September 21, 2006 - Volume XIV, Issue 38
Away with Irie Maffia
By Zsuzsa Lukács
IRIE, a patois term used by Rastafarians and Caribbeans to denote acceptance and positivism, is exactly what the ecstatic and vivid Irie Maffia radiate.Their reggae origins give definition to their music without limiting it. It is a little cumbersome to categorize Irie Maffia, due to the band's colorful and multilayered musical and ethnic background.
MC Kemon (MC being the equivalent to the rapper in American hip hop culture), is of Caribbean origin, and thus fluent in patois, the language of reggae. Busha, the band's Hungarian rapper, was one of the pioneers of Magyar rap. MC Columbo learned patois autodidactically, and managed to master the authentic ragga vocals. Lorinc Barabas, the trumpet player, is also a jazz musician. Gaspar Horvath (Jumurjack) and Marton Elo, cofounders of Irie Maffia, along with MC Kemon, engrossed themselves for years in DJ-ing with Love Alliance for years before forming their band. Thus, music has long played an integral role in the members' lives. Horvath writes the songs, Elo did the research and brought the existing members closer to the realm of reggae. Seeing them in concert, and having listened to their CD, Geller, I can truly testify that Irie Maffia's sound is so multi-dimensional, containing so many elements like ragga and dub (a genre of music manipulated and reshaped with sound effects), that it is impossible not to assimilate to their music and take on their vibe.
"The band is a spin-off of R 'N' B , Ska, and Jazz. We are greatly thankful for P.A.S.O, Gimme Shot Crew and Barabás Lörinc Eklektrik, who had a great impact on us all," says Gaspar. Their lyrical themes have some rudiments of traditional Rastafarianism, like references to Jah (God) and Babylon, although this is not a dominating theme.
Their jumpiness, enthusiasm, and dedication stems from the fact that these are a group of friends, who simply play music for the love of it all. Their attitude towards the traditional Jamaican music production is steadfast and unwavering. This is reflected in the production of numerous versions of each song, one of them being solely instrumental. The instrumental versions of songs have a dual purpose, and that is to buttress those reggae lovers who are eager to be given an airing at parties, and it ameliorates the process of giving birth to more and more versions or remixes. This not only popularizes reggae, but also revitalizes it.
This eclectic band found its roots in Jamaica and filled in a gap between reggae, hip hop and jazz, resulting in something rather cathartic.
Its new album, to be released this winter, will spice up things even more, with its own individualistic interpretation of dub.
For those who wish to see Irie Maffia live can do so on Thursday, Sep 28 at 9:30pm on Kisfaludy u. 28, at the New West Balkan.
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