A Look Into Steel Pulse
by Dave
Steel pulse is a great reggae band who has been performing and creating music for the past thirty-five years. Originating out of Birmingham, England in 1975 David Hinds, the band's vocalist and guitarist, formed the group with two other individuals including Basil Gabbidon as lead guitarist and Ronald McQueen on the bass. Eventually though their band would swell in size adding new members to the group including Selwyn Brown on keyboards, Steve Nisbett on drums, Alphonso Martin on precussion, and Mykaell Riley as a vocalist. Their songs have always had a powerful message and their first song release "Kibudu-Mansatta-Abuku" was no different. Their messages slightly differ but they have a main focus on the plight of the urban black youth and a greater African homeland, especially with their song "In His Weight with Gold". The band advocates the Rastafarian faith which has barred them entry to places such as the Caribbean in the past. Their faith is evident in songs such as "Chant a Psalm" and “Your House”. The band has performed with other talented acts such as The Police, Burning Spear, and Bob Marley & The Wailers. Steel Pulse got to honor Bob Marley’s life by gracing his funeral ceremony in 1981 in the 9:30 club near Washington D.C. Outside of the music realm, the band members are political activists fighting for rights alongside organizations such as Rock Against Racism. Also, David Hinds challenged the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission in 1992 in court, stating that their taxis discriminated against black people in general and rastafarians in particular. The band also covers issues such as the C.I.A.’s Clandestine Policy and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency as well as Anti-war themes. Notable fans of Steel Pulse’s work include Matt Groening, the creator of the Simpsons. The Midnight Raver reports that David Hinds told them that Steel Pulse: The Definitive Story was going to be released in 2015 which is their new studio album and documentary. IMDB reports that the documentary is in post-production as of February 2015.
sources:
Steel Pulse Band Website - http://www.steelpulse.com/history.shtml
