Prince Alla is a true legend of reggae music with a career spanning 30 years. He has worked with veteran producers such as Joe Gibbs, Tappa Zukie, and Bertram Brown of Freedom Sounds, spawning a string of classics like "Rastafari," "Bucket Bottom," "Bozrock," "Stone," "Their Reward," "Cities," "Funeral," "Lot's Wife," "King Midas," "Daniel," and countless others. A serious, humble and genuine rastaman, in recent years he has also worked with Jah Shaka, whilst his classic material has been brought to the attention of a new audience courtesy of the Blood & Fire reissue
label. A new Prince Alla album with Jah Warrior is currently in production for release in Spring 2000... 

Q. Can you start off by telling us when & where were you born? 
A. Well I was born in Greenwich Town, Jamaica, 10th May 1954 and I went to school as a little youth in Greenwich Town, or Greenwich Farm as its known. 

Q. What was Greenwich Farm like in those days? 
A. Well Greenwich Farm was a nice place you know, 'cos why they really call it a farm was 'cos plenty cultivation used to be there. People used to plant up them callalloo, them okro, you know all kinds of things used to plant there. So they name it Greenwich Farm you know, but people used to live there. But it was very nice there 'cos it's peaceful & all you have is singers, cricketers, footballers, you know them way there, just sports people - nice community you know. 

Q. What was it like growing up there - your childhood? 
A. Very nice man. Because we have the seaside near to us beca' we live right near the beach. So you know, from I come from school you gone beach & bathe and Saturday you gone from morning and bathe and feel nice. You have a little place beside where you have a nice football field and cricket, everything, very nice place you know. And when I grow up a peaceful place and everybody love each other in a little community. 

Q. Is it still the same now? 
A. Well after a while true you know the politics business weh really mash up places all the while, cah the politics in Jamaica is not really like the politics in England where people vote for a different party and talk to one another the same way and drink with each other. In Jamaica is a different thing beca' the people wasn't taught the right way, what is politics and how you must live with politics, and how you must handle politics and know is the government must be the servant. But in Jamaica
is not that it go, is the government now is the father and the people is the servant, seen. So they did teach them to war, one side give one side gun and the next side give next side gun and them fight each of them in the ghetto, but them can't go uptown where them live, you know. They have to stay down in the ghetto with it. So is that how the changes come in Greenwich Farm, because Greenwich Farm really a ghetto area, you know. Poor people live there. It's not so bad now, but sometimes when you have election you find them kind of violence you know. 

Q. What was your earliest experience of music? 
A. My mother used to love go to Church so she used to carry me to church all the while. So they used to have concert at the church and from I was about 7 they make I sing "Our father" in church, and the people them clap and say "yes little youth" you know. And she used to love sing too, I used to love hear my mother sing, sometimes I haf fe ask her sing some songs for me. And my father too him love it because him buy every record, you know.

Q. How old were you when you saw Bob Marley? 
A. Them time there... a small youth going to school you know. About 14, 15. 

Q. When did you first think about singing outside of the church? 
A. Well is at school yu know. Because me is a man when it come to school now, I love it & ting and the teacher them love me still, but them say well, me love make noise too much because me love sing all the while, me gone round the back bench me and me likkle friend and we start play on the desk and me sing - them way there you know. So from school me really get involved in it. And when them have them school holidays I did do a little thing, a little concert, you know. But when I
get really more involved with it is with Joe Gibbs now. Because one time he did go to Cuba and learn to be electrician, and then he come back to Jamaica and had a girlfriend in Greenwich Farm and I'd see him and me and him would talk and I'd say mek a studio man, you know so much about electrics business and can fix things and ting, mek a studio man. And him say yes man, him a go set up a studio and ting. Then me said let me do a tune man, and the first tune I did for him, a tune called
"Sit Down and Cry". Me and a brother named Milton Henry and one named Soft Palmer, the Palmer Brothers, the three of us. We did three songs for him.

Q. What year was that? 
A. About 1968, 1969.

Q. What name did you do that under? 
A. We called ourselves The Leaders. Because we say we're leaders, even though we're some likkle youths we still call ourselves The Leaders! 

Q. Had you become aware of rasta at that time? 
A. You see bredren, from when I was going to Church I used to hear of so much things weh was going on in South Africa and dem ting deh. And I said to myself bwoy, this Jesus weh them show me, he couldn't be God. He couldn't be a whiteman and the people in South Africa them do the black people so. You know, from me is a likkle youth. So all the while me can't believe say God is a whiteman, you know them way there. So growing up now, one night I vision that I saw a little short man, a little rasta man, and him waving man, and when I look at him water come right up to him knee. And him wave again and pure fish come swim in a it. You see? And him look at me. And the next day I go over see some rastaman and talk to them and say bwoy I see a little short man you know. And one of them show me a picture and say you see that little short man deh? A him yu see you know. So from them time me start see rasta inna meself you know. 

Q. After The Leaders, what was the next music you did? 
A. I did some songs now for Tappa Zukie. It was under the name Ras Alla then. 

Q. Did Tappa Zukie discover you or did you find him? 
A. Well me know Tappa Zukie as a little youth still. One day him see me and say bwoy him like start inna the music cah him know Bunny Lee and Bunny Lee a talk to him. So I say alright and him came over me yard and I had my guitar and sing a song for him named Bozrock. And him say bwoy me love that you know, and me say alright mek we go a studio and do it you know. We did it up a Lee Perry, Scratch studio. First he gave it to Yabby You to distribute it in Jamaica. I don't know
what he did with it in England. 

Q. What was it like working with Tappa Zukie? 
A. Ha ha! Ah, well you see, we haf fe talk the truth you know. Tappa Zukie, him is a creative person you know. In the studio him come with the horn section and him seh do this, do that, you know. Is nice working with him inside the studio, ha ha! 

Q. But outside the studio? 
A. No, is not nice! Ha ha! The truth is the truth. Is not nice my brother. 

Q. At that time you did two versions of one tune, Funeral and Burial, one was for Tappa Zukie and one was for Joe Gibbs. 
A. Well look now. You see I did one for Tappa Zukie, the Funeral, but him keep onto it and seh nothing a gwaan and certain tings you know. At that time I never really knew that song was up here you know. Is a few years later I did it for Joe Gibbs, because him no give me nothing so I just do over that tune you know. Tappa Zukie first put his out on an LP, but a few years later Joe Gibbs put out his 45 so Tappa Zukie put out his 45 too. 

Q. A lot of people regard your work with Freedom Sounds as the best years of your career. Did you enjoy your time there? 
A. Yeah, you know when you're a youth you just love the music, from a man say studio, you just love it. I did love work with Freedom Sounds too. Him have a vibes too, but again that is inside too. Outside is same ting too. Like Tappa Zukie. 

Q. Where were the Freedom Sounds tracks recorded? 
A. Most of them was at Tubbys. A few of them at Channel One.

Q. Were you present when Tubbys was mixing? 
A. Yes. Beca' the tune I Man Saw A Stone, you know... I want show you is a next man was mixing it, I think it was Scientist and Tubby was round at the back, beca' him mek amps yu know. And Scientist a mix this tune and Tubby leave him amps and come and say no, him a mix this tune here. Seen? And me say yes Tubbs, beca' me would a like hear something like babylon a mash up, you know. And him say alright and him go round the back and through him a technician me know him have some sounds. And first time me hear that. And him say which sound, and me say that one deh Tubbys! And him say yes and put it in. Great man. 

Q. What was it like watching him work? 
A. Well the man there did like say hypnotise you, to just watch him. And the sound weh you a hear. Cah them time there, certain reverb weh you hear with Tubby, no other sound and no other studio have it. Just him alone. That's why him was so great.

Q. What did you do after Freedom Sounds? 
A. Well I do a few songs still. But I tell you the truth, through the way the promoters really deal with me, I just cool out. Probably is a wrong thing I do still, but I kinda cool out and easy and start do some different things. Like go to sea and catch fish and ting and become a fisherman! Ha ha! 

Q. So you gave up your career and became a fisherman? 
A. Yes, all dem tings deh. Because I wasn't getting nothing. All them songs weh I a did - Funeral, Bozrock, Bucket Bottom, I wasn't getting nothing for it. All a the man them tell me, bwoy, nutting a gwaan. You know that kind of Jamaican slang, that means nothing. Well after that I meet a man called Steve Barrow. He came to Jamaica and wanted a deal with me but every time Freedom Sounds want to see him by himself and don't want to carry me. So one day I stick out and say no, him
want to see me personally. So when I see him and him talk to me I tell him bwoy, I don't get nothing from them songs. So him say alright, I will send your money to you Prince Alla and the promoter will get his money, so no more robbery can gwaan. And I say thank you very much me brother. A good bredren those. Yeah man I was like a rusty pen weh was lost, and those man a come pick me up and shine me off. Yeah man, glory, blessed to them man. Honour. 

Q. How long were you away from the music for? 
A. A few years man. 4 or 5 years probably.

Q. Is there a big split in Jamaica now between the roots camp and the dance hall camp? 
A. No, beca' you have some singer now weh him a roots singer but fe him song play inna the dance.... a lot of people like Capleton and Sizzla. When you originally in deh, dancehall music a really reggae music, but some man a start talk slackness and some man say cho', that a dancehall business, but reggae music was the first dance music weh used to play inna dancehall weh me see my father and my bigger brother go. Ken Boothe and all them man deh a really dancehall. 

Q. What is the future of reggae as we enter the new millennium? 
A. Unlimited, me brethren. Beca' hear wha' now, the almighty, the father, him have some soldiers every time. Because some singers & players of instruments out there, when him ready him just put in a little tap inna them and the whole world tremble. So reggae music haffe live, beca jah music, you know. So if some guy want to spoil it him only beat up himself, beca' Jah a the teacher fe reggae music. Bob and Peter and all them man deh, Bunny Wailer, them all come prove it. So we can
sing a culture and teach people in a reggae music. It can't die me bredren, nothing can kill it. The real reggae music, our music. 

Q. What do you think about the reggae scene in England since you've been here for the past few months? 
A. Well me really like it you know. You know why? I go to some of the raving them and it's like when I was a little youth, man a hold a woman and dance. Loving. I like that vibes, because in a Jamaica it hard to find that you know, mostly you have to go a little party to find that. But most dancehalls now, through the type of tune them a play now, the girl dem a over there and a gwaan some way and the man dem a over there and a gwaan same way and a look.... - you know dem way there.
You know through the tune a say my gun bigger than your gun... that's why you have more violence now. If a man a go and talk to a woman him haffe watch himself in case a next man have a gun or a knife or something. 

Q. What do you think people in Jamaica would think about the reggae being made in England now? Would they like it or not? 
A. Yeah man, they would a like it. Beca' you know why some people in Jamaica like the dirty music? Beca' the radio dj play it every day... If them hear every day "fire shot, fire shot, fire shot" - one day as a little youth him a go fire shot. So weh them hear them like. So if they did hear certain conscious music like you have plenty conscious music in England they would like it same way. 

Q. Out of all your songs which is your favourite? 
A. That's hard - I'd have to say the song which really touch me the most when I listen to it and when I was making it is Man From Bozrock. Certain tune when you're making it, it comes like it fly away you know, like you gone in a different world, you know them way there. 

Q. What is the future for Prince Alla - your aims and ambitions? 
A. Well my aim is really for everyone to live in love and unity. And my aim is to sit down and talk to the father and say put some word in me that when it come out the whole of your children can just harken to it. And my ambition is to go a Jamaica and set up something in Greenwich Farm. Set up a studio and them ting there. Although I don't know how it a go work, but a just my aim, you know. Cos Greenwich Farm could do with a clinic and nuff little things me bredren. But is the father still. If the father say a me must do it then him a go do it still. Is that me would a like, cos Greenwich Farm is a place me love. Is like say from me leave the hospital where me a born is there weh my mother carry me and I just grow up there you know. Nice. I never fight no one there. Everyone just love there. Yes man. 
Respect. 
Blessed. Honour.