is believed people know who the guilty parties are), and it is a truly sad way for such a young and promising talent to loose his life.
For the album review follow;
http://www.unitedreggae.com/articles/n193/081708/michael-smith-mi-cyaan-believe-it
The following is taken from an article that appeared in the Jamaica Observer on Friday January 18th, 2002.
“Born in 1954 to a working-class family, after attending various schools, Mikey Smith in 1980, graduated from the Jamaica School of Drama with a diploma in theatre arts.In 1978, Michael
Smith represented Jamaica at the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students in Cuba. That year, saw the release of his first recording, a single titled, Word, followed by perhaps his most famous piece "Mi Cyaan Believe It" and "Roots".In 1981, he performed in Barbados during CARIFESTA and was filmed by BBC Television performing "Mi Cyaan Believe It" for the documentary "From Brixton to Barbados".In 1982, Smith took London by storm with performances at the Campden Centre for "International Book Fair of Radical Blacks and Third World Books", and also at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton for "Creation for Liberation".While in Britain, together with Oku Onoura, Michael Smith also did a successful poetry tour and
recorded the "Mi Cyaan Believe It" album for Island Records.Linton Kwesi Johnson recalled how the circumstances of Smith's death was shrouded in controversy…"As far as I understand the facts, Mikey had attended a political meeting in Stony Hill where the ruling JLP Minister of Education was speaking and [he] had heckled her. The following day, he was confronted by three [persons believed to be] party activists, an argument ensued, stones were thrown and Mikey died from a blow to his head,"To this day no one has ever stood trial for his death (although it is believed people know who the guilty parties are), and it is a truly sad way for such a young and promising talent to loose his life.
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