Even with 40 albums under his belt,Winston Rodney still has the fire that earned him the name Burning Spear. Passionate, political and warmly patriarchal, Spear has just finished his latest Freeman album and landed back on American soil after an extensive European tour.At 56,Spear gives as much to each performance as he ever did as shows routinely push the two-hour mark.A contemporary of Marley and Tosh, Spear is one of the few reggae legends to still routinely perform.Relix caught up with him at his home in Queens,New York the day before he embarked on tour and humbly asked a few questions.

What is the biggest misconception about reggae?
People today are playing music and saying they’re playing reggae music. When I listen, it sounds more like pop, it don’t sound like reggae to me, you know? Today most of the younger people who get involved in reggae music, I don’t think they’re playing reggae. They more like, trying to be a pop artist. Reggae is not pop and pop is not reggae. If you’re gonna be a reggae artist, you have to be a reg-gae artist; if you’re gonna be a pop artist then you have to be a pop artist.

What three historical figures would you like to have dinner with?
Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Jr. and President Mr. Kennedy, who was an outstanding man in his time and was dear for not only one set of people but for all the people. People like those I wouldn’t mind having dinner with—and Malcolm X. All those great people were doing something constructively for the people. I would like to have dinner with those kind of people, people who bring a light into people’s lives.

What music inspires you?
Whoa, so much music inspires me. I’m one of the people who listens, always wants to listen to everybody even when the music not saying anything, I still listen to it to hear what’s going down. Blues, I listen to rock, I listen to pop, R&B, jazz, African, you name it, I just love to listen to music. Listening to music creates a lot of strong inspiration for you or I as a singer or a musician and it’s very important to listen to various kinds of music.

If you could be any animal, what would you be?
Oh boy, I wonder what Jah would want me to be? If His Majesty wished for I to be some form of animal, then he would choose that animal what he want me to be. I don’t know which of those animals he would want me to be. But, a lion is good.

What ’s your perfect meal?
I’m a Pisces and I love fish! (laughs). I would eat fish everyday! I would drink fish tea, have brown stew fish, steamed fish, escovich fish, roast fish, you name it, I just love fish! (laughs)

Do you still think about retiring in several years?
Of course! No doubt about that. I’m not going to be like, retired tomorrow, and in the year 2005 I come back on the road, I’m not gonna be doing that. When I’m gonna retire I will make a proper announcement and it gonna be for real.

I don ’t think anyone wants it to happen too soon though.
Nobody wants it to happen! People been telling me, don’t even think about it! (laughs) I understand how the people feel about it but I know that I am what I am, the one in this time who carries the torch for reggae music and the people know that too, so nobody wants me to talk about retirement.

Does anyone else help you carry the torch?
Well, so many of us was carrying the torch before I started to carry it. I think it’s step by step, two, three of us came and carried the torch at the same time, but it’s one torch! But you can only work yourself up to carrying the torch, and it gonna take time before it really come to you. You have to be strong. It’s a lot of work to carry the torch. The weight of the torch based upon the people and the people know who can handle such weight as the torch. So, it’s not like, a five year thing, not even ten years! You have to be here longer than ten years to carry the torch. It’s hard work!

Burning Spear was interviewed by
Josh Baron.