Richell Bonner, better known as Richie Spice, comes from a family tradition of making music. Alongside his brother Spanner Banner, another artist with the Fifth Element Family Richie Spice has been carving out his own name in the world of Reggae since the early nineties. With hits such as “Killing a Sound” and “Grooving My Girl”, Spice has used his own talent and finesse to put together numerous benefit shows in memory of Reggae legend Bob Marley, paid for by Spice himself. Spice continues to refine his own rhythm and skill, hoping to bring the whole of Reggae music to a higher level
EBONYNE.NETcaught up with him to talk about life, Africa and his new album release.
EOL: Hi Richie, greetings to you So where are you talking to us from?
RICHIE: I’m right here in the sunshine city of Portmore.
EOL: Give our jealous readers an idea of the scenery around you?
RICHIE: The sun is shining bright and beautiful, the wind is gently blowing, it just a beautiful day.
EOL: How do you feel now the album has dropped?
RICHIE: I’m feeling good that its out now, the people have been waiting for a long time to hear it. It good it's finally here.
EOL: The album is powerful collection of poignant songs and lyrics, my personal favourite are ‘Open the Door’ and the ‘Youts them Cold’. What were you trying to say with these tracks?
RICHIE: ‘Youts them Cold’ is about young people who are struggling everyday to make ends meet because they have no education since their parents can‘t afford to send them. So they sometimes get into troubles hence ‘the streets are getting hot’ whilst the youths are getting cold searching for food for the pot.
EOL: ‘In the streets to Africa’ is the title track, how did that come about?
RICHIE: Again its about the sufferation of the people of Africa, they are hungry for food. I wrote that track because I love to say whomsoever I meet that if they have investment thet should invest in Africa, because it will help the people a little.
EOL: Tell us a bit about your musical influences
RICHIE: My influences were Kings like Bob Marley, Kings like Peter Tosh, Kings like Burning Spear, Kings like Shabba. Queens like Marcia Griffiths, they were the people I grew up listening to and they inspired me to write and sing these kinds of song that I do.
EOL: Your lyrics suggest you’re a very deep and spiritual person, how comes you chose this path and not the path of gun and slack dancehall lyrics?
RICHIE: In everything you have a negative and positive, I take the positive side of the whole situation of life. I move with the wind, I move with mother nature, so I write more about things to do with mother nature and our heroes who are out there in the struggle.
EOL: Are you pleased that there is a massive interest in roots reggae in the likes of yourself, Jah Mason, Natural Black etc, Are you pleased that that spirituality is coming back into reggae music?
RICHIE: Oh yes most definitely, because that is the root of the music and you cannot run from the root of the music, if you run from the roots, the trunk shall die. This is the real authentic reggae, the one beat heart drop music. That is the music that will always govern.
EOL: You’ve said many times that one should use the gift god gave them to help the oppressed, why do you feel so passionately about this?
RICHIE: If you speak of righteousness you will find righteousness, if you speak of evil, you shall find evil. So I speak about the development of my people, I speak about the people out there in the struggle. I talk about the motherless and the fatherless, I talk about the meek and humble. I use my music for people to reflect about the stresses in their life and how they can overcome it. I use my music to uplift the women dem in a positive livrection.
EOL: Without doubt the biggest tune of last year was ‘Brown Skin’ a version of the Don Corleone 'Heavenly' riddim, why did that song cause so much controversy in Jamaica?
RICHIE: I was just balancing the black and white issue. I was just singing about the balance of mother nature. It was not about loving only brown skin women, it was about loving all colours of black skin.
EOL: You’ve won worldwide acclaim for your stage performances, so what inspires you on stage?
RICHIE: I love to get close to the people, it energises me. But what really inspires is the people that come out and accept the words of righteousness and love.
EOL: How was your performance at this years Rebel Salute?
RICHIE: It didn’t go too well, the bass packed up when I got on stage. It was a nice vibe still because the people came to accept and enjoy the music I was playing and the philosophy I was putting forward.
EOL: You plan to tour Africa, why is it important for you to go back to the MotherLand?
RICHIE: I just want to go and see how the people live, how I can help in the struggle against hunger and poverty. I also want to see how they are to one another, how they are loving, sharing and giving.
EOL: What are your plans for 2007 and beyond?
RICHIE: Promoting the new album, 15 tracks that people can really listen and relate to and hold a steady meditation to and be uplifted by. Uplift the Empress dem who other people are trying to under rate.
EOL: What final word. do you have for our readers about your philosophy of life?
RIC Rastafari is the ultimate right now, love and care for each other. Share and HIE: care is the motto right now. Good over evil. Man of right is God, man of wrong is the Devil. Give thanks to all those people who have supported Richie Spice in the streets.
EOL: On behalf of our readers thank you very much.
RICHIE: Blessed.
'From the Streets to Africa' is out now on VP records.
