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Singer/songwriter Sheldon Robertson moved to South Florida 20 years ago from upstate New York, where he’d worked after finishing his technological studies at the University of Michigan.
Now a software engineer, the Jamaican-born composer has always used music as a side outlet, usually with feel-good songs reflecting his heritage.
The Boynton Beach resident, 42, mixed pop and reggae influences through compositions like M Street while running a songwriter showcase at Havana Hideout in Lake Worth during 2008-2009.
He still frequents host Ric Pattison’s popular weekly open mikes there on Sundays and Tuesdays, where he tied for first place (with Catlin Schurr) in one of Pattison’s quarterly songwriting competitions on March 2.
But his winning song was the dark Skin Deep (with lyrics like “the politics of fear have no business playing here”), written for a fellow open mike competitor. Derek Black is also a local White Nationalist radio host on WPBR 1340 AM, and a former host at www.stormfront.org.
“Music is colorblind by nature, as it should be,” Robertson said. “And I think the vast majority of musicians and listeners feel that way.”
He plans to record Skin Deep to add to a recording résumé that started with his tune The Great Emotion, captured with the group Mystique on the 1996 compilation CD Da Boom: Florida’s Finest World Beat (Reel Sweet).
See Sheldon Robertson (who also writes a music blog at themusictype.wordpress.com) at Sunday (4-8 p.m.) and Tuesday (7-11 p.m.) open mikes at Havana Hideout, 509 Lake Ave., Lake Worth (561-585-8444).
He’ll also play from 9 p.m.-midnight on April 30 at The Living Room, 1709 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach (561-742-4399) .
Round Town
Guitarists Steve Jones and Andy Stein and bassist Stephanie Krowka form Acoustic Remedy (http://acousticremedy.com), whose three-part harmonies highlight a long-standing house gig from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. every Friday at Paddy Mac’s, 10971 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens (561-691-4366). Next Thursday, the group starts at another restaurant that’s added live music, playing from 8 p.m-midnight every Thursday through April 29 at Kirby’s, 841 Donald Ross Rd., Juno Beach (561-627-8000). …Connecticut-based former South Florida singer/songwriter Kath Bloom (myspace.com/kathbloomchapter) has a new tribute CD. Loving Takes This Course: A Tribute To the Songs of Kath Bloom (Chapter) features renditions of Come Here (from the 1995 film Before Sunrise) by both Marble Sounds and The Concretes, plus 14 other covers and a second CD of the original songs by Bloom, who’s touring through the United States, Canada and Europe. …Two more former South Floridians, singing guitarist/bassists James McNeal and Joe Santarpia, relocated their hard-core rock band Dead Meat (myspace.com/deadmeatdredbeats) to San Francisco last year. They’ve since started a side band, Bad Dad (myspace.com/baddadmusic), and both acts’ demo recordings were written up in Ben Ratliff’s Sunday music column in The New York Times on March 14.
I have been playing at Ric’s open mike nights for a long time. Derek is a nice kid. Most of Derek’s songs are old folk style songs, Johnny Cash, or other artists like that… I have never heard Derek play any song that insulted any one person or race except when he did an old 60′s diddy that targeted Richard Nixon. Sheldon has never once tried to speak to Derek, and does not spoke for most of us that play at Ric’s nights.
Right on Max!
Sheldon lacks the intestinal fortitude to look a young man in the face and tell him his opinion. Instead when he walks near Derek he puts his eyes to the ground.
Sheldon has even gone up to people that Derek is friendly with and has tried to slander his character. Sheldon even did this to a woman I was chatting with at Havana one particular night because I happen to like and support Derek. He told the woman that I was a militia leader. Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!
I have never been in a militia nor have I ever owned a weapon. I’m a White guy that is a son of Irish Immigrants that likes Derek, and I want to see him to succeed and have a fair chance without prejudice. I’m guilty of that alone, and that’s what motivated Sheldon’s personal attack on me. He doesn’t know me, doesn’t know my name, where I am from, or what I do. He just knew that I am White and I like Derek Black.
Sheldon used a format to attack Derek whome he has not even taken the time to know in a public forum. That is rude and cowardly…
Derek handled that night with class and clapped, and always applauds when Sheldon is done playing.
Sheldon’s actions are prejudicial and rascist. He profiled a person based on Derek’s race, his father’s past activities of half a century ago.
By the way, his father engaged in the same activities as The Senior Senator Robert Byrd from West Virginia did, but nobody seems to mind or ever question The Senator about his past.
The article states that Sheldon plays “songs reflecting his heritage”. Isn’t that interesting?
It’s ok for a Jamaican to celebrate his heritage, but a White person whose family are some of the original settlers in Florida can’t? That seems like censorship, and rascist.
Sheldon contradicts himself in the article that states, “Music is colorblind by nature, as it should be,” Robertson said. “And I think the vast majority of musicians and listeners feel that way.” It seems that the only person that is fearful, engages in hate speech, and notices color or race is Sheldon.
Furthermore, I have never heard Derek perform anything that put down another race, or celebrated his own. He performs songs he enjoys and many of those songs happen to be Johnny Cash as Max pointed out, so what was Johnny Cash? He must be a rascist!
I’m White of Irish descent, I’m proud of it, and I’ll celebrate it!I encourage everyone to celebrate their heritage. Why are White people in this country called rascist for being proud of how God made us?
Sheldon should be happy that I’m not Derek Black because I would have served him with a slander and liable suit the very next day. If Sheldon spreads another fact about me to someone that is not true I will do just that, but I won’t be a coward about it. We all saw what happened to people being accused of militia activity this past weekend, so I take that accusation and lie very seriously. However, unlike Sheldon I will try to have a civil discussion with Sheldon to clear up any misunderstandings he may have about me, give him an opportunity to apologize, and resolve the matter before it is heard in a public court room.
Sheldon should know that Jamaican ship owners (not White) were responsible for the transport of many slaves to this nation. My people never oppressed anyone, but Sheldon’s people did.
Sheldon speaks for himself, and not for the rest of us that perform. He should limit his opinion to himself before representing himself as spokesperson for us that participate in the local open mike nights organized by Ric.
@John Beckett
“The article states that Sheldon plays “songs reflecting his heritage”. Isn’t that interesting? It’s ok for a Jamaican to celebrate his heritage, but a White person whose family are some of the original settlers in Florida can’t?
That seems like censorship, and rascist.”
I can’t do much but to repeat your good words. They describe the entire situation, as well as America today. It’s a pathetic state of affairs, and I’m proud of Derek Black for helping to show just how hostile this government is toward Americans of European heritage.
Just like certain “colorblind” musicians seem to be.
What a jerk! I go to Havana, and everyone likes Derek. Derek doesn’t seek people out – people always approach him because he is a likeable person. I think he’s kinda cute too! lol
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Starting from the dreams Kingsley Alice (Mia Wasikowska) at 7-year-old was first brought into Wonderland. At that moment he felt that it was a dream, especially his beloved father Marton Csokas (Charles Kingsley) was also persuasive.
Re: Sheldon Robertson
In my previous comment I had intended to include these lyrics correctly. I did not want to misquote Mr. Springsteen, regarding Mr. Robertson’s appropriateness at the open mic.
“Outside the street’s on fire in a real death waltz
Between flesh and what’s fantasy and the poets down here
Don’t write nothing at all, they just stand back and let it all be
And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment
And try to make an honest stand but they wind up wounded, not even dead
Tonight in Jungleland” Jungleland
was there a reason my previous comment could not be submitted? Was it not received. or simply, not well received by the post.There was nothing offensive in my comment. There seems to be a large bash Sheldon proponent in the replies you have chosen to print. I feel what i had to say was well founded, despite the fact that i am not Bruce Springsteen. I, too, have taken part in that same venue. It seems to me that for some reason, the Post has fallen victim to believing there is some kind of a lovefest surrounding our little Arlo at these open mics. Yep, we all love him. And most everyone there, including the servers are scared shitless if they have half a brain.(or a jewish star around their necks) Of course no one “goes there.” in so far as conversing…Of course, everybody kind of scratches their head and gets this odd uneasy feeling. Christ, all you have to do, is google this guy. I did, and then felt I had to ask him , “Yo, dude, wsup? I kinda don’t get it. How do you do it?” i was curious and somewhat stumped. It just didn’t jive. The majority of folks are just plain…let’s say, befuddled. I mean, why would you want to mess with some serious shit, when your only intention was to go out to a great place like the Hideout on a beautiful evening to play, sing and maybe just find pleasure in what everyone else i thought was there for too. The laughs are a bit more difficult to come by these days. It’s more like comic relief in an air of uneasiness and disappointment that gets to accompany you on your ride home from one of those once uplifting nights when you thought life could not be better than these people, their music, the laughs, .. It was nice. So anyway, I did have something to say. Maybe you just never received it yesterday. You’re kind of editorializing like the Fox channel.
I meant, stormfront, not fox.
When I lived with Derek, he was always very selfish in bed. Most of his songs are actually about me, even though he never was able to it admit it to his family.