Controversial Jamaican reggae artist Peter Tosh is being commemorated in a benefit album featuring some of reggae’s most prominent artists. The CD is being released in both CD and on-line formats. Put My Faith In Jah is a compendium of songs donated by such notable performers as Joe Higgs, Half Pint, Edi Fitzroy, Toots & the Maytals, Lehbanchuleh, Bob Andy, Natty Remo, Mikey General and others. The album also features a rare live track of Tosh performing his trademark anthem “Get Up Stand Up” at the 1982 Jamaica World Music Festival. It is the first of a series of albums to be released by the Tosh Foundation, including the upcoming Peter Tosh Tribute album, which will feature Tosh songs performed by Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, Cypress Hill, and others.
In a unique twist, many of the tracks from the album are being released first for on-line distribution via the new WeedSM format from Shared Media Licensing, Inc. of Seattle (“SML”). Weed files can be freely shared, with both artists and the people responsible for spreading the files getting a share of on-line sales revenue. Subsequently, a limited-edition (1,000-copy) collector’s CD will be available from the Tosh Foundation.
Jeanette Smith, owner of Stone Tiger Entertainment (http://www.stonetiger.net)
and the reggae download web site JahWeed.com,
is collaborating on the project. She says “Peter Tosh was a giant of 20th
Century music. We’re excited to be helping to immortalize his work while aiding
a worthy cause.”
About Peter Tosh and the Tosh Foundation
Peter Tosh was, with Bob Marley and Bunny Livingston, a founding member of
the seminal reggae group The Wailers, and became known as that band’s more
militant spokesman for equality and justice. After leaving the Wailers, Tosh
found success as a solo artist, culminating in his 1987 Grammy-winning album
No Nuclear War. While planning a tour to back the album, he was killed by
gunmen who invaded his house.
The Tosh Foundation was established by veteran rock promoter Mike Malott and Tosh’s son David; its mission is to preserve the musician’s legacy and continue his social activism. Proceeds from the benefit album will go toward building a museum, medical clinic, and library for the people of Jamaica.
About SML and Weed
SML’s WeedSM service was begun in 2003 to
solve the problem of illegal music file sharing on the Internet. Weed files can
be played three times for free; after that, the recipient is invited to purchase
them. A portion of each purchase is paid to file sharers as an incentive to
respect artists’ rights. Weed obtains content via a network of Independent
Content Providers (ICPs). Daniel House, the ICP in charge of “Weedifying” the
Tosh album, says “My experience working with SML has introduced me to a lot
of great music; this album will be truly exceptional whether you obtain it on CD
or download the files.”
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
