"A hit record?"

Benjie sounds surprised at my suggestion, but his 12" 'Ten Plagues' which was released in 2002 has been the nearest thing to a hit that the UK dub scene has produced over the last few years. Every sound has played it and every record buyer has it in their collection.

"Well, all praises to Jah for giving his children the ability to put vibes to music and lyrics, strength to strength that is. I understand what you mean though, from a messenger's point of view it's very nice to hear that people are so receptive to our Father's music."

 

The success of 'Ten Plagues' isn't the only reason that Benjie's debut album 'Rastaman Style' was so eagerly awaited by roots fans across Europe. Benjie is one of the vocalists from the top rated Amsterdam based sound system King Shiloh and the album tracks are shared amongst the cream of Europe's roots/dub producers. The UK is represented by Disciples and Vibronics, Switzerland by Cultural Warriors, Sweden by Iyah One and Holland by Dub Creator. I asked Benjie how the producers were chosen.

"The co-operation of King Shiloh and Dub Creator for example goes back quite some years. King Shiloh was and is playing a lot of heavy weight dubs that come out of the DC studio, so logically a lot of lyrics were free styled over these tracks and out of that evolved the constructed songs that I&I put on the LP. So therefore working with DC in order to get the album finalized was a logical choice. Iya One also creates very crucial dubs that have been part of the King Shiloh selection fe years. King Shiloh does also have a lot of contacts in the UK and out of those contacts the co-operation continued."

The testing and refining of lyrics in the dancehall combined with the fact that Benjie has made his name on sound system makes him seem like an artist from reggae's past. In the modern era singers and deejays have tended to gain recognition from their studio work, by recording dub plates and freelancing with numerous producers. Benjie's view is that working with the right people is more important than making the career minded moves.

"I think from a pure artist point of view it would be much better to do a lot of projects with many labels. However, reggae music is something you hear, feel and experience because of its spiritual ingredients. So in order to create such a vibe one has to be working with brothers and sisters that feel the same way about doing Jah works. Like Jah say "two cannot walk together unless they agree". So the vibes must be good and God-aware. I feel strongly that Jah wants me to be part of this and He is the director so he decides with who and when I do His work. Within King Shiloh you'll find Nyabinghi members, Twelve Tribes of Israel members etc all working together for the same cause; to practice the teachings of H.I.M Haile Selassie I. For only genuine steps will lead to righteousness."

Working exclusively with King Shiloh may have restricted his recording but the time spent in the dancehall has been invaluable.

"Yes I really believe in sound system and the sense of direct contact with the people. It's there and then, not rehearsed, not premeditated, it's Jah at the control towers! I love the freestyle preaching."

Most other sound systems would envy the size of congregation that Benjie is able to preach to. King Shiloh are mainland Europe's number one heavyweight roots sound and the competition has been almost non-existent. They are seen as honorary members of the Shaka inspired UK dub scene and it has fallen to them to spread the word in Europe. Despite being born and raised in Amsterdam Benjie has no problem with the UK dub tag.

"I don't really mind about the naming of this style of music. It's a separate style of reggae so maybe it's a good thing. The scene is much bigger in London and record stores are more up to date in London than the Netherlands."

King Shiloh are also responsible for DubClubY2K which has brought sound systems like Jah Shaka, Aba Shanti and Jah Tubby from the UK to play in Amsterdam.

It would be a mistake however to assume that Shiloh have simply followed the UK blueprint. Previous appearances at the University Of Dub in Brixton have caused a stir amongst the English roots fans and their return is eagerly awaited. They may be part of the scene but King Shiloh offer something intriguingly different; the problem has been in trying to describe it. Any dance in London is inevitably dominated by by the influence of Jah Shaka, on audiences and sound systems alike. When a sound comes with something different we don't necessarily know what it is we're experiencing. Lyrical Benjie is a key element in the King Shiloh style and explains an important influence.

"My great inspiration in sound systems has been and still is Brigadier Jerry from JahLoveMuzik sound. I&I used to listen for hours to sound system session tapes enjoying his 'double tongue' style and non-stop culture lyrics. It was through listening to Briggy that I really got inspired to start writing lyrics more orderly."

JahLoveMuzik and Brigadier Jerry were associated with the Twelve Tribes of Israel and Briggy was the most acclaimed mike chanter of the early-mid eighties. The emphasis that King Shiloh place upon the singing and chanting of both Lyrical Benjie and Ras Lion is the key difference between them and the English sounds. As Benjie confirms,

"The freestyle lyrics play a bigger role. Every version calls for another freestyle praising JAH once again! I really believe in the JahLoveMuzik way. Brigadier used to talk the whole night through and is known for being the most lyrical MC ever. live and direct as I would say."

Of course it's only possible for a sound to play this way when they've got the vocal talent. Benjie's album, released in 2004, goes a step further in proving that King Shiloh have been truly blessed.

January 2005

King Shiloh website: www.kingshiloh.com