This episode we interview Mystic Bowie of Talking Dreads and talk about surviving 2020, his favorite strain,new music and funny tour stories.Well-schooled in the world of reggae and other Caribbean musical genres, it would be a performance in 1991 that opened a new path for him, a collaboration that would shape his future in more ways than one. Scheduled to perform on the Mardi Gras Fest bill at Tramps (NYC), Mystic had the opportunity to perform with the founding members of the Tom Tom Club as his backing band. Thanks to his performance with Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz (Talking Heads), it evolved into a partnership that has lasted to this day.
Mystic has worked steadily with the Tom Tom Club since 1992. With the release of their album, "The Good, The Bad and The Funky" (2000), featuring his vocals on the dub-heavy tracks "Time to Bounce"and a remake of Lee Perry's "Soul Fire", Mystic Bowie emerged as a force in his own right as their lead singer. Touring worldwide with the Tom Tom Club since 2000, Mystic's performances have been praised for his seemingly ceaseless supply of energy and the excitement he generates with crowds everywhere. The irresistible vibe of this tour, and Mystic's performances, has been captured magically on the Tom Tom Club's "Live at the Clubhouse" CD (2002). Songs from this period also appear on the Tom Tom Club's DVDs, "Time to Bounce" and "In a Bootleg Style.
Mystic also performs solo where he lives in Connecticut, using portions of his proceeds to fund the project he started in Jamaica to bring music to the children through building a youth center to give them somewhere to go where they will learn music and have a place to go where they can keep out of trouble. He has performed at many SONO ArtsFests in Norwalk, CT as the headliner. His energetic vivacious style together with his easy approachability make him a favourite with area fans, Talking Dreads is the brainchild of Head Dread, Mystic Bowie, a Jamaican artist whose long and close relationship with Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth,founding members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, began when he joined the latter group as a singer in 1996. He then recorded and performed with Tom Tom Club for nearly twenty years and continues to bear fruit from their unending collaborations.
This inaugural effort from Talking Dreads features an amazing lineup of stellar reggae stalwarts including Freddie McGregor (‘Rastaman Camp’, Bobby Babylon), ska-guitar master Ernest Ranglin (session player and arranger of Millie’s smash ‘My Boy Lollipop’, the Melodians ‘Rivers Of Babylon’, and countless other tracks), and Tarrus Reilly (’Start Anew’, ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’) as well as a little help from punk-pop diva Cindy Wilson of the B-52’s (‘Rock Lobster’, ‘Love Shack’).
Talking Heads’ music was a formative influence on Mystic Bowie since childhood. For more info 🚨 https://talkingdreads.com http://www.mysticbowieculturalcenter.com
