And sometimes I ride on bus X-82...

[ornoth]

One of the world’s most characteristic voices has been silenced. Joseph Hill has died.

Joseph was the heart and soul of the reggae band Culture, who came to prominence in the mid-1970s with a string of popular and influential hits. Throughout the intervening years, Culture continued producing very original, soulful music, and touring widely.

I first saw Culture perform at the Middle East in March 2001, then again at the same venue in 2002. Later that same year, I saw them at the now-destroyed House of Blues in Harvard Square, where I was able to shake the man’s hand. Most recently, I had the good fortune to see him at Harpers Ferry on May 12th, just three months ago.

Even at 57 years of age, Hill continued to perform a hundred concerts each year. But what made Culture special was Hill’s personality. He was an inspirational and charismatic spokesman for reggae music, his island, and his beliefs, and he held audiences rapt with his aura of wisdom, mysticism, and love. When Joseph Hill took the stage, you knew you were in the presence of a wonderful, gentle man with a powerful vision of a world without barriers and free of conflict.

May Jah grant him the peace and rest he so highly deserves.