Bass Player Magazine honored Bob Marley’s Music Director and First Lieutenant, Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, with a Lifetime Achievement Award last Saturday, October 20, 2012 at a special presentation at The Key Club in Los Angeles.
Aston Barrett
Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett has been the driving force of the Wailers for more than 40 years, and is known internationally for his signature bass-patterns that have come to define contemporary reggae music. As he continues his year-round touring with his Wailers, ‘Family Man’s’ commitment to the mission he started with Bob Marley more than four decades ago is firmly in place. His promise to spread the message of peace, love and equality to all people of the world is now stronger than ever before. In his own words, ‘Reggae is for all people, all ages, and all times- past, present, and future. It is the language of the people, and we are chosen for the mission of spreading the message of reggae music to the world.’
Fifty years ago, with the liberation from British control in 1962, Jamaica realized a new potential for expressive freedom. On the journey to construct their own national identity, two movements emerged as the leading forces of Jamaican culture- ska music and the Rastafarian religion. Bob Marley famously combined these two movements and became the voice that spread them both to an international audience. As Jamaica’s toughest singer/songwriter, it wasn’t until his talents were combined with the renowned musical abilities of the Barrett brothers (Family Man and Carly) that Jamaican music was catapulted onto the worldwide musical stage. Through the incorporation of Rastafarian beliefs into ska music and the use of unique bass patterns specific to the Barrett brothers’ rhythm section, Marley and Barrett together defined reggae as a genre and Jamaican culture in a way that no one, before or since, has been able to accomplish.
Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett said of the award, ‘This is the first award I have ever received in America, and it was such a great honor because it means the message of reggae music from Jamaica is reaching all the people of the world. The opportunity to speak to other musicians is always an honor, and I was so thrilled the hour had come for me to be able to speak to other bass players and musicians about reggae music. Reggae is the music of the people, and this [Bass Player Awards ceremony] allowed me to speak to the people. I’ve been on the road from 1969 until 2012, and this reminds me why it is my mission to spread the message of reggae music to the world.’
