Islandvibes

Aaron Zeis was perusing old 45s in Kingston, Jamaica, when he came across David Isaacs of the Grammy-nominated Jamaican band the Itals. Zeis, a Ft. Wayne native, had recently formed Bloomington-based One People Productions in response to a palpable need for live reggae shows in central Indiana and was intrigued by the "genuine kindness" of Isaacs and his bandmates. \nBut it wasn't his first chance encounter with Jamaican music legends and lore; on the same trip, he'd hung out in the island's premier studio, The Mixing Lab, listening to Culture lay down a few tracks. The Itals were different, however; in a "crazy place" like Kingston, where Zeis claims "everyone's pulling at you, trying to get something out of you," they seemed sincerely interested in Zeis and his work. \nA few years later, they hit Bloomington for the first time, headlining the Saturday night lineup at the Kneadmore Reggae Festival. Zeis spearheaded planning for the event, and found in the Itals the sort of nationally-renowned act he needed to bring the show together. \n"They were genuinely so interested and nice," Zeis recalled of his weekend with the band. "They were so thankful for everything we provided for them, for the food and everything, and they dealt with all kinds of weather. They were just happy to be there."\nRevered stateside and in their native Jamaica, the Itals will hit Uncle Fester's tonight as part of Zeis' Reggae Thursday series, which in recent months has featured such reggae greats as The Ark Band and Jah Kings. In Rastafarian patois, "ital" means natural, unprocessed and pure. It's also a way of life for the island trio, comprised of lead singer and original member Keith Porter, harmony vocalist David Isaacs and Porter's daughter, Suan. When they're not touring, they shore up in Jamaica's rural Westmoreland Parish, where they claim the living's easier and unaffected. \nPorter, speaking from his tour bus (which he often commandeers himself) en route to a show in St. Louis, says he's ready to hit Bloomington again. \n"I liked the vibe I saw there; it's a positive thing," he says. "We had a great time (at Kneadmore) and I'm looking forward to my next time here... I've been through Bloomington several times and that makes it even more interesting -- you meet people and want to go back."\nThe original band, spawned in 1976 when Porter teamed up with Ronnie Davis to re-voice Davis hit single "Won't You Come Home" (later re-released as "Ina Disa Time"), first achieved critical success with a series of recordings for the SpiderMan label. Joined by harmony singer Lloyd Ricketts, the group completed several 45 releases in both New York and Jamaica and were finalists in the 1981 and 1982 Jamaica Festival Song Competition. \nIn 1981, the band began collaborating with Nighthawk Records. A year later, the label released its first Itals recording, "Brutal Out Deh," hailed as a "stunner" by New York Times music critic Robert Palmer. In 1983, the group began its first U.S. and Canadian tour, backed by jam band The Vitals.\n"They're really known for their intricate vocal harmonies," Zeis said. \nPersonnel changes have wracked the group, but the transitions haven't hurt the Itals' balance. Ricketts was sent to prison shortly after the release of "Rasta Philosophy" in 1987 and was replaced by Isaacs, and Davis left to pursue solo interests. \n"Time changes everything, you know," Porter says. "As people change, so times change, and people move on. I'm the original creator, and I'll never lose it; the foundation is always there and never goes away. The message and the movement is as important to the people as ever, and so is the positive direction that it's going."\nThat's why Porter and crew consistently create music people can relate to. \n"People get the positive vibes, and they want music that makes sense," he says. "Music is like a tree of life to a lot of people."\nTheir current tour is part of an effort to both revive American interest in the one-time Grammy nominees, as well tap into the Midwest market. \n"They were very big back in the day, and it's sort of been up and down since the '80s," Zeis says. "They're trying to play a lot more shows and build things up, especially here in the Midwest."\nThey're heading "all over" in a concerted effort to "let people get the vibes," Porter says. He claims he doesn't have a favorite place to play, though Jamaica will always be home. \n"I've been a lot of different places, and I'm really a world citizen," he says. "Music comes from all different corners, and I am sent to deliver our message. My philosophy is truth and rights, and that always stands. The only way to get the message across is to deliver it to all corners"