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David Rodigan - a legend interviewed

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Finally, with quite some efforts, we are able to bring you the long desired interview with the man who inspired European soundsystems like perhaps noone else - David Rodigan.
Radio moderator, one-man soundsystem, interviewer, and last but not least, a dangerous opponent when it comes to clashes - Rodigan experienced and built over 30 years of reggae history, playing Jamaican music since the late 60s. After having a nice talk with Mr. Rodigan during his last visit to Cologne, we sent him a questionnaire..
Cla.at: Could you give us a short rundown of the most important milestones in your life as a radio DJ, selector and reggae-fan?
David Rodigan: Discovering ska in the early 60s and enjoying the changes in the music during those early years through rock steady and into reggae. Of course I did not know it then but this was the music that was to have a profound effect on my life. I did realise that it was very important to me, almost like an addiction. Every single week I had to be up to speed wity the latest tunes, and it is still like that.
Playing the records to like minded fans of the music was a real joy for me. In the 60's this conisted of house parties and school discos. In the 70's is was college discos and then eventually nightclubs.
Watching the music becoming accepted by a broader audience in the early and mid 70's was very enjoyable as before Bob Marley and the Wailers came along my reggae fanatacism was often a cause for me to be mocked during my college years. Reggae was very uncool then, as it was the music of the skinheads.

Cla.at: Last time i?ve seen you playing in Essen/Germany, and you were hyping up the massive as always, though it wasn?t a big crowd at all. How come that every Rodigan show is a powerhouse? I?ve seen quite a lot of your shows, and every time you are playing, you are full of energy and forwarding this energy to the crowd... Is it easy for you to get exited every time you play the music you are already forwarding since the 70s?
David Rodigan: Playing the music has always excited me and it is impossible for me not to share that excitement and joy with the people who are listening, whether it is on the radio or in a dancehall session. And yes it is very easy for me to get excited about good music no matter how old it is.

Cla.at: The question about your most wonderful experience awhile playing was asked quite often in interviews. Now, to bring up something new, what was your strangest or weirdest experience while playing in a dance?
David Rodigan: Playing with Stone Love in Toronto Canada a few years ago when some gunmen shot up the dance and caused a major stampede. I ended up with a pile of people on top of me behind the sound system console. It was like a scene out of the wild west and very frightening.

Cla.at: One of the most recent big events you were participating in, was the Jamaican World Clash aka Death Before Dishonor 2. While listening to the tapes I had the feeling that you cared less about the trophy than other sounds: your speeches were mostly about history, while e.g. Mighty Crown just chatted bout getting a trophy... What is the motivation for you to clash?
David Rodigan: The most important thing to me is to relate to the music, not to diss other selectors and go on and on about winning a trophy. The fact that I am taking part is proof enough that I am there to compete so there is no need for me to keep talking about it. Far better to talk about the music.

Cla.at: While clashing you are well-known to bring the original vibes, like playing a 10 year old Bounty on Jamaican World Clash 1st round, or your various roots dubplates. Do you think nowadays bashment attenders understand and appreciate that great stuff?
David Rodigan: I think the young bashment audience appreciates it to a degree, but they don't seem to be able to take too much of the one drop style vintage reggae, so I have to be careful about how much vintage stuff I play in one sweep.

Cla.at: Listening to your sets and your speeches feel like attending a history lesson about reggae history and even general Jamaican and British history, in a nice and positive way. Do you see yourself in some kind of a teacher role?
David Rodigan: I do not really see myself as a teacher but i I understand why other pople see me in that way. I just enjoy sharing some of my expeiences with the music and the people who have made it and I think it is important that credit is given to them.

Cla.at: Another thing that I noticed is that you play less British reggae than some years ago. E.g. in the 1985 radio clash against Barry G., nearly over half of your set was British music. Is UK reggae dead, or do you still see people releasing good stuff ?
David Rodigan: I play less because less is being made here compared to the early 1980s.

Cla.at: What do you think about recent UK dub, like Iration Steppas, Disciples and others produce it?
David Rodigan: I think it is very interesting although some times just a little too heavy for me...

Cla.at: For sure you are the undisputed originator of white european soundsystems. How do you feel about today, when every european town has got at least one soundsystem, mostly operated by white europeans?
David Rodigan: I do not think of myself in that way, I am just very happy to know that many other Euoropean/white people have come to discover the joy of the music that I love so much.

Cla.at: Do you use the internet for communitaction pruposes and for promoting your work?
David Rodigan: I do use the internet for cummunicating purposes and for promoting my work

Cla.at: How do you feel about internet in connection with reggae, especially when it comes to spreading music digitally? Does it ruin the sales in your eyes or, on the other side, do you think that it promotes artists further than it has been possible before?
David Rodigan: The internet probably does harm reggae sales to some extent but real music fans will always want to own the real thing, so it another way it helps promote the music.

Cla.at: You are famous not only as selector and radio jockey, but also as someone who interviewed many reggae legends. What was your most significant interviewing experience? Or a person you met?
David Rodigan: Interviewing Bob Marley.


Don't forget to visit www.rodigan.com, David Rodigan's personal website with loads of interesting material about him and his soundsystem-history.

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