Contributed photos
Actor and singer Leon poses with his band Leon and the Peoples.Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
It seems that Leon Robinson, who goes by the stage name Leon, is a staple of Jamaica and not merely because he played Derice Bannock in 1993's Cool Runnings, but rather because he is often on the island. So when The Sunday Gleaner caught up with him at The Hilton last week, it was logical that the first question would be what his Jamaican connections are.
"My Jamaican connection is Jamaica itself," he said, "If New York is my front yard then Jamaica is my backyard," he continued, explaining that his first exposure to Bob Marley changed "the beat of his life". Those connections were even further deepened as this trip to the island is to do more than soak up sun and sea. Leon has ventured into another tangent of his performing career, with the band Leon and the Peoples.
"I'm not really adding music. Music is a part of what I do," he explains. "Music is actually my first love... but it seemed that acting was the thing that jumped off first." Leon notes that as an actor, one is trained in the different areas of performance. He studied dance and acting at Orange Coast College, which then proceeded to induct him in their Hall of Fame in 1996.
Indeed, Leon's performances have already taken in more musical elements, as he has played David Ruffin in the film The Temptations and Little Richard in the film of the same name.
The band, which Leon explains has been his main focus for the past four years, has been making its name in New York and has produced its first album, The Road Less Travelled, which features collaborations with Tanto Metro and Tony Rebel. Indeed, the Tony Rebel connection is what brings Leon (sans the Peoples) to Jamaica. He was among the slew of performers at the 2006 Rebel Salute, held yesterday at Port Kaiser in St. Elizabeth.
Leon expressed no fear at tackling a Jamaican audience, despite our reputation for being a very tough bunch to please. "I'm here to have fun. I'm here to celebrate Rebel Salute," he said. Nonetheless, he added that even were he to fail the audience test, he would still be in "good company" as many famed performers had done so before him.
The Road Less Travelled is a 13-track work which includes remakes of That Emotion and Lovely Day. Leon explained that the album had to be representative of the band and so Lovely Day, which is a consistent part of their live repertoire, had to be included. For That Emotion, he explained that he had also wanted to do a dancehall cover of the song, an effect created through the combination with Tanto Metro.
paying tributes
Yet it is the tracks Working Man (featuring Tony Rebel) and Tomorrow Today Yesterday that Leon expresses a particular affinity for. He explains that he enjoys paying tribute to the men who do the right thing "without making a fuss". "I just think that men can get a raw deal," he says. The latter song reflects his own approach to life, as he believes in living in the moment.
So Leon is not an actor turned musician, as he intends to straddle both worlds, explaining that he intends to return to acting "full-throttle" in 2006. Recently he has also been acting for the stage in the adaptation of Eric Jerome Dickey's novel Friends and Lovers and describes stage acting as "the mother of all acting".
Additionally, he has had an enviable career as a feature film and television actor. His list of credits includes Cliff Hanger, Waiting to Exhale, Above the Rim, The Women of Brewster Place and Buffalo Soldiers. Leon has also appeared in numerous television series, including L.A Law and Crossing Jordan, with multiple appearances in Resurrection Blvd. and OZ.
Yet Leon explains that he intends to do more work from the other side of the camera in the future to ensure that he does not only have to await that fateful phone call to provide him with work. He has already stepped into the producer's shoes with the 1997 film The Price of Kissing and the television series L-Bow Room.
So, armed with a good track record, easy confidence and a commitment to create his own work, Leon seems ready for anything. "I've lived good. I've had great times. If I'm around tomorrow, it's gonna be a great day," he said.
