Reggae Sensation Joe Wailer bounces back
GWERU-BASED reggae icon and founding director of the Midlands Arts and Culture Festival Zimbabwe, (MACfest) Joe Wailer also known as Uncle Joe, has bounced back into the music industry, after having taken a sabbatical in 2012.
Being one of the few remaining Roots Reggae artistes in Zimbabwe, Wailer is already in the studio working on his sixth album.
The album — The Solution is expected to be released in February this year.
“No matter what we have been going through, let us unite. No matter we have been fighting for so long, let us unite. How good and how pleasant it would be, if we live together; how good and how pleasant it would be, if we live in peace. Zimbabwe, let us unite” said Wailer.
The reggae album encourages Zimbabweans to unite and seek God’s solution in every problem the nation is facing. Wailer draws a lot of inspiration from the late reggae legend, Joseph Hill, of the group Culture.
Just like Hill, Wailer sings more about peace, love, harmony and equal rights.
His music touches on topical societal issues that affect people every day, including the spiritual side of Christianity.
Wailer also identifies with the life of the ghetto sufferer and the rural poor.
“My lyrical themes include spirituality and religion, poverty, black pride, social issues and resistance to racial oppression,” he said.
Wailer is the fourth born in a family of six.
He grew up in Kwekwe, where he attended Chiedza Primary School and Manunure High School.
Wailer’s musical journey started in primary school, where he was a member of the school choir.
In high school Wailer started listening to reggae music from the legendary Bob Marley and Joseph Hill, which he fell in love with.
“I recorded my first studio album entitled Beautiful Zimbabwe, which featured hit songs, Judgement Day and the title track, Beautiful Zimbabwe. The album was produced by Tony G at Baseline Studios in Gweru. In 2005 I released another album entitled Unite Africa featuring hit songs, Lord Have Mercy and Beautiful Woman,” he said.
By this time, Wailer was now a regular feature at various national Galas organised by various Ministries throughout the country.
Wailer also shot and released four music videos, which received a fair share of airplay on national tv. In 2010 Wailer released his third project — Rise and Shine, which was a special dedication to the soccer world cup held in South Africa. The album saw Wailer earning an International marketing contract with Evolution Music Management in New York.
“In 2012 I released Not Afraid followed by one of my best albums in 2015 entitled Proud to be Rasta, which was produced by Mad Nettol and featured the hit song Chant down Babylon. It earned a lot of airplay on international reggae stations. The album also includes the song, So Lonely, which featured on the Evening Breeze International Reggae album for 2014, which was launched in New York,” said Wailer. In 2012, Wailer was invited to perform in Jamaica at the Marcus Garvey Commemor at ions , where he shared the stage with celebrated reggae torch bearers such as Luciano, Morgan Heritage and Sizzla Kalonje.
When I posted for the very first, the response was massive. Many people liked my status with some even commenting that I was now crazy. They were saying it in a good way though. With time my posts became intense such that some began to question my knowledge and I began to get very few likes and comments. Only people that are close to me have been following my posts because they know such posts mean no harm. Some have preferred to inbox, some have tried to dim my light. I used to have low self-esteem on Facebook, I would even delete whenever people did not like nor comment, but then look, I have finally decided that I will never ever again let anybody demean me of my own prowess and self-ego. What I have learnt is to never ever let the number of Facebook likes determine your destiny. Facebook is just a glass house.
VD: What of your writing and research skills, noting that most of posts are very detailed and wellresearched?
RN: