Son of Peter Tosh Roots for Embattled Vybz Kartel

CROSS ROAD (Observer): EMBATTLED dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel has got much empathy from what could be deemed rather unusual quarters — Dave McIntosh, the son of reggae great Peter Tosh. Taking a philosophical approach, the young Tosh, speaking at his father's birthday symposium on Wednesday, at the Undercroft, UWI, drew on his father's lyrics — "You cyann blame di youths," to contextualise his feelings for Kartel. What makes it even more profoundly interesting, was Dave Tosh, told the well-attended forum that he was contemplating doing some remakes of his father's work, including You Cyaan Blame Di Youths, which he announced, would feature Vybz Kartel. "I hear a lot of people come up and they talk about the song, You Cyaan Blame Di Youths, and it kinda touch mi, because is a song weh mi love mi self. And it means a lot to mi. In recent times, our business manager planning on doing some remasters with Peter's music. So one of the ting we did plan to do, was to remaster some songs such as Legalise It, You Cyaan Blame Di Youths, and in talking to them me make a suggestion. Mi look pon dem and seh, you know sey me have the top artiste of Jamaica fi put pon You Cyaan Blame Di Youths right now. And dem sey which artiste dat? — Mi sey Vybz Kartel." The response was mixed. A flag-waving Rastaman shouted "fire", while, for the most part, people found it amusing and chuckled for awhile. And there were those with expressions of deep contemplation. After everyone regained their composure, Dave continued. "It kinda sad that it never really happened. You see whe mi a deal wid. Because we hear everybody talk about a Peter Tosh or a Bob Marley as being icons, however, me can remember as a child growing up, they weren't much. Because they were old 'dutty-head' Rastas. You see it's the same way dem treat the youths even of today." He continued, "so if we cannot blame the youths for what is going wrong, or the wrongs or the ills that they are doing, then who can we blame? That is the question." With the theme of the function in honour of his father being -- Peter Tosh: Activist, Protagonist and Musical Genius: One of Jamaica's Unsung Heroes, in the spirit of Peter, Dave truly represented the 'Tosh' family. "So my job is really just to keep the family together, keep the estate together so that we can move forward together, seen. So on that note, really I am not the most liked person in the family. And the reason being, one of the ting I think, you see when Peter passed, we all (his children) had to go through what was known as a kinship hearing to prove that we were, in fact, his children. " But when they checked my DNA, they realised I was Peter himself. So dem nuh like mi," added Dave to uncontrollable laughter. The young Tosh also touched on the business of reggae. "Reggae music makes trillions of dollars annually globally. Is enough money fi have everybody in Jamaica living above the poverty line. Yet still, Jamaica don't own no part of reggae music. I think these things need to query. Because I see the MPs come together and they created all these enquires over time, and I think they need to enquire why Jamaica is not benefiting from reggae music... I don't see where Jamaica a benefit from reggae music. You go globally, and you hear dem sey Jamaica, reggae, reggae. Jamaica, Jamaica, but I don't see it here. Dave Tosh later revealed to Splash that he was planning a show dubbed: Tribute to Peter Tosh: You Cyaan Blame Di Youths, for which Vybz Kartel would have been the headliner. "If we had gone through with that, it wouldn't work out because we already know the position whe him inna right. Even me ask myself right now, why would a man like him put himself inna di position whe him inna. Comes right back to the Peter Tosh song — You Can't Blame Di Youth. Maybe you need fi go check him teacher, so is all dem little ting deh mi look pon,"