Rootsmon
Bird
Natty Dreadlock Rock Show Host
Email Rootsmon
Excerpts from an interview with
Elizabeth Moss
The host of the Natty
Dreadlock Rock Show, Rootsmon Bird has been with WLNZ since the beginning
in 1995. In
1998 he was voted one of the top three in radio announcing in reggae
music by Reggae Sun Splash United States. His prize was a trip to
Marley Fest in Jamaica to introduce some of the musical groups. He
describes himself as “a spiritual man first, a "roots mon" second,
and a musician third.” The following is a conversation with
Bird and appeared in the WLNZ Program Guide.
What
is unique about your show compared to other reggae shows in the
area?
The Natty
Dreadlock Rock Show means I focus on reggae, but I play anything I
can put my hands on to really rock you. There are components from
the whole African Diaspora. It’s all about connecting the music.
This is considered a specialty show-it’s basically about 90
percent knowing the music. People around here all consider me “the
elder”. One of the biggest compliments I get from my listener
family is they like the wide range of musical treats I cover.
Everything from DLG (Latin music) to Barry White (R&B) to reggae
artists like Third World.
What’s it
like being a volunteer producer and DJ at WLNZ?
Being a producer allows me to be the program and music director and
be accountable for everything that happens (on my show). I have chosen to stay on a
volunteer basis because it is a community college radio. I can
express the culture and music from an educational point of view, not
a commercial one.
Who has been
a big influence on you at WLNZ?
I miss the most
a radio personality who did a jazz show at WLNZ, Cal Rice, a good friend
and mentor to me. He passed away this year (1999). There are some
songs I’ll play on my show and say to myself, ‘I wish he were
here to hear this one.’ He’ll always be with me in spirit.
Besides
volunteering at WLNZ, what other ways do you contribute to the area
music scene?
I helped launch
Mike Stern who has a show at MSU’s radio station. He called and
asked for help. I gave it to him. I don’t look at it as
competition, just another one of my reggae family.
I am also on the
executive board of Reggae Ambassador Worldwide (RAW). It has 1,800
members from 59 different countries. Every two years we DJs, fans
and industry professionals meet at a conference. It is designed for
networking about reggae. Also, now that WLNZ is broadcasting on the
Web, I don’t just play for Lansing, I get to play worldwide!
What’s your
family like?
I was raised in
Grand Rapids and moved to Lansing in 1975. I had been in the
community doing reggae for 10 or 11 years before I came to WLNZ. My
family is good – a close one, ranging from brothers, cousins and
sisters. They’re proud of me because I’ve been through a whole
lot of eras. I went to the "University of Hard Knocks".
My
spiritual and cultural uplift came through reggae music. I went to
Jamaica not as a tourist, but to study music, culture and the
spirituality of Rastafar. Lansing can only provide you so much. You
have to go and find it. When I was in Jamaica, an elder came over to
me and said, “you live from the ground up. You’re a roots
moon.” I have to give credit to all my mentors and coming from a
down to earth background and this type of music, the African
Diaspora – wailing and some love. If I can play music and make
Jamaicans feel like they’re back home, I’m doing my job. But I
just want to make everybody feel good, no matter where they come
from. Music is the universal communicator.
Rootmon's Natty Dreadlock
Rock Show can be heard on Sunday evening from 6:00 to 9:00 on
WLNZ.
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