"Scratch" Perry, 66-year-old Jamaican DJ and musician, performs in Brazil for the first time at Dub Mamute festival in SP!

For many, Jamaican Lee "Scratch" Perry, 66, remains a sacred genius of music, capable of producing wonders of the genre he helped create, dub, to this day. For others, Perry is just a puppet, damaged by decades of heavy drug consumption. One legend says that Perry's lysergic diet even included drinking head cleaner. It's up to you to draw your conclusions. For the first time in Brazil, Perry performs tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at Sesc Pompéia, as star of Dub Mamute, alongside Mad Professor. Before building a name as an artist, Perry was producer of Bob Marley & The Wailers. Hence another title, also controversial, "father of reggae". His influence went beyond Jah, the Rasta God, and Perry even produced tracks for the Clash. Dozens of absurd stories are part of Perry's mythology. In an exclusive interview with Folha, he confirmed some, dodged others and said that after his shows, Brazil will become another nation: "After me, the country will be called Scratchzil'".

THE INTERVIEW

 Folha - This is your first visit to Brazil... Lee "Scratch" Perry: Meeting Lee "Scratch" will be something very exciting for the Brazilian people. People will see an ET of flesh and blood on stage, have you ever seen an ET? Folha - No. And what is the show like, do you play records or sing? Perry: It will be magical, I can only say that about the show. Folha - How did you get the nickname "Scratch"? Perry: It's more than a nickname. It's part of my truth. I've known scratch [vinyl manipulation technique that produces "scratched" sounds] since the beginning. Scratch is formed by seven letters that represent the seven days of the week. I'm going to Brazil to show this. After me, the country will be called "Scratchzil". Folha - Many say [Jamaican producer] King Tubby invented dub. What do you think? Perry: I don't know who this Tubby guy is [the two even recorded together]. Never heard of this man. I don't like thieves or liars. Who is a thief or liar I say I don't know... Understand? Folha - Yes. Dub started as reggae without vocals, emphasizing bass and effects. Is it still that? Perry: Dub is what I can do with three musicians on stage. It's what I'll show there. Dub is the beats of my heart. My brain is the bass. That's dub. I make the original. What they do today in Jamaica is fake. I don't have the same blood as Jamaicans, I have angel blood. It's different. Folha - Why move to Switzerland? Perry: Because I was becoming dependent on my Jamaican friends. So addicted to the producers and DJs there that I no longer knew who I was musically. Tired of their lies. Why stay there if I was dying? I'm allergic to bad energy. Folha - There's a rumor that you set fire to your studio because the devil was there. Is it true? Perry: Yes. And I didn't build another because I don't want to help Jamaica. They already stole enough from me. Folha - You're very resentful toward your country, aren't you? Perry: Because they stole my tapes and didn't know how to appreciate my music. When I started making punk reggae, nobody in Jamaica thought it was good. When I showed this genre in the United Kingdom, they thought I was God. Bob Marley didn't even exist when I appeared. I wrote "Jah Live" [hit credited to Marley]. If he had really written it, Jah wouldn't have let him die. Jah will return, will return. Folha - Dub is music made for dance floors. What do you think of electronic music made today? Perry: I love electronic music. My brain is a Yamaha, so I can only like it. All DJs want to meet me, because of my brain. Folha - Is it true that you buried your tapes in the earth to get positive energy? Perry: Of course. If you give the earth what is good, it gives you back what is good. How do you think I became a producer? I love experimenting.