- ContributedYossi Fine, left, with Jamaican acts Kulcha Knox and Doniki in Ocho Rios.
Balford Henry, Staff Reporter
"IT IS hard to explain, but there is a certain feeling that we Israeli musicians experience in Jamaica, which is a very good thing," said musician/ producer Yossi Fine.
He and his friends are currently in Jamaica, escaping the tensions of the Middle East, created by the consistent Palestinian-Israeli disturbances and finishing up work on new projects.
His countryman, Pilionie, spokesman for the Israeli hip-hop group, Shabak, expresses similar sentiments.
Pilionie is back in Tel Aviv now after several months of recording here in Ocho Rios. He insists that it is his experience in Jamaica since he first came here two-and-a-half years ago which has done most to help him get through the turbulence at home.
"When I came for the first time I went to a Rasta community and I learnt from the Rastas. They influenced me and my music. Israel is my home, but when you travel, you learn a lot more," he explained.
Pilionie, whose group is the only internationally-known Hebrew hip-hop group, blames the continuing Arab-Jew conflict over Palestine on religion.
"Religion only brings death. The world would be better off without it. We should be free spirits and look at each other as man to man," he told Showbiz.
They both agreed that it has become very difficult to work at home, since the violence has reached current levels.
Speaking by telephone from Tel Aviv, Pilionie said the violence grew worse when he came to Jamaica last month.
Shabak has already released four albums. Pilionie had been in Jamaica this year collaborating with local label Kariang Productions and producer Mike Lee in Ocho Rios.
Pilionie said: "I am not involved in the war. It is not my war," he said. And although it is mandatory to serve in the Israeli army for at least three years, he wasn't recruited, because he suffers from high blood pressure.
Yossi, who plans to return home this week, said when he left Tel Aviv, live entertainment was suffering from the war.
"There are less concerts now and people spend more time at home watching television," he said.
Yossi lives with his Jewish father in Tel Aviv. But, his mother is from the French colony of Martinique and lives in Paris.
A bass/guitar player, he leads a Jewish/African group known as Ex-Centric Sound System in Tel Aviv. The group is comprised of musicians from Ghana, Morocco and Israeli and blends the music of Africans, Latinos, West Indians, African-Americans and Israelis. They have toured extensively, with acts like Me'Shelle N'degeoccello, David Bowie, Naughty By Nature and Gil Evans and are signed to Loud Records.
The group recently released its first album, Electric Voodooland in the United States. The follow-up album, which is being recorded in Jamaica and Israel, is titled, Ex-Centric Dub Plate and will feature a number of Jamaican artistes, including Prezident Brown, Kulcha Knox, Jah Mason, Lisa Dainjah, Doniki and Ras Iley. It will be released next year.
Yossi thinks that Jamaicans have not paid enough attention to dub music or versions. He said that while it is looked down on as 'B' side music in Jamaica, it has strong support in Europe and Asia.
Yossi said he first heard Jamaican music at his mother's apartment in Paris and since that time has become a great fan: "Everytime I go back (to Tel Aviv), I take home large quantities of Jamaican music."
