Sizzla - Ian allen

Ten questions with Sizzla Kalonji looks at the more serious affects of the intriguing artiste that people are burning to know.

STAR: Name one person or thing you hate and why?

Sizzla: "I hate slavery, di oppression of di people and through the oppression of the people my nation is being retarded. Retarded as in education, economics, moral values, spiritual values, so I hate slavery very much and because di system that oppresses us legalising activities amongst human beings where its totally against our culture.

Di same slave masters legalising tings that against our culture as Ethiopians and Africans, sons and daughters of our majesty. We really hate the violence, the crime and drugs, tings that are coming unto di yutes, di miseducation of di nation- not showing dem di right way. We hate when yuh don't educate our sons and daughters about their origin. "

STAR: What is the role of musicians to society?

Sizzla: "To lead and educate the people, inspire dem about di most High. Teach di people through di music that they must help demselves, protect di land."

STAR: Are you a Bobo Shanti?

Sizzla: "I am a Rastafarian, I embrace all di mansions, cause all di principles do belong to me, all di mansions praise one God- which is Haile Selassie, so we're not separated. I've been brought up through Niabinghi, to me in the African world, they're like my universities, they are universities for Rastafari so we have to attend them, being at di foundation of Bobo Shanti, knowing di principles, knowing di roles and services being carried out, they appoint I as a priest. True I'm in the role of di musician where I'm on di stage sometimes we do it at intervals. When I'm on di road I do di tour, gather di nation, we meet up. When there's no stage show going on I attend to the tabernacle, things like that. We're all one."

STAR: What is the Rastafarian position on the use of violence?

Sizzla: "Non violence, its a non violent, non political organisation."

STAR: So how does your non violent aspect go with your bad man image on stage?

Sizzla: "Well yuh must know we're Kings and we got a nation in slavery, so then again we got energy we're gonna project saying to know dat this is right, this is wrong. Yuh gonna bully me for my rights yuh got to stand up as a warrior. I and I is a high priest, prophet and King, we're holy warriors. We born warrior from Africa, we're born warrior before even gun mek. In dis time people represent themselves with instruments of cruelty, I and I got to defend myself, can't mek people broke in on my family and house. Not in the sense of inciting violence but defending myself."

STAR: Do you have a girlfriend or wife?

Sizzla "Yeah I'm not married but I got my baby mother."

STAR: What is the relationship with your community like? There has been rumours that people in August Town don't like or respect yuh.

Sizzla: "Well yuh know I'm not really here to deny their faith. A lot of people might know me, a lot of people might not know me but it comes to likes I don't really know one's heart. My relationship with the community is very intimate, because everything likkle ting in di community affect me cause I'm a part of di community. I'm a public figure as they would say, anything likkle ting come up they gonna come to you for some sort of help. Yuh hear di cries of the people, mi have dat emotion for di people, I'm really close to dem."

STAR: Did you finish your degree at Utech?

Sizzla: "No I didn't really finish because mi a deal wid di world. Whenever time I don't have no tours, outside programs, business deals going through I would register for another two years and go through, do it likkle by likkle. I just neva had time to finish it before."

STAR: Do you think its a contracdicton to own so many material objects when Rastafarians are not supposed to be materialistic?

Sizzla: "Oh no, let me correct yuh Rastafari is the King of Ethiopia and if you're di King of a country everyting in di country belongs to you and you got to see to it. Di spiritual and di material goes together in a balance because yuh each haffi drink, tek transportation, look good wid the jewels of di Earth, being crowned as Kings and Queens. We use the minerals of di Earth as sacraments. As to praise di most High which create Heaven and Earth. If di Most High create Heaven and Earth all dese tings and we're sons and daughters we use all these tings to adorn us in a spiritual sense, so we need all dese tings to fulfil all our creed. We need whole heap of money to tek care of the sick, for di hungry to get food. If yuh gonna see it as all for yuself, greedy and all then that's vanity right dere. All the wealth of the earth is for the betterment and prosperity of di people."

STAR: Some people think Sizzla is arrogant, is this true?

Sizzla: "No Sizzla is not arrogant but Sizzla got to be rugged yuh know cause Iim dealing wid the world right now and as yuh can see a lot of people dats really that's not dat humble sometimes and they might see you as an easy walk over- they will just push yuh over and gone. We a represent people, how can yuh represent people and be weak? We're not arrogant but strong. It might be how we stay on stage but getting to know Sizzla is a different ting."

-Krista Henry

Get Sizzla's autograph

Here is your chance to have Sizzla Kalonji ink his name on just about anything you want.

You do not have to take a trip over to Judgement Yard either. Simply join THE STAR and Sizzla for an autograph-signing session at the Aquarius Record Shop, Half-Way-Tree tomorrow between 2 and 5 p.m. Be there!

Copies of the artiste's latest album, The Overstanding, will also be on sale at the store.

Here is your chance to have Sizzla Kalonji ink his name on just about anything you want.

You do not have to take a trip over to Judgement Yard either. Simply join THE STAR and Sizzla for an autograph-signing session at the Aquarius Record Shop, Half-Way-Tree tomorrow between 2 and 5 p.m. Be there!

Copies of the artiste's latest album, The Overstanding, will also be on sale at the store.