M16 is back at your service bai! Iconic Cebuano reggae band Junior Kilat returns with the single release of ‘Missing Mr. Marley’ with their friends from the Selah Dub Warriors. The song is a new original version of a previously unreleased track ‘Missin’ Mr. Marley’ by folk musician and songwriter Colin Scot as a tribute to Bob Marley.
After Bob Marley’s passing in 1981, Jens Peter Jensen and Finn produced the song and recorded it with Colin Scot at the Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen in 1982. The song was never publicly released and even though it was sold to an American in Cannes circa 1983, the song remains unreleased. A copy of the master track was kept by Jensen. In 1984, Sue Chaloner through CNR in Holland released a cover that was produced by Barry Finch, arranged by Steel Pulse, Sue Chaloner and Brasil Gabidon. The cover single record was released in 6 countries and featured in numerous reggae compilations.
From Jamaica to Copenhagen to Holland in a span of 4 decades, the song finally arrived in Cebu last 2023 when Christina Brandt Jensen, daughter of Jens Peter Jensen, approached Budoy Marabiles to collaborate and create a new original version of the track. Budoy shared that while this new song uses Colin Scot’s lyrics, the version, which was recorded at Villas Musika Studios in Cebu, has a completely unique musical arrangement.
This Saturday, February 17, One Love Productions presents the launching of 'Missing Mr. Marley' by Junior Kilat featuring Selah Dub Warriors at One Love Bar & Grill in Sitio Ma-Aslom, Cebu City along Busay-Cebu Trancentral Highway. The gig will have special performances by Uncle Skank, Busking Side Project, PitchMelba, Domestic Grass, High Times, Peace of Mind, Lumbuds, and BlackZillah. Admission is Free!
While the song is a single release only from Junior Kilat, we got up close and personal with Budoy himself to ask some questions about the band and what we can expect from them in the future.
The fans want to know, where were you guys and what have you been up to the past years... Budoy: Naa ra man ang Junior Kilat ever since. Nipahulay lang kadyot kay ang uban myembro change career man…but if naa gihapon ko, dili mawala ang Junior Kilat. What has changed, who is Junior Kilat now? Budoy: Sa last full-length album namo (Gugma Biga) dili na to ang original line up. The players of instruments are also members of Selah Dub Warriors. Ang horns (trumpet and sax) used to be with Bambu Spliff. Tungod kai lisod man ang income to be in a band, dili mapugngan nga mangita gyud lain work with higher wages ang uban. So dawat na nako ang reality nga mag usab-usab gyud ang myembro.
When the pandemic happened, I was in Moalboal with two current members of Junior Kilat, GK and Jairus during the start of lockdown until the middle of 2021. Didto nako naukayan ang old live recordings of Kilat nga dili ako ang nagkanta. We have a friend named Mikeypax, a poet from Dumaguete who used to jam with us whenever we play there. The one performance with Mikeypax that we captured was good enough to be released as Junior Kilat ft Mikeypax.
Didto nako na realize not to limit Junior Kilat with always me as the singer. Daghan pud bitaw mi instrumentals nga gi release..but ang kasagaran dili pa ka sabot sa concept. Music is music. From the start, Junior Kilat have always been about concept and message. Thank you kayo sa oras Budoy! While Missing Mr. Marley is just a single release, we surely haven’t heard the last of Junior Kilat. We can definitely expect new music and more performances in the months to come. Until that time, check out the song streaming in Spotify and Apple Music.
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