Burning Spear — The Fire of Roots Reggae
Introduction:
Winston Rodney OD (born 1 March 1945 in Saint Ann's Bay, Saint Ann, Jamaica), known the world over as Burning Spear, is one of the most deeply important and enduring figures in the history of roots reggae music. A two-time Grammy Award winner with twelve nominations in total, Burning Spear has spent over five decades creating music of extraordinary spiritual intensity — music rooted in the teachings of Marcus Garvey, the Rastafari faith and the ancient connection between Jamaica and Africa. He was born in the same parish as Bob Marley and Marcus Garvey — and like both men, he changed the world through the power of his ideas.
Origins & Bob Marley's Advice:
As a young man in Saint Ann, Winston Rodney was immersed in American soul and jazz broadcast on US radio stations that reached Jamaica — Curtis Mayfield and James Brown were among his formative influences. The pivotal moment in his story came from a chance encounter with Bob Marley in the Jamaican countryside. Walking through the hills of Saint Ann, Rodney came across Marley travelling by donkey, and the two began talking about music. Marley, then already Jamaica's rising star, encouraged Rodney to take his songs to Coxsone Dodd's Studio One in Kingston. It was advice that would set in motion one of reggae's greatest careers.
Rodney named his act Burning Spear after Jomo Kenyatta — the Kenyan freedom fighter and first president of an independent Kenya who bore the same nickname — a fitting tribute for an artist whose music would become synonymous with liberation, black consciousness and self-determination.
Burning Spear The Best Of - Abum Track Listing:
- 01 Chinchilla Choons - ( Warrior king ).mp3
- 02 Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear.mp3
- 03 Old Marcus Garvey - Burning Spear.mp3
- 04 Columbus - Burning Spear.mp3
- 05 The Wilderness - Live in Paris- Zenith'88 - Burning Spear.mp3
- 06 Give Me - Burning Spear.mp3
- 07 Give Me- Dub - Burning Spear.mp3
- 08 Man In The Hills -Burning Spear.mp3
- 09 Resting Place - Burning Spear.mp3
- 10 Black Wa-Da-Da (Extended Mix).mp3
- 11 I And I Survive (Slavery Days) - Burning Spear.mp3
- 12 Jah See And Know - Burning Spear.mp3
- 13 Jordan River - Burning River.mp3
- 14 Road Foggy - Burning Spear.mp3
- 15 Repatriation - Burning Spear.mp3
- 16 Chinchilla Choons - Intro (Half-Pint).mp3
- 17 Institution - Burning Spear.mp3
- 18 Black Soul - Burning Spear.mp3
- 19 Mek We Dweet - Burning Spear.mp3
- 20 Identity - Burning Spear- The Best Of.mp3
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Marcus Garvey & The Classic Era:
Burning Spear's defining recordings came in the mid-1970s, when working with producer Jack Ruby and backed by the legendary Black Disciples band — which included Robbie Shakespeare — he recorded the landmark album Marcus Garvey (1975). Built around themes of Pan-Africanism, slavery and spiritual awakening, it was an immediate hit in Jamaica and led to a deal with Island Records for international release. The album's tracks "Slavery Days" and "The Invasion" remain among the most powerful recordings in reggae history. A deal with Island Records followed, though tensions arose when the label remixed and altered the album's speed without consent — leading Rodney to establish his own Burning Music label to maintain full artistic control, a pioneering step that influenced generations of artists.
Five Decades of Uncompromising Music:
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Burning Spear never chased commercial trends. Decade after decade he returned with new albums of uncompromising roots music — touring the world tirelessly, performing at Reggae Sunsplash every year for decades and building a global following that spans every continent. His live performances are legendary for their hypnotic power — deep bass, fierce drums and Spear's resonant voice creating what critics describe as a "trance-like" experience. He has toured with Talking Heads and The Clash. His 1999 album Calling Rastafari won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album, as did Jah Is Real in 2009.
Key Albums:
- Marcus Garvey (1975) — landmark of reggae history
- Garvey's Ghost (1976) — dub companion
- Man in the Hills (1976)
- Dry and Heavy (1977)
- Social Living (1978)
- Hail H.I.M. (1980)
- Mek We Dweet (1990)
- Jah Kingdom (1991)
- Calling Rastafari (1999) — Grammy winner
- Jah Is Real (2009) — Grammy winner
Burning Spear on Reggae On A Stick: 
Burning Spear is one of the featured artists on our Reggae On A Stick USB — 100 of the greatest reggae albums compiled onto a single plug-and-play USB drive. Experience the fire of roots reggae alongside 99 other legends of Jamaican music.
👉 Shop Reggae On A Stick — 100 Reggae Albums On 1 USB