Pop Sound!

Do you remember Som Pop? That Sunday "music video" program that long ago was presented on TV Cultura? That's the one! The one that aired before Stádio, which was a sports program. Or was it the other way around?
Well! I remember that in one of the programs, presented at the time by "I am Boy" Kid Vinil, the proposal was to present music videos that had the same title, with bands and totally different proposals. Then the great Kid presents first the romantic heavy metal ballad "Is this Love" by the big-haired Whitesnake, total hit at the time, early 80s. Very good...

After the first video, Kid announces a certain Bob Marley, also with his "Is this Love". I must have been 12 or 13 at the time and had no idea who this Marley was, but since I was right there in front of the TV, why not check it out. The clip started and right away I found it magical, because the also long-haired Marley was different, starting with the hair. The rhythm was contagious, cheerful and simple. The children dancing to that slow rhythm, that joy, really infected me. I stored that in memory and decided to look it up.

My curiosity to know who this Bob Marley was led me to the São Paulo Cultural Center, because I had no idea where to look for information at the time and I was sure I'd find something there. It's been a long time since I've been there, but I remember they had a huge record library where we chose the records and sat in a nice armchair with headphones. It was really more than relaxing. That's where I discovered Marley's contagious work and also many other "strange long-haired" people who played, sang and danced to the same rhythm. It took me a while to save up some money and buy at the Museu do Disco, which was in front of Pitter in downtown São Paulo, the first big record of long-haired Marley, Rastaman Vibration...

Wow! 17 or 18 years have passed, I don't know. Many stories happened. I continued and continue to be infected. Many times I was radical to the point of not letting any other rhythm come out of my "3 in 1" that wasn't reggae. Other times I left everything aside too, but I confess there's no way... I still haven't found a cure for this infection.

If anyone knows, please don't tell me! I intend to write here on Surforeggae at least once a month, and I thank my friend Renato in advance. Feel free to send me messages via email, or through my blog www.reggaesoul.cjb.net (where I'm making some adjustments and changes). That's where I usually put my files and research about Reggae.