Thursday, March 12, 2009

Music Notebook

JAMAICAN REGGAE STAR PRINCE THEO AT SOUTHWEST CC

Soon after Patrice Bey and Kendric Bedell put their heads together to form The People's Stride concert series in Syracuse, Bey knew just whom to call to get the project off to a rousing start.

A couple of years ago, Bey "had the privilege of performing alongside" Prince Theo when Bey returned to her and Theo's native Jamaica to stage a tribute concert to Garnet Silk. "I've been following Prince Theo since then," says Bey, whose life has taken her to Brooklyn, Harlem and now Syracuse, where she's senior economic developer and Empire Zone coordinator for the city.

Bey called Prince Theo, asking the reggae star if he'd like to be part of a positive concert for the community. "He agreed right away," said Bey.

Prince Theo will headline the series debut, a show that starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Southwest Community Center, 401 South Ave., Syracuse. He'll be preceded onstage by Bey, Syracuse rapper Jimmy Black (that's Bedell's performing name) and another Syracuse rapper whose identity Bey wants to keep a mystery until the show.

The People's Stride is a series that promises music free of profanity and sexual content.

Bey says the idea was fostered in February, when the Jamaican government passed a law keeping music that includes those sore points from radio airplay.

"A statement I'd like to make to the community is: We can keep it clean and inject a positive message to the community," Bey says. "Hip-hop and reggae have a history of keeping it clean."

Bey is aware of the other side of the music's reputation, too.

"This is controversial," she says. "You do have quite a bit of artists in hip-hop and reggae that do not keep it lyrically clean, and that is their bread and butter. Which means they have a fanfare."

Bey wants artists to look at a bigger picture than commercial success.

"What I'm saying is, as artists we have to watch our content. For community building, we have to face issues. Let's choose carefully. Let's choose wisely," Bey says.

She says November's election proves that the nation is ready for such increased social awareness. "This was about (President Barack Obama's) content. He was elected because his content is good. His message was strong. Why shouldn't our music be reflective of our nation?"

Tickets are $20, available in advance at the center and also at the door on Saturday.

Bey says she hopes to stage the second concert of the series in about a month and a half and plans to move it among Syracuse's community centers.

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