The world would remember Joseph "Culture" Hill

 

By: Sticky Dread (In Ghana) 

 

I was very young, when I saw the legendary reggae musician Joseph "Kwame" Hill, of Culture fame, when he first came to Ghana and performed at the Kumasi Sports stadium. His electrifying performances send the whole crowd into a state of agog and yearning for more music.

 

Indeed, the crowd was very massive that I was taken shoulder high by my uncle before I could really take a glimpse of Brother Joseph.

 

I remember he asked the crowd to translate in the Twi meaning of "I have come to Ashanti". Interestingly, Culture kept on saying "maba Ashanti , maba Ashanti" almost every single minute after he was told the meaning.

 

On 19^th August 2006, I was listening to a bona fide bredda, Ras Mubarak on his radio reggae show " This is reggae" when he sadly broke the news that Brother Joseph "Culture" Hill is gone. I thought I was dreaming, thinking this cannot be possible. Until I heard Ras Mubarak interviewing some close pals and management members confirm his death.

 

Brother Joe is well known across the globe especially in Africa and particularly Ghana and Nigeria. The Traditional authorities in Aburi, a town in the Eastern part of Ghana, bestowed on him the Nkosuohene (Progressive Chief) under the stool name Nana Kwame Osiam,when he came to performed at the 61 Birthday of the great Bob Nesta Marley, which was his last show and visit to Ghana.

 

Joseph Hill had planned for various developmental projects for the people of Aburi until his untimely death.Nothwithsatnding; the wife of the great singer Madam Pauline Hill has said the culture Family would still continue the project.

 

According to Madam Pauline Hill, she has had a request from the chief of Aburi, asking for the interment of Joseph Hill at the community. Well, Ghanaians also had a thanksgiving for Joseph on the same day as in Jamaica.

 

Brother Joseph Hill would be remembered for his inspirational lyrics, generocity, Pan Africanism.He sung under everything on the earth from peace, war, love, justice, humanity, among others and there are some more he would have given.

 

As a teacher and militant musician, he was not a politician but was loved by many governments in Africa, who wanted him to settle in their country. According to reports, the government of Sierra Leone donated 46 acres of land to the musical icon Joseph Hill to provide investment opportunities in the country.

 

A member of the Joseph Hill Planning Committee Lloyd Evans in an interview with Yard flex said when Joseph Hill went to Sierra Leone , rebels wanted him and he said "I will only go if you    put your guns down while am here. Guess, they all put it down". Indeed, this was a man respected by all and sundry.

 

 

Although, he was a devoted Rastafarian, his funeral brought together both Rastafarians, Christians and pagans alike sitting together at the Emmanuel Apostolic Church, in Kinston, Jamaica paying their last tribute to the generous personality.

 

Since his death many tributes have been appearing from artists and reggae lovers from all walks of life. Notable among them was from Ken Boothe (Order of Distinction), in an interview said the death of Joseph has been a great sorrow to the reggae arena.

 

One of the first musical tributes was from a Ghanaian Disc Jockey know as Blakk Rasta, who within a week composed a single dubbed' Water inna mi eye". A Nigerian broadcaster Okezie Ekugo told the Jamaican Observer that "There is a particular song being played here for those rebel guys in our Niger Delta who go kidnapping expatriates for ransom. The song Tribal War has been a hit and is played almost everyday on our local stations. Then Mr. Sluggard is being played to educate people against the use of the internet to do scam jobs. In fact, Culture is a name to be reckoned with here," the Nigerian radio announcer said.

Joseph "Culture" Hill was born on January 22, 1949 at Linstead, in St. Catherine, Jamaica. He began his career at the renowned Studio One as percussionist with Soul Defenders and alongside played also on Freddie McKay's classic, hanging on the Wall.

The Culture Band was formed in 1976 by him (Joseph Hill), Albert Walker, his cousin, and Kenneth Dayes who left and was replaced by Telford Nelson. He has been in the musical industry for almost three decades with a total of 22 albums.

Currently, his first son Kenyatta Hill, who was named after the great Pan Africanist and Kenya Independence leader Jomo Kenyatta, has taken the mantle from his great dad.

Much as Kenyatta knows the father's shoe is not easy to wear, with the support and guidance from the Almighty creator, he would be able to perform it creditably.

Father, Brother, Teacher and Counselor Joseph Culture Hill, a.k.a. Nana Kwame Osiam, may the Lord gives you a permanent and peaceful place to rest