Sello Lawrence Sihlabeni is a South African reggae artist based in Berlin. He played music for the first time on stage at the age of 14 with a band called THE SPEARS. He started as a keyboard player and background singer. He has played in a number of bands who were one of the first reggae bands in Cape Town. Among others, the REGULARS and SONS OF SELASSIE who recorded the album (“Changes” )in 1991. He composed the title song of the album ("Trip To Africa") with the band MAKWERHU.
For 4-5 years he has been touring with VITAMIN X and in between recorded with LESIEM. The songs ("Indalo") and ("Africa")have been published in more than 45 countries. In the earlier days, band members were changing frequently, so one had to be flexible with different situations, and that’s how he started fiddling around on drums, bass and guitar.
With all these talents at hand, Sello Lawrence has put all his energies together and brought out his first album NEW NATION on his new label, Berlin Cape Town Records. Experimenting on the digital and analog levels, acoustic and electronic he has come out with a good mix of roots, across dancehall, to ska via dub and traditional afro-beats. “This album is a celebration of life”, (“Life Is Good”) singing songs of Praises to the Most High, (“Thank You Jah”) showing appreciation to the queens and princesses for their niceness (“Pleasure”), (“She’s My Sunshine”).
NEW NATION is calling on all nations of the world to try and find the way together, live in peace with one another, to take care and love each other. “This is a mission which can’t be accomplished by governments, but by the PEOPLE themselves being there for each other”. The (“Time Is Now”) and life no’ easy, so set ‘em tings up and get busy, but we have to be (“Realistic”) ‘bout de whole ting. Prince Far I say,”Foolish man build his house ‘pon de sand, while the wise man build him house ‘pon de rock”.
“We’ve had nuff (Crisis Crisis Crisis) in de community and they destroyed nuff humanity, so all you freedom loving PEOPLE out there, mek we (“Chant for Freedom”). What is our freedom without land? (“Asinamhlaba”). This film has to play on the brain first, so (“Visualisation”) will help us make it a reality some day”.
“JAH GUIDE US THROUGH OUR HANDS, therefore we have to do something, and he is there on our side, ONE LOVE”.
“My passion for art is not only limited to music or only reggae music, so all you creative PEOPLE out there, if you are a singer, a composer, a poet, a painter, you’re an actor, you’re a dancer or choreographer, you’re a playwright or film producer, you all have my respect. Sometimes you’ll see me going through the picture on some German movies or theatre plays, and so it goes”.
Read more...