Before there was Alborosie, there was Reggae National Tickets. Could you tell us a little bit more about that band?
Alborosie: "Reggae National Tickets was an Italian band playing reggae with some north-African influences. The band existed for about nine years and we released seven albums. I started when I was only fifteen years old and in Italy we did very well, but in the end it was too much of the same thing for me. I felt we had reached our top and in that same period I started to travel to Jamaica as a tourist still. I went there for the first time in 1995 and gradually I spent more and more time on the island. In 2001 I finally decided to move there permanently."
Was it easy for you to adjust to the Jamaican culture and way of life?
Alborosie: "Jamaica has a different mentality, a different culture; everything is different there, from the food to the way the people talk, so I definitely had to adjust myself. The Alborosie you see here today is like a brand new person. The person I was before could never have accomplished what I have accomplished now. It's been a hard road though; there have been good and bad times along the way and the struggle continues still!"
From a Rastafarian point of view your relocation to Jamaica is somewhat strange, as most Rastafarians are of course dreaming of making the trip in the opposite direction and move to Africa.
Alborosie: "Well, I am from Africa! My hometown in Sicily is removed but a mere two hundred kilometres from the north coast of Africa. I know Africa and I've seen and felt it, so I don't necessarily need to move there. If we are talking Rastafarianism, remember that Mussolini went to Ethiopia to fight Emperor Selassie I. Isn't it fitting then that an Italian is going to Jamaica now to blaze up the fire and start a new revolution?"
The rivalry between Italy and Sicily is almost legendary. What makes Sicilians so different from other Italians?
Alborosie: "I guess it's a cultural thing. We're all part of the same country, but Sicilians definitely have a different mentality, different way of looking at life, than other Italians. Even the local language is completely different. Compared to cities like Milan or Rome, Sicily is a bit of a backward place; it's as if time is running behind a couple of years there. There's always been a lot of intolerance from the Italians living in the north and I think that has strengthened the identity of the Sicilians even more. In a way I think Sicily is quite similar to Jamaica. Both islands share a violent subculture for example."
What is your take on the current political situation in Italy, where Prime Minister Berlusconi has become almost untouchable?
Alborosie: "(Sighs) I wish I could come up with an intelligent explanation, but the situation has left me speechless and embarrassed. We definitely need to stand up and do something, because the current situation is just ridiculous. The way things are run at the moment is just disgusting. That's why I included a song on my new album, 'Escape From Babylon', called 'Mr. President'. I was tired of just saying "them" or "he", so I decided to start dropping some names. The tune 'America' is similar. That one I wrote for President Bush. And then there's 'Operation Uppsala', which tells the story of how Lee Perry and Sean Paul were arrested last year at the Uppsala Reggae Festival because the police assumed they were using marihuana. With the song I wanted to show the organiser of the festival, who's a good friend of mine, my support. If everyone does his part, things will start happening."
You released your first album, 'Soul Pirate', on your own Forward Recordings label, but you recently signed a deal with Greensleeves.
Alborosie: "Well I have to stipulate that I didn't sign with Greensleeves as an artist; I just signed a license deal for the new album. My music is His Imperial Majesty's music; to sign me as an artist you have to have nuff money! (laughs) 'Escape From Babylon' is a strong album; it's 360 degrees of reggae music with strong vintage and old-school influences. I recorded it in my own Shengen Studio in Jamaica. The big difference between 'Escape From Babylon' and my first album is that 'Soul Pirate' was a singles collection. The recording of 'Escape From Babylon' was a natural progress without stress or pressure; I took my time and invited the guests I wanted to work with."
The sleeve design for 'Escape From Babylon' is from the hand of the legendary Tony McDermott, who designed some of the most memorable album sleeves in the Greensleeves catalogue. Did you know his work already?
Alborosie: "Yeah, I asked for him especially. Now I saw Greensleeves also asked him to do the sleeve for Sizzla's new album ('Ghetto Youth-Ology', red.) and that vexed me a little bit, but as Rastafarians we have to share our food, no?"
You've got a lot of fans, but there are critics as well and they claim Alborosie is nothing more than a thief, stealing or sampling old tunes.
Alborosie: "A thief? I rarely use samples! On the new album there's just Horace Andy ('Money', red.) and Dennis Brown ('Can't Stand It', red.). If I'm that good a thief, that so much people come to see me perform, then why not? You should respect me for being so good at it! (laughs)"