Remembering Joseph Hill on his birthday today - January 22, 2019 - by posting this eulogy I wrote over 12 years ago after learning of his passing. Joseph Hill & Culture As we ponder the great loss of Joseph Hill we reflect on his many works. Going back to the foundation of reggae music, Joseph brought forward a sound vibe that still echoes in my brain. As a top-notch vocalist, song writer, and human I'll never forget Josephs influence on me as a reggae listening youth. "Psalm of Bob Marley" brought a tear to my eye, now we need a "Psalm of Joseph Hill." With his straight forward lyrical statements he left no doubt about his meaning, now we need more straight shooters like him. His admonitions in "Youth Man Move" moved you to dance, moved you to take control of your destiny. In "Work On Natty" he stresses the importance of hard work, of being diligent in the face of poverty. I ask Joseph "Tell Me Where You Get It?" Now I ask...
Sonoran Barbacoa Sizzling peppers send smoke signals Carne asada sears over mesquite A hungry traveler lurks in the brush And dreams of something to eat On the road so long Himself grilled by the sun Nearly out of water And not out to harm anyone As a tendril of smoke fills his nose And a bastard buzzard circles overhead Smells from his youth tickle his soul And coax him back from the dead From menudo to adobo With rice and beans Con mas frutas y dulces He smells it all… it seems He thinks about Durango And cool mountain air And fresh roasted corn At the village town square He wishes he was there Or just up the arroyo Where blazing ranchero music Mixes with the smoke of grilled pollo And so off he goes With his hat in his hand Where he’ll join with those gringos… For his first meal in this land By: Jesse Alberson Tucson, Az
El Fayuquero A Mexican picker heading south In his overloaded truck and trailer Mattresses and tricycles Microwaves and kitchen tables Check off the list a car battery Couches and jumper cables Un Fayuquero heading home Back to his shop Across the southwest he roams Picking at every stop Scavenging American junk piles Shopping at the thrift stores Combing the swap meet aisles Fighting the picker wars In all the little desert towns Blasting winds and dusty roads Enduring the ugly frowns As he secures his unsteady loads Con cuidado , doing 55 on the freeway Bikes teetering on top of chairs Packed pickups towing other pickups Packed to the gills with household wares Flower adorned crosses stand out In the trucks one flickering headlight But the man knows without a doubt… He’ll be in Nogales by midnight Unlike his amigo Miguel Antonio Pedregon-Baray A fellow fayuquero whose cross is nearby His wreck left goods scattered all over the roadway As he d...
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