Burning Spear

Burning Spear, born Winston Rodney, ranks among the most revered and accomplished roots reggae figures to emerge from Jamaica across the decades. Functioning simultaneously as a Rastafarian spiritual guide and a chronicler of Black history more consistently than any counterpart in the style, he has conveyed core Rastafarian principles through his compositions and reached an enthusiastic worldwide audience.

Winston Rodney came into the world in St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica, in 1948. Fellow St. Ann's native Bob Marley encouraged him to travel to Kingston for an audition with Studio One founder Coxsone Dodd. Even though the Wailers had left the label in 1966, Marley considered it the ideal starting point for emerging talent. Rodney followed the suggestion, arrived with vocal partner Rupert Willington, and presented three songs to the producer. Dodd selected “Door Peep” on the spot for the pair’s first release. Prior to its appearance, Rodney adopted the name Burning Spear for the act, a title once given to Mau Mau leader and eventual Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta.

Shortly after “Door Peep” reached stores, Delroy Hinds—brother of Justin Hinds, known for “Carry Go Bring Come”—joined, turning the project into a trio. Under this configuration Burning Spear issued several Studio One singles, among them the 1972 Jamaican number-one hit “Joe Frazier (He Prayed).” The following year brought the debut long-player Studio One Presents Burning Spear, followed closely by Rocking Time in 1974. These early efforts already displayed the group’s distinctive approach, with Rodney’s chanted vocals at the center while Willington and Hinds supplied harmonious support. His lyrics carried intense feeling and righteous indignation toward oppression, yet remained suffused with profound spirituality. Track titles such as “Ethiopians Live It Out,” “Zion Higher,” and “We Are Free” made the preoccupations with oppression, repatriation, and faith explicit, though the familiar Studio One backing sometimes limited their impact. At least Dodd continued to issue the recordings, unlike his decision to withhold the Abyssinians’ devotional material during the same era. Over time Burning Spear would revisit many Studio One compositions and strengthen them through fresh arrangements and production.

Additional singles appeared, yet the trio struggled to match the success of “Joe Frazier.” In 1975 they parted from Dodd and began working with producer Jack Ruby. Their first session yielded “Marcus Garvey,” initially intended solely for sound-system play; its popularity compelled Ruby to issue it commercially. The follow-up “Slavery Days” confirmed the breakthrough. Dodd responded by rush-releasing earlier Burning Spear material from his vaults. The group then cut their next album with Ruby and the Black Disciples, a studio ensemble featuring many of Jamaica’s finest players. The resulting Marcus Garvey album stands among the island’s most powerful releases, its weighty roots sound, atmospheric textures, and commanding words leaving a lasting impression. Once the record dominated Jamaica, Island Records signed the trio but immediately remixed it for broader markets. The lighter dub counterpart Garvey’s Ghost offered little consolation to Rodney. To retain future control he established the Spear label, inaugurating it with a new version of the Studio One track “Journey” retitled “Travelling.” Two further singles, “Spear Burning” and “The Youth,” appeared soon afterward.

In 1976 Burning Spear followed Marcus Garvey with Man in the Hills. Again featuring the Black Disciples under Ruby’s supervision, the set explored rural motifs and included a fresh reading of “Door Peep” plus the striking club favorite “The Lion.” Sylvan Morris supplied an accompanying dub mix. By year’s end Rodney had parted ways with both Ruby and his two colleagues. Retaining the Burning Spear name, he proceeded alone and self-produced Dry & Heavy at Harry J’s studio with the Black Disciples. The album emphasized extended instrumental passages between verses and reworked earlier songs, among them “Swell Headed,” now titled “Black Disciples.” Sylvan Morris again handled the dub companion.

By late 1977 Burning Spear had built a substantial British following. Rodney made his U.K. debut that October, supported by the reggae band Aswad. A powerful performance at London’s Rainbow Theatre was preserved on the Live album. For 1978’s Social Living, Rodney retained the Black Disciples but augmented them with Aswad members, co-produced with Karl Pitterson, and split sessions between Harry J’s and Compass Point in the Bahamas. The album blended jazz-inflected passages with deep roots and anthemic reggae, most notably on the single “Civilized Reggae.” Sylvan Morris delivered its dub version the next year.

The year 1979 proved pivotal: Rodney took a prominent role in the film Rockers, where his a cappella rendition of “Jah No Dead” became a highlight. He had performed at the first Reggae Sunsplash the previous year and returned in 1980, appearing regularly at the festival thereafter. His association with Island ended, as did the Spear label with the final release of “Nyah Keith.”

As the 1980s began, Rodney created the Burning Spear label and placed it with EMI. He recorded Hail H.I.M. at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong studio with Black Disciples bassist Family Man Barrett co-producing; Sylvan Morris again mixed a dub edition. The five studio albums from Marcus Garvey onward constitute an unmatched body of dread roots work. In 1982 Rodney signed with Heartbeat Records in the United States and delivered Farover, introducing the Burning Band and signaling a new phase. While still rooted, the set explored non-cultural subjects, exemplified by the single “She’s Mine.” The Fittest of the Fittest continued this direction in 1983, yet 1985’s Resistance displayed greater luster and earned a Grammy nomination.

Resistance marked the close of the Heartbeat period. Rodney next joined the independent Slash label, where People of the World garnered another Grammy nomination. Its 1988 successor Mistress Music suffered from uneven production, but the same year’s Live in Paris: Zenith, captured at a May concert, received a third nomination. After the European tour the Burning Band disbanded. Two years later Rodney returned with a fresh ensemble and re-signed with Island, issuing Mek We Dweet. The album presented a more accessible roots sound than his earlier Island releases, mixing extended grooves with lighter elements. His live performances nevertheless remained intense, including memorable appearances at Sunsplash U.S. shows.

Rodney contributed a version of “Estimated Prophet” to the 1991 Grateful Dead tribute Deadicated, transforming the song into a simmering roots statement. That same year saw Jah Kingdom, which, though similarly polished, maintained a hypnotic mood. After parting from Island once more, he returned to Heartbeat and released The World Should Know in 1993, another Grammy-nominated set. The following year’s Love and Peace: Live 1994 captured some of his most potent stage work. Burning Spear toured extensively throughout the decade, limiting studio output. He nevertheless maintained a pattern of biannual releases, beginning with 1995’s Rasta Business, also nominated for a Grammy. Appointment with His Majesty experimented with a folk-tinged approach and likewise earned a nomination. The pattern ended in 1999 when Calling Rastafari secured the Grammy. Moodier and more reflective than any album since the early five, it featured sharper lyricism and supported a major U.S. tour.

Rodney subsequently founded Burning Spear Records, issuing Freeman in 2003 and the optimistic Our Music in 2005.