Israel... we have to take things much more seriously

Joseph Israel is of the view that the days of "pure fun" are gone.

"These are the last days of the system. We are living in a time of judgement and we have to take things much more seriously," he notes.

Israel isn't just saying those things to people, but it is actually the theme of his new album, Gone are the Days.

The white American Rastafarian singer and head of the US label, Lions of Israel Productions, has been on the road for several weeks now with reggae superstar Luciano, Dean Fraser and Mikey General.

Israel met up with Luciano and his Messenjah Crew in San Francisco and has been travelling with them since. He describes his current experience travelling with Luciano and his crew as a highlight of his career and considers Luciano as a "great teacher" and example of this time.

On tour, Israel has been performing Ruff Time, a single he recorded with Luciano in Kingston, and he says the response from the Rastafarian community, as well as the general US reggae public, has been "great." Israel is planning to return to Kingston at the end of the current tour later this month to promote the album, which he actually recorded at Tuff Gong between April and June.

During the period of recording, he worked with a number of well-known names, including Abijah, Anthony Selassie and Daweh Congo. In terms of the rhythms, he relied on the skills of Chris Meredith, Earl 'Chinna' Smith, Dean Fraser, David Madden, Squidley Cole and Paul 'Wrong Move' Crossdale, among others.

Israel was born Joseph Fennel in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1977.
His father, a businessman, later relocated the family to Arkansas where he opened a live music venue called Jose's Restaurant and Club. This gave the young Israel the chance to meet musicians and artistes and to learn a lot about the art.

A major influence in his life was his uncle, Steve 'Soot' Fennel, who was heavily influenced by the Rastafarian movement and the positive vibes of reggae music. At age 12, 'Soot' gave the budding musician a collection of reggae tapes that greatly inspired him as a youth.

Israel first visited Jamaica at age 14. He has been here seven times since and has been counselled by Rastafarians including Ras Bee-Bow in Negril and Bongo Hu-I in Montego Bay.

In 1997, he performed at the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in California where he met a Rastafarian brethren named Oren and moved to the mountains of Idaho to "strengthen his roots in the scriptures".

Back in Arkansas, he put together a band named Kepha (a Hebrew word meaning "the rock"). They recorded a 10-track CD titled Redemption Time, which led to performances in the south and Midwest of the United States, sharing the stage with top reggae acts including Burning Spear and Culture.

Lions of Israel was formed in 2002 with three core members from Kepha - Israel, his wife Kristy, and Carl Blackmon. They added some of Little Rock's finest gospel and R&B musicians, including Mortimus 'Skeet' Trammell, Felton Golden and Marlon 'Cat' Davis. Also joining the group was David Michael, an experienced producer/songwriter and touring musician.

In August, 2003 Israel opened for Ziggy Marley on his Dragonfly tour, during which he made the connection with a number of Jamaican musicians which led to his decision to record Gone are the Days.

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