T.N.T.I.T:  Rasta Roots Reggae MusicShop

 

I nga wahanga nei o te tarati ki MusicShop i tika te whakaaro ki te ingoa mo SuperDrop.  It claims the best 'drop' in the country.  Well at least thats what it suggests.  Among 5 groups in The Ngai Tahumakakanui Iwi Trust Rasta Roots Reggae MusicShop it is the top group.  But all 5 will go through to the world stage and into the music industry professionally recording, performing and remaining true to fans all over the world.  And not to mention sponsored by The Ngai Tahumakakanui Iwi Trust Rasta Roots Reggae MusicShop.

 

But just a little more on SuperDrop.  It is a 14 piece rap, singtalk, soul, funk, jazz, roots rock, Rasta Roots Reggae - Aotearoa - Hawaikitau - New Zealand tribal roots and culture band (Ngai Tahumakakanui stylees) with the full reggae outfit.  And they literally love to get suited up.  And in all different colour schemes (psychadelic-like).  Varying suit styles even everytime.  And their saying is, 'Just as love - Rasta will come over - Jah will come over - Selassie will come over - Rasta will come over.'  The hope that Jah message will continue to cover the whole of the earth and bring healing to all nations.  They are led also by our very own Kaea Ruarangi Aotea Matiaha Te Arohatai Te Rangipuataata - our CEO.

 

But so that you know, all 5 bands will have an instant international audience.  And actually have one already in the 20 countries and their nations of the ancient descents the Ngai Tahumakakanui people originate from.  This is one of the bonuses of being sponsored by The Ngai Tahumakakanui Iwi Trust.  It attracts an instant fan base of around 7 billion fans and boasts an average 3-5 shows a week per band.  It does not just guarantee the usual perks and, funding to help groups along - those that want to take up the challenge and play among the world's best.  It also takes reggae to the penultimate in our country, and to the stage of the world's elite.  Those of the Rasta Roots Reggae that gave birth to the world's greatest ever reggae music superstars.  And of whom shall still hold sway even whilst new age groups keep rocking up with new rhythms and tunes, flavours and styles - like SuperDrop itself - to stake their claim too to that famed platform!

 

Committed to becoming great ambassadors of the music as other reggae stars as Alborosie, UB40, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Alpha Blondy and many, many others SuperDrop and all of their stable - RebelSouls, SelassieCreed, ConsciousRoots and TheHouseofReggae - all they want to literally do is spread Jah message and tell their own story 'singing their own song,' but still with that Rasta Roots Reggae spiritual completeness and rootical fervour - if not just to do what they love to do.  And that is none other than - play reggae.

 

Rasta Roots Reggae Music has always been Kaea's forte.  He is the top reggae voice and reggae musician in their stable.  Says Kaea, 'as ambassadors of the music we must pay homage foremostly to those through whom was born this divine music.  And also to Jah.  We must not try to assume ability like its originators or claim to be the best playing it.  Quite simply we could never be, and none of that could ever, ever be - regardless of views in the industry.  We do need to 'own it' though somehow.  But with a deep sense of respect only because it derives from a 'way of life' originating from the line of King David and King Solomon, and even 'before' - as Bob sang - 'God and man.'

 

'Well Rasta Roots Reggae Music certainly has become bigger' - yes - as Bob Marley exclaimed once that it would.  And 'found its right people' as he exclaimed it would also 'as it get bigger.'  But what our band/s need remember are the simple facts of the matter.  And they tell us that, Ngai Tahumakakanui and Moai/Maori are a product of Accra - Ghana, and Ngai Tahumakakanui of Kush, Egypt, Ethiopia and the African-Nubian-Hebrew from whom all it is reggae derives its ancient origins also.  But not many would have known that.'  

 

'Because Ngai Tahumakakanui evolved to become Moai/Maori quite simply we need to pay homage to those ancient beginnings and peoples from whom it were we had become so separated.  We must because we have now become so separated that, we need start in haste the extraordinarily long process of renewing those ancient ties, and replenishing them recreating for them a new binding that they may never loose, slip or be lost from us ever again.'  

 

'As the most senior and ancient of ancient ties in ancestry of Ngai Tahumakakanui too they each were chosen to deliver this gift of divine music to us encased in Rasta livity enshrouded in divine blessings - from its core - and all from Jah Himself.  This is Jah music.'  

 

'And Selassie-I come to pass.  The music evolved with His Godliness as well and will never cease.  And Jah return so - as the bible prophecied.  And He cometh unto I with His Love and His Children.  And Maketh I and I yet others.  And - as Jah say - 'One Love' - 'let us not be apart - one from the other.'  And so this spiritual understanding evolved with us from creation yet we misplaced it.  So in all this let us return unto that spiritual understanding.  And let us jon with it again as if we were just one love from creation - seen?  Seen!'

 

'Rasta livity is the true spirit of this, and its evolution.  It drives not a competition.  It does not crave for any so called top honours.'  

 

Though SuperDrop claims in a sense to be the best - and though it is true in a sense as the artistry of Kaea who has 4 hit numbers already is held in such high regard - it is claimed through 'figure of speech' only, if at all, yet jived at through the name - 'SuperDrop' - or 'the best drop around.'  The most 'multi-faceted, precise and accurate around' to be exact.  But could this actually be the best 'drop' around do you think?  Or should we let the fans be the judge of that?  It would be real interesting to hear what your thoughts would be on this exactly.  The fans and, maybe the industry too would be perhaps the best judge of this really - if any - though eh - wouldn't you also think?  

 

And as we all must know by now - or must if we do not yet - the 'drop' in reggae is its unique rhythmic swing and drop pattern, timer and feel-shaper - a masterful syncopation of the rhythm of syncopation that, if one does not simply master control, regulation or manipulation of period then one does not truly know or play reggae.  As Bob once put it - 'the way I feel about this music is - it can be copied - y'know - but its not copy do it - its the feel - 'it carry I feel.''  And it is in those magical words of his that is unlocked the way to truly knowing reggae music.  

 

And what SuperDrop is immediately suggesting is they do.  They truly know and truly play reggae.  They do claim to be the best 'drop' around too though doing it with such a name - consciously or not - suggestively, hintingly or not!  But all in good fun, and in the desire only to be the best reggae artists and ambassadors of reggae they could ever hope to be so.  Sharing Jah message to the greatest of their ability is one of  its prerequisites - for them - they say - and most priority obligation.  And so they just 'deal with all it demands' wholeheartedly.  

 

'Haile-I!'  Chants Kaea so to induce the right or needed focus for the way ahead, or the path before them they must take - to begin rehearsals for their next major outing.  Such a focus as needed so inducing the right wairua necessary to link the group back to Te Putake o Rawiri, to Rasta livity and its most direct line from Ihowa - to Jah Almighty - that He might assist them through any and all challenges that might come their way.  And guide them in their best most necessary preparations.  And so all chant in response:  'Haile-I! King Selassie-I!  King Rastafar-I!  Almighty-I!  Root in I!'  'Granted' they exclaim in this 'by way of the source of all power and authority vested in Emperor Haile-I Selassie-I - King Rastafar-I' - Emperor Haile Selassie-I The First - 'King Selassie-I - by Ihowa - by Jah Himself.'

 

Then concludes he:  'In The Name of The Most I - to which they chant in unison - Jah! Rastafar-I!  Ababajahni!  He then chants.  Ababajahni!  Respond they.  Selah!  Chants he.  Selah!  They respond.  Igziabeher - obangbdolaangdeg - neguust nagaast!  And then a final - Haile-I!  Haile-I!  King Selassie-I!  King Rastafar-I!   A Jah Jah - The everliving I!  A Jah - the foreverliving I!  A Jah - the foreverlasting I!  King Rastafar-I - Everlivin...!  Truth-Iyah!  Yes!  Truth-Iyah!  Yes-I!  Yes-Iyah!'