I knew that I regarded Ramon Judah very highly but I didn’t really know all that much about his history, or the finer details of his career. So it made a lot of sense to link up and interview him; but before we go into that section heres another one of my favourite Ramon Judah tracks.
Produced for Ramon Judah by Dougie Conscious of Conscious Sounds. ‘Deliver Me’ was released on Reggae Roast in 2013, including a Dub as well as a few remixes from the likes of RSD & Adam Prescott. There was even a Jungle version produced by Dialect & Kosine, which was pressed and released on Jungle Alliance Recordings in the same year. It’s hardly surprising that so many producers were happy to get involved with this track, due to Ramon’s vocals being up there with the best, as well as having heavyweight producer Dougie Conscious set the production foundations.
Ramon Judah – In His Own Words
JAGO: Bless up Ramon! I know that you grew up in a musical family, can you tell me a little bit about that please?
RAMON: Well my Dad is ‘Sugar Ramon Deen’, he was a lead singer for several big bands that were based in Liverpool back in the day. The Shades, The Harlems and The Valentino’s. Everyone learnt a lot from those bands that were part of the black music scene. They were an establishing part of what later became the scene that would give birth to The Beatles. When Paul McCartny visits Liverpool, he always goes to see my Dad. He gave him a musical merit and you can see about his life story in the Liverpool museum. My Dad’s been in music all his life, from being in bands performing, to being on TV on ‘Opportunity Knocks’ with Hewey Green back when you didn’t see any British black artists on TV. I grew up in a house where there was a lot of music. My five sisters all sing. When my Dad used to do shows, my sisters and I would perform with him, not so much me, cos I wasn’t really into it at that age. I was more into raggamuffin. However, I started to go to the dancehall during my school days. When I was fourteen/fifteen I was going to sound system dances in Liverpool!
JAGO: Who has been one of your biggest musical influences?
RAMON: Well one of the biggest musical influences for me was Bob Marley really. He was one of the first man I started to study inna Reggae. When I went to buy some Bob Marley tunes I realised there were other Reggae artists. So I started buying other artists music, like Linval Thompson, Dennis Brown, Freddie McGregor and people like that. Conscious music, cos that was what was playing when you went to a dance. The emphasis was on the culture, the struggle and Rastafari praises.
JAGO: What where the first sound systems that you were playing alongside?
RAMON: Growing up in Liverpool there were a few sound systems that bredrin had, but I wasn’t affiliated with any of them. The sounds were all bredrin, so I would know all the sound system in Liverpool. Like ‘One A Penny Sound’, ‘Struggler Sound’, ‘Cosmic Ambassador’. Those three sounds were around when I was growing up in Liverpool…
JAGO: I know that your faith is of massive importance to you and very relavent to the songs you sing. How much do other topics such as politics or social issues play within song writing for you?
RAMON: I’m very up on current affairs, that play a role within the prophecy of the Bible. The times what we live in are very significant. That’s what we’re revealing through the music. The message is our message of Prophecy. We need to know whats going on in the world because that shows us where we are at in terms of the Bible. Jah has made us his watch keepers, to watch and let the people know how to move and where to move.
JAGO: What has been one of your favourite experiences when recording, and/or who is someone you really enjoy working alongside?
RAMON: I like working with Bush Chemist (Dougie). He’s a great guy. I just love working with any good people. Anyone I’ve worked with have all been good people. So I just love to work with anyone who has a love for the roots and everything that it represents.
JAGO: What do you think of the new wave of UK reggae?
RAMON: I love it man, from it’s got the roots. If it keeps the roots and keeps the message then it’s what the people gravitate to. We still love the Jamaica one drop type of music where people like Bushman & Luciano go on. It’s what the people them feel; it’s gathering the revolutionaries. It’s rebel music, same way that people gravitate to it cos they feel the freedom spirit in the music. So anything to enhance that, we love it man.
JAGO: How important is sound system culture to you?
RAMON: Sound system culture is foundation. We grow up in sound system culture. It sends out a lot of tradition and messages of how we fi live and how we fi elevate our life. We are not happy when its being corrupted or commercialised because the roots of the sound of sound system culture must always have the emphasis on a more spiritual gathering so that there is no Devil mentality having a say in how it run.
JAGO: So how do you feel about things like the Redbull Culture Clash?
RAMON: The Redbull Culture Clash is one of the things that phased Reggae music out in Jamaica. We don’t come to kill a sound, we come to bless a sound. When you kill all the sounds them, then there’s no sounds left. So, thats why we don’t like all this kill a sound. Love a soundboy and show love to your brother. People who brought that mentality in was not of that culture.
JAGO: How about if it stays as the metaphorical and a thing which is just in jest and playing?
RAMON: Killing the sound is killing the spirit. Rastafari. A man asked me “Ramon me have a sound clash, can you do me a kill a sound tune?” and I said, I’m sorry bredrin, I’ll do you a bless a sound tune and nuff time they don’t want that.
JAGO: Do you have any plans to go out to Jamaica sometime soon?
RAMON: Everything is really all about prediction fam. I would love to go sooner than soon and I plan to. However, anything can change at any time, given the times. I might say Jamaica and then you hear I am in Ethiopia, so everything is just based upon the time we’re living in. If America go to war tomorrow with Russia, then you’ll see me in Ethiopia. If I go to Jamaica then it will be gathering people to come to Ethiopia. We can look to the East and make a revolution among Rasta trod, you know what I mean. We are in England! England is the gathering spot, because to go to Africa from anywhere in the Caribbean you have to come to England first!
JAGO: If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be?
RAMON: I’d like to do a combination with Sizzla. I’ve done a tune with Jah Mason before, so I’m trying to get hold of that one. It would sound good out there in the world. I’m good friends with Junior Reid, he’s another artist I’d like to work with…
JAGO: Would you like to give a shout out to anyone?
RAMON: I just want to give a shout out to all good hearted people, all people who seek knowledge, all people who seek unity and all human beings lost & found. Once people realise we are all family, once we can all identify with the truth, we will realise there is no need to kill. Melt down the guns and make some nice dutch pot and we can cook some food together and bun some weed, make some positive music and help each other in good ways. If there’s any form of dispute or bad behaviour, it’s just education and love that we need.