Clinark live in Holland with Poor Man Friend Band by Clinark

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For instance, ‘Colonised’ is about the legacy some of us still hold in our minds from the slavery to colonisation. In this song which I co-wrote with Juliet Edwards we focus on the mind of a young man say in England or anywhere in the post colonial world. The words sprang out after we I created a few chords on the keyboard. It was Christmas 2004 and the beginning of the project.

We came up with the words ‘Colonised’, ‘despair’, and just expanded on the message. But we knew that we wanted to talk to the disaffected youth, particularly as I was witnessing in England. We wanted to let the people know our fore parents struggled for the freedom we have today and we must still find energy to continue to recover our selves. Whilst some media would like to label all our youths as thieves, we are trying to say that we need to understand ourselves and our past leaves the residue of slavery and colonisation that turns us on ourselves, coveting things that will not let us reach our spiritual goals and enlightenment.'

‘If you want designer labels

And you'd rather thief than buy

Then check your situation

Your mind’s still colonised…….

‘Why should we flee a paradise?

Why can’t we make our own life?

Just get up and rise!

Don’t be demoralised!’

'Colonised' (Clinarke Dill and Juliet L Edwards) ©2006

In the UK its so difficult for a black male to be successful in business or commerce and what you find is that I would describe that we are still experiencing the ‘aftershock’ of slavery and the erosion of the leadership role that the black male is allowed to play in our society today. Juliet’s parents are Jamaican, a former colony, and it’s evident that there was a catastrophic lack of opportunity in Jamaica that led to massive migration from the early 50’s.

'Beautiful Island' is about been torn between a love affair with beautiful Island of Bermuda and making a decision to leave the Island for a new relationship. It was also about taking chances with your life and hoping to be able to return successful and fulfilled.'

‘How can I survive the city?

All pollution and distress

I’m feeling something lasting

My heart, you will possess’

Oh my beautiful Island,

My warm and fruitful land (warm and fruitful land)

Farewell for now, I will return

To you from foreign land (yeh).’

Beautiful Island (Clinarke Dill and Juliet L Edwards)©2006

'Life in the Ghetto' is one of my favourites, we were on a bus in London one day, stuck in the rain and we saw a guy hanging out sheltering from the rain, he was always selling something. He is there most days and we thought this is so sad. When we got in we had the line ‘Life in the Ghetto’ and it sprang from their imagining of who this guy was as a child that led him to be living a dangerous life on the streets. So we thought what sort of letter would he be writing to those that love him and so we have:

‘I’m no textbook son,

I’m schooled in life’s streets

Can’t tell you bout the characters,

You would never wish to meet’

Unconsciously, we come back to a prominent them for the album. Again to the man in the street would say, why is this person choosing this lifestyle? After all he’s not in slavery, so he responds:

‘Life in the ghetto,

It’s controlling my mind

I’ m free, I’m free yeah

But this freedom is so unkind’.

So then you realise that is mind is still holding him captive as he has adopted a new way of oppression in a ‘civilised society’ in a fatalistic way. He talks of the period of innocence and freedom of childhood, but as a man is almost paranoid about his survival. In the final lines he feels that he is helpless to change his situation and leaves it up to angel to rescue him.

‘Great memories of my childhood days.

Neighbours looked out for me.

Now can’t sleep at night - agents and enemies

District disputes - status and territories.'

Life in the Ghetto(Clinarke Dill and Juliet L Edwards)2006

‘Runaway’ is just about love in simple terms, as about a modern man who asks why loving someone is not enough. The guy in this song asks why his girl had left him for the glamour of the city, when he thought she just loved him for what he was, but it would seem that his girl has been seduced by the lights of the city so to speak. We really enjoyed writing this song and this is very popular with the crowds, surprisingly the women love singing along to it in some kind of twisted way.'

'Inspiration prayer' is about my own struggles with my illness, (vertigo) and the fact that The Father was there for me when times were really bad. I just wanted to send that simple message out in a song and then as I got more and feedback on the song, people said I should call it a prayer in its own right.'

‘When I was desperate, in pain

All I could do was call out your name

See the light, feel the warmth of your embrace.

I will praise you for all of my days.

Inspiration Prayer (Clinarke Dill) © 2006

I was working on this reggae version of the Lord’s Prayer for a couple of years on and off. I got a great response when the team heard it, so we added it to the song list. On this album you will hear me having some fun introduce the members of the Poor Man Friend Band. It’s a lengthy track. Just over 10 mines long.

'Dem Come' is another one of my favourites. It was originally released in 2004 on and was a massive hit. I wrote it in Bermuda alongside the other track 'Fire Bun'

BIOGRAPHY - Clinark's Journey So Far

Well, it's been a difficult journey for Clinark to reach to this point in his career. As a child growing up in Bermuda, Clinark was heavily influenced by his Seventh Day Adventist upbringing and his love of reggae music, particularly ,bob Marley and the group 'Aswad.' His father encouraged him to sing and he learned to play the piano.

Clinark's gift of song first came to prominence, in the early 80's with local Bermuda based band called 'Youth Creation'. The band was successful, leading to touring overseas. They disbanded in 1990. Clinark then joined a new band called Studio Six. They did the full circuit of clubs and hotels in Bermuda, with a broader spectrum of music, including soca, soul etc. The band broke up in 1993.

Clinark joined Bermuda's top reggae band called 'Jahstice' in 1995. They backed most of the visiting reggae acts including Freddie McGregor. The band also played in Reggae Ambassadors Worldwide Showcase in Salt Lake City & North Carolina In 1996 and 1997. They also represented Bermuda at the Caribbean Song Festival in Barbados.

Clinark left 'Jahstice' at the end of 1999. But this proved to be a most unfortunate and desperate time. Clinark was on the verge of a big break in the music industry, but he was suddenly struck down with a mysterious debilitating illness. After years of being incapacitated with sudden bouts of dizziness and inability to walk and was unable to work, he was finally diagnosed as suffering with a severe vertigo symptoms.

Meanwhile, Clinark's voice remained in full form. In 2003 He was asked by his life long friend, neighbour and former Jahstice keyboard player and songwriter, Antwon Pitt to form a duo called African Descendants. Their demo of co-written songs proved to be a success, being played on national and nternational radio. Offers from producers in Jamaica, and the reggae fraternity in Europe and USA came in, but Clinark was not yet fully recovered and was unable to travel until 2004.

Clinark is best known for the hit single 'Dem Come', which he sang under the name of 'Dillinjah' on the 'Dread Unity' label in 2004. It was a truly modern day cyber production with Clinark writing and voicing tracks in his native home of Bermuda and the production being done in the UK.

A planned trip for the duo to record in Jamaica was postponed. So Clinark decided to take up an invitation to record a couple of tracks and travelled to the UK in December 2004. Clinark met up with Drummer and producer, ‘Tony 'Technical T' Edwards’, brother Rob Edwards Jnr and his sister Juliet Edwards who have now come together to form the Nurture Projects music publishing house and record label.

Clinark's visit produced a buzz of excitement in the studio , by now his voice was being compared to the late reggae great, ‘Garnett Silk’ , others said they found his songs style like that of another late great legend 'Bob Marley.' A plan was hatched to record an album at a later date. Clinark and Juliet immediately got to work on creating songs for the project.

So throughout 2005 and early 2006 the team worked on. Eventually, by the end of 2004,Technical T had produced a demo of an 18 track album called 'Journey.' This album is due to be released in 2007.

By now it was February 2006 and Nurture projects joined a small project with Dutch reggae band 'Poor Man Friend'. The remit was to put on a small set of concerts in Holland in April 2006. Also part of the project and on the bill was ‘Zema’, a long time friend of Clinark who by now was also being managed by Nurture Projects in the UK.

PMF consist of a 6 piece band with keyboard player, Marcus Leliveld (aka Kila) as band leader and composer. He worked alongside horn arranger and tenor saxophonist, Phillp De Goey. The line up of the band was Howard Englebert on lead and rhythm guitar, Fabian on drums, Papa Jan on Bass and backing vocals, BillyMan and Ras Elijah were on percussions and backing vocals. Both BillyMan and Ras Elijah are artists in there own right. PMF opened the show with their own set of songs. You can find out more of PMF on their website www.poormanfriend.com.

Meanwhile, Clinark and the team continued to work on the 'Journey' album project and started recording with top producers, Mafia and Fluxy.The scheduled clashed with the Journey album recording but they managed to rehearse and finally they all got together for the Holland concerts. Thelive recording for the album was at the prestigious Dutch venue 'Groene Engel 'in Oss was done by sound engineer Sander Hartman. Miraculously his recording captured the first performance perfectly.

In August 2006 Clinark took a brief trip to Bermuda where he announced to national radio.The promo release of the CD. It produced a great response from the public and fans.

An interview with Clinark in the Bermuda Royal Gazette brought further interest from the rest of the world. Nurture Projects eventually brought forward the release of this album 'Clinark Live in Holland with Poor Man Friend Band.

A live version of the 'Dem Come' is on this outstanding live album. Now all of this work is to be rewarded with 2 amazing powerful reggae releases in 2006 and another album with UK's finest Producers, 'Mafia and Fluxy' already in the making for release in 2007. This will definitely light up the ‘Reggae Torch' which you cannot fail to miss!

For further information contact Juliet Edwards, Nurture Projects: Info@clinark.com

Find our more at: www.clinark.com or www.myspace.com/Clinark

Management Website: www.nurtureprojects.com, or www.myspace.com/nurtureprojects.

UK Tel: +44(0)2088042367

Mob: +44 (0)7908122410

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