I-tru-jah : Almighty Lyrically Part 1

With some 30 songs under his belt, I-tru-jah is in the ring to show off his performance before a packed arena.

Reggae-Vibes will take you through some of his most promising rounds. Here is Part One:
I-tru-jah’s Early Life in Prospect, Manchester.

“Prospect is a rural community where life starts with the rising of the sun and ends with the setting. But never a day really ends without my thoughts centered around music. I am always setting and working towards my goals.”

“Yes, there were opportunities in Prospect, like every other community, but never for the majority. And I wanted to be counted in that small group.”

“Both my mother Cressilda Williams and father Lynval, batted for education. They see this as a key to stepping out of poverty. So, they nailed education into our heads until we got the message that homework must be done. And, that we, as children, should never be at the back of the class.”

“My sister Sheldon Johnson and I proved to be budding spellers”.

In one parish finals, I-tru-jah took the eight position; his sister placed fourth. The parish finals were held at Cecil Charlton Hall in Mandeville.

He also wanted to play the guitar as soon as he saw his brother, Jah Mason, with one in his hand. He even sought the help of “Maas Reggie” to help him in moving ahead and today he is able to play that instrument.

“But it was not an easy time for all of us as we all had to do our daily chores. For me, it was to tie out the goats, sweep the yard, and ensure that there was enough water in the drums.”

“Running water did not exist in most rural homes. The habit of several scores of people joining lines to get water was commonplace. We could get piped water from a straight line from a nearby reservoir. And, whenever that got low it was to pull water directly from the reservoir using a long cord tied to the handle of a bucket.”

For recreation, I-tru-jah flew kite, played marbles, picked mangoes, built a toy truck, or went swimming in the river without permission.

“Christmas was a glorious time. I believed in Santa until the day I hang up my socks and there was nothing inside. I was disappointed. As the years went by it wasn’t Christmas that matters. It was that feeling of being independent, just hearing the news that a relative had sent some money for our Christmas, and I do not have to depend on anyone. I always feel really nice like a pound of rice.”

Be sure to read part two: I-tru-jah influenced by his brother Jah Mason, Tony Rebel, and Bob Marley. Only on the Reggae-Vibes site.

(Photos courtesy of Tennyson Johnson aka I-tru-jah)