Garth Duckie Forester at Slo Bre Rock with Alborosie
Garth Duckie Forester is an international reggae artist and guitarist for Alborosie coming all the way from Kingston Jamaica! I was fortunate enough to sit down with Duckie to talk about Jamaican reggae vs US reggae, new music and much more!
Q: What are the plans for the future?
A: One thing that I have been really contemplating of late is, after all this chaos has past, acquiring the necessary equipment to be able to go into doing my own productions from home. Also just working to contribute my part in the furtherance and preservation of my native music and culture.
Q: What’s it like playing guitar for alborosie and how long have you been with him
A: Well, playing guitar for Alborosie over the years has been an experience that has allowed me to see much of the World and experience a lot of different cultures and ways of life, which in itself has taught me a lot about life itself, myself and also seeing things from different perspectives. I have had many a precious and memorable experiences on and off the stage. I have been working with him since 2008. Between the years 2013 and 2017 I had spent some time away from doing so to focus on a personal musical project I had going at the time. That would make a total of 8 years actively working with Alborosie.
Q: What was your first experience playing in the USA like?
A: The First time I played in the USA was all of 12 years ago. I don't remember exactly what the first show I had in the USA would have been like. I do remember getting sick each time I would be travelling and performing over the States in the earlier days though. Funnily I now realise that coming from a tropical country, I was not really dressing and taking enough care in staying warm back then which mainly caused me to get ill. It is always a good experience travelling and playing in new environments though and seeing the response of the people towards the music.
Q: Do you play/tour with any other bands/artists aside from alborosie
A: I have worked with quite a number of Artiste both in live situations and on records over the years. Some such Artistes include; Jesse Royal, Jah 9, Ken Boothe, Nattali Rize, George Nooks, Lady Saw, Natural Black, Fantan Mojah, Jah Cure, Konshens, Lila Ike, Sevana, Admiral Tibbet, Lutan Fyah, Pinchers, Half Pint, Christopher Martin, Beres Hammond, Protoje, Duane Stephenson, Katchafire, Brick and Lace, Richie Spice, Charly Black, Abyssinians, Queen Ifrica, Luciano among others.
Q: What got you envolved in music in the first place?
A: I use to go to gospel concerts at different branches of the church I grew up in, where the band from the head church would play majority of the time. When all my firends would be outside socialising and enjoying whatever activity there was to be done outside I would be watching the band form the moment they started playing until the moment the played the last note and were packing up there instrument. The guitarist in the band took note of my interest in what was going on and decided he was going to teach me to play the guitar. From then I would travel 2 hours to where he was living on Saturdays to get some lessons in. I honestly was not sure exactly what I would have done with my life until the day I began learning the guitar. The day I began learning the instrument I knew... this is it.
Q: How do you feel about the internet in the music business?
A: I do understand some of the changes that have taken place and some of the difficulties that come with the change of the music to being more digitalised, as I am from a country that is still struggling with fully making the transition to fully adjust and capitalise on all that the digital world has to offer where music is concerned. However I started doing music in the time of the internet, so I am also aware of the positives of it as well. Such as younger and less known artistes being able to make use of social media and other platform to network and promote themselves and there product. As with everything there are pros and cons with the internet and music, and there is a lot that could be discussed about it just the same. However if we take the time to understand it and understand exploiting what it has to offer, it can be used in a way that is positive and in our interest.
Q: What new music do you like?
A: Some of the new music I like are:
*Heavyweight Rokaz and Jesse Royal - Sweet sensation
*Pressure Busspipe - King Selassie First
*Jah 9 feat. Chronixx - Note to Self
*Mortimer - Lightning/Fight the fight
*Burna Boy feat. Serani - Secret
*Burna Boy - African Giant
Q: Who are some musical icons that influence you?
A: Sly and Robbie, Bob Marley, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Winston "Bopee" Bowen (R.I.P), Nambo Robinson (R.I.P), Carlton Barrett and Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Robbie Lyn, Ian "Beezy" Coleman, Franklyn "Bubbler" Waul, Stevie Golding, Dwight Pinkney, Mikey Chung, B.B King, Clive Hunt, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, Coral "Bowie" Mcglaughlin, Squidly Cole, Dalton Brownie
Q: Favorite venue to play and why?
A: Paradisio, Amsterdam... This is the first concert I played and the crowd's response was so loud and overwhelming that we could barely hear what was going on on the stage whenever they reacted to the music.
Q: How has this quarantine affected you/and the rest of the Alborosie team?
A: Well, this time of being in quarantine has cancelled a lot of shows over the last 2 months that we would have done. Also for myself personally, I find that studio sessions and musical activities on a whole have declined. Music is my passion and what I enjoy doing, however it is also my job. So in a time where I am unable to do music in whichever form, is also a time of not being able to earn.
Q: What projects have you been working on (if any) during this off time
A: I have been able to go into the studio only once since this pandemic has gotten so widespread. In this time I worked on a project under the Jahsolidrockmusic label located in Amsterdam. I have gotten call for studio as recently as today, however I was unable to attend that recorsing session as the parish in which I live is currently under more of a lockdown than the rest of the Island as we have the highest number of confirmed cases Island wide. A day as today is really a no travel day, so I would not have been able to get through the check point to get to the studio.
Q: In your opinion how is reggae different in Jamaica vs USA
A: Reggae in Jamaica and the Reggae in the USA or 2 different sound I find for the most part. Reggae in the USA is more of a mild sound and this is sometimes achieved by a difference in instrumentation and overall approach. Us Jamaicans play with a particular attitude and accent similar to how us as a people exist naturally from day to day. It is a reflection of or culture and lifestyle, the environment in which we were grown.
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garth.forester
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donduck_/
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