Free Joseph : Music at EcoFest 2009
Friday May 1st : 8pm til 10 pm
Free Joseph : Dominica : Rastafari singer musician of the 1st order
Born on the island of Dominica in the West Indies, Free’s musical life was launched in 1969 when he began to express himself with the guitar, bass, melodica, bamboo flute and piano. In the early days, Free was known as “Tex” Joseph, so named by a friend after Joe Tex, the black American soul singer. Free’s talent afforded him the opportunity to leave Dominica and play his music first throughout the Caribbean and then to the US and on to Europe and the Middle East. While in the Caribbean, he twice won the highly coveted first prize in a national music competition in Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1981, Free brought his musical wherewithal to the United States where his talents were immediately utilized as a gig musician. He performed from New York to California as a solo artist at venues with Joe Higgs, Burning Spear, The Wailing Souls, Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus and the legendary Augustus Pablo. After some time in New York City, Free decided to settle in Los Angeles. There, Free quickly became a well known local fixture with his I Science Band. Among other musical accomplishments, Free and his band played for many years at the annual Afrikan Market Place and brought down the house each time they performed. Free has played with great success at such venues as Kingston 12, The Music Machine. Club Lingerie, The Roxy, Cal State Long Beach and UCLA. He played the Apollo in New York as well as the Nottinghill Carnival in London. Continuing to broaden his horizons, Free performed in Toronto and Hawaii as well as the Holy Land of Israel, where he played at The Shack in Tel Aviv. He so loved Israel that he stayed for three months. Free’s musical influences are many and include Jimmy Cliff, Sam Cooke, Robert Nesta Marley, Marvin Gaye, Miriam Makeba, Malo Poets, Minnie Ripperton, his mother Edith and grandmother Ormancia, both of these women sang. Edith in church and Ormancia in the garden, and only in patois (French creole). Besides being a singer/songwriter/musician, Free is also a gifted writer of serious poetry. His first collection “Watching Faces of Time” was first published in 1989. The single ‘Tell Me Why” was released in 1987 and received considerable air play on college radio stations. Free Joseph’s overriding interest is to ‘give mankind soul searching music that can help heal the wounds of tribulation’. Indeed, his artistry is an intensely positive force of international musical consciousness which is contributing to freedom, justice and love of humanity. The unpredictability of life on the West coast precipitated a move east; Free Joseph currently resides in the nature island of Dominica.
Join EcoFest 2009 this year in Dominica!
Contact us for more details.
SPONSORS
We also welcome eco sponsors for the event from all fields, and you or your business will be showcased throughout the festival. Cick here for more details.
sponsor / partners:
MAXROY TRADING COMPANY
free island wide delivery
DOMINICA : TEL 449 6575
Raffoul & Comapany,
Roseau, Dominica.
Tel: 448 2622
tel +1 767 448 2891 garrawaye@cwdom.dm
Barefoot Travel Dominica
S.L.I.C. Dominica
The E.C.U.
Environmental Coordinating Unit of the Government of The Commonwealth of Dominica
LERICON PRINTERS, DOMINICA
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The Cornerhouse Cafe, Restaurant & Internet, Roseau
J.R Bar & Grill,
King George V Street,
Roseau, Dominica
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