blogpost :: by Stephen Clover   comments (6)

at 13 December, 2006 14:36,  Eden Hemming Rose said...

huh?!  

at 13 December, 2006 16:55,  Criz said...

I think someone's been into the solvents today.  

at 14 December, 2006 10:30,  sara saljoughi said...

glad i'm not the only one who didn't get it.  

at 15 December, 2006 22:52,  stephen said...

At risk of labouring the point... the concept of Babylon plays a central role in Rastafarian ideology. The Whore of Babylon, or Babylon the Great is one of several figures of supreme evil who is mentioned in the Book of Revelation in the Bible, and is also associated with the figures of the Antichrist and the Beast of Revelation. Through common usage in reggae's cultural phrasebook Babylon has come to popularly represent wickedness, oppression, poverty, hardship, slavery; generally it's regarded as the Seat of Worldly Evil. (c.f. Zion, Babylon's antithesis in every way).

In reggae's idiom to chant is to sing, normally spritual or roots music, and to chant down Babylon is literally to overcome the influence of the Whore of Babylon, to diminish her power, to thwart her plans, to basically get up in her grill and front on her - by singing, probably loudly and preferably with great skill. Think of it like how annoying people try to shout down someone with whose opinion they disagree, in order that their voice be not heard.

To attempt attribution of authorship in reggae music is often to go down a treacherous, well-mined path, but I believe the original version of "Chant Down Babylon['s] [Kingdom]" (grammar and 'Kingdom' optional) is that of Yabby You (also known as Yabby U or Vivian Jackson), the (in)famous* "Jesus Dread". You can download that version - featuring his band The Prophets and the famous DJ Trinity - below, as well as King Tubby's stonking dub of the tune. You can also download other versions including the most famous version - that by Junior Byles and Rupert Reid - as well as Bob Marley's take which appeared post-humously on his "Confrontation" album and featured a slightly altered vocal, and other more modern versions by Sizzla and superstar toaster Yellowman.

* (Infamous in that while he was a "dread" - that is he had long dreads or dreadlocks - has was not Rastafarian and was actually a practising Christian. Very uncommon and possibly dangerous on the scale of wearing Crips colours on Bloods turf. He was granted a grudging respect by his peers, however, for writing awesome rhythms, for being a good singer, and for generally being an all-around good guy).

Yabby You with The Prophets and Trinity - Chant Down Babylon [discomix] (4.69 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)

Yabby You - Chanting Dub [King Tubby's mix] (3.74 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)

Junior Byles and Rupert Reid - Chant Down Babylon (5.76 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)

Bob Marley and The Wailers - Chant Down Babylon (2.39 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)

Sizzla - Chant Down Babylon (1.96 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)

Yellowman - Chant Down Babylon (3.13 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)

Also c.f. the mighty lovely Yabby You with Errol Alphonso - Chant Jah Victory (4.84 MB mp3: right-click and Save As to download)  

at 16 December, 2006 16:08,  niwi said...

please pass the solvents.  

at 26 December, 2006 05:06,  Anonymous said...

pass the solvents pon de left hand side.

cockney rejects - where the hell is babylon?  

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