I was remarking just last week to a fellow blogger, Dale Cooper, regarding just how wonderful of a time it was that we both found ourselves on this planet at a time where being a fan of Reggae music is proving increasingly fruitful and incredibly entertaining. And in that conversation, while I was speaking mostly about a certain developing trend (more on that later), I’m definitely under the impression that what we are currently experiencing HAS TO be regarded as one of the strongest eras of Reggae music, as a whole, that there has ever been. Of course I’ve placed myself up as a vocal defender of all things Reggae modern, but I even suspect that, particularly given the globality the music currently enjoys, that even the most steadfast of old school heads would have to agree to some degree (although they’d probably credit such popularity to an era gone by). Getting into specifics more and more, of course I’m drawn to the greats in terms of artists and because I’ve covered them endlessly and you know who I’m about to mention,

I won’t go there too in-depth and instead what I’m going to do is focus on the producers (obviously). With producers it’s interesting because you’ll RARELY if ever experience or get into the same type of heated discussions that you’ll have when speaking of artists. The ‘debate’ for ‘the best’ artists is ridiculous. They generally quickly escalate into something very negative and wholly unnecessary (and still I have them quite frequently) and you’ll hardly ever sway someone’s opinion that your favourite artist is wickeder than theirs. With producers, however, even if they’re only remotely noteworthy, the conversation will be built upon this kind of respectful type of foundation upon which the notion of ‘agreeing to disagree’ is almost always useless because the ‘disagreements’ are so miniscule. So unlike the discussion of artists, what you end up with is - Yes you may think that producer is the wickedest, BUT you can surely see how someone would think this other is just as accomplished. I say that all of that to go back to my original point of enjoying the moment because, seriously speaking when you look at just how producers are ’measured’ and the very high esteem in which they are held, then in my opinion, Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor may just be EASILY the clearest choice of being a future all time great (right now) over ANYONE in Reggae music currently whose career has hit the top flight within the past decade or so. Definitely that’s a very big declaration, but to be simple about it, there probably isn’t a single individual MAKING MUSIC who has as much ‘command’ as to the music’s ultimate direction as McGregor as Roots Reggae music from this generation (like every other) will be categorized by the dominant Roots producer from this generation and you already know who that is now.

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Maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong direction. I’m still kind of grieving over the lost of my beloved multiple releases from a whole heap of different artist (particularly one named Sizzla), which marked the rather recent ‘golden years’ of Reggae, to my opinion. They weren’t always great (they usually weren’t) and when I was completely broke, it was definitely a problem, but I miss those days, I really do. Of course, I still have Lutan Fyah and Midnite. It is relatively close to the beginning of October and one, if not both, may actually have further projects in the calendar year of 2009 and perhaps the same could be said for Jah Mason or Natural Black. We can only hope. However, as I said, maybe I’ve been looking in the wrong areas for a revival of the ‘good ole days’ as, it wasn’t very long ago (it was actually the same few years ago when the artists were doing their multiple releases), when Top Notch Producer X, would almost have a running schedule in terms of when their riddims would make it to albums for the various labels. For example, looking back at Greensleeves’ Rhythm Album series, it almost seemed to go in order of ‘preferred’ producers; meaning that, early in their days, you could expect rather heavy output from the likes of Ward 21. Later on, you’d see pieces from producers such as Scatta and Byron Murray. Then, there were the Don Corleon years and Lenky and Stephen McGregor, all of whom built that now virtually absent series to what it is/was today. Riddim Driven, VP’s riddim series, also kept producers very busy on albums and even Jet Star’s all but forgotten Riddim Rider which kept a steady stream of producers like Harvel ‘Gaddafi’ Hart on the release schedules (biggup Merciless). Well maybe I haven’t been paying proper attention (and I have), but that’s coming back around now actually, although with a few less names at the top. Don Corleon is still there, but he tends to release his material for almost anyone (and I just noticed he’s redoing his entire catalogue also), as is Stephen McGregor, who basically does the same. There’s Shane Brown’s Juke Boxx Productions, who has a deal with VP/Greensleeves and is the only producer to release a riddim album on Greensleeves in nearly two years.

As much as I will continue to make the case for the current modern era of Reggae music being arguably just as strong as any other, I do have to admit that there are certain limitations to it. Even the staunchest and most modern-partial researcher (like yours truly) would have to admit that eras of our music gone have had aspects to them which are either COMPLETELY gone, or, as in this case, calibrated to a far lesser degree than they previously were. One of these aspects in my opinion would DEFINITELY be the love song. The love song in Reggae and specifically in Jamaican Reggae once enjoyed a very lofty status as you had full on acts which concentrated on the advancement of the love song and, by extension, an entire Reggae subgenre by the name of Lover’s Rock Reggae.

 

Artists like legendaries John Holt and Gregory Isaacs would spend rather large amounts of time concentrating on the genre in their heydays and even past that, when they would turn their attentions to other types of music (specifically of the socially conscious nature) they were never too far from dropping a HUGE, yet expected love song. Even besides that, you had artists like Bob Marley, Horace Andy and others (like Dennis Brown) who, although they didn’t reach the love tune in the way of a Holt of Isaacs, they could also turn such a tune into a hit and do so on a consistent basis which was (at least in my opinion) an indication of their SKILL in the genre and not just a sort of a VERY BROAD indication of their (undeniable) popularities at the time. Of course there were others like Sugar Minott and especially Ken Boothe who would take Jamaican Lover’s Rock to heights it hadn’t previously seen and definitely not seen since. Since then? Things have changed. Apart from the kind of one off album and kind of ‘one off’ artist like Glen Washington, George Nooks and of course Sanchez and Beres Hammond (all of whom, incidentally, are in their forties and fifties and

 

 

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The Strong One, Etana steps away from the “roots reggae” mould in which she has been cast and digs deep into her soul to pour out this homily, Free. Prayerful, yet simultaneously possessing a hard-edged reality that evokes a wide range of emotions, Free is a song of empowerment, of freedom, of survival and struggle, yet tinged with that echoing wail of frustration. One thing I know, is that I must survive, one thing I know, is that I must rise. I know one day I must and I will free myself from everything that holds me captive.

Not surprisingly, Free is produced by 2008 EME award winning reggae producer, Kemar ‘Flava’ McGregor, whose body of work reflects his stated aim to give the world music that endures. The youthful Flava has worked with the best in the reggae music business, including Beres Hammond and Marcia Griffiths, and it’s almost a given that his genius and Etana’s talent would find a common musical meeting ground
“Everyday I rise on a prayer, that’s all I got to take me through … I know one day I must and I will free myself from everything that holds me captive. Gonna be free …”

As Reggae music becomes more and more popular on all levels and moves closer to achieving my goal of ruling the entire world by 2030, we’re seeing a bit of a disappearing of the kind of ‘middle class’ of Reggae artist because each and every echelon of artist has seemingly seen an upgrade of sorts. You see it in the general perception of artists, of course, as names like (ESPECIALLY) Tarrus Riley run closer and closer to becoming this rather unusual type of household name where you’ll have someone living in Poland or. . . Nebraska or somewhere like such (biggup Poland and Nebraska), who know the names and know as much to associate the names with ‘Reggae’, but probably don’t know why. And you also see it in the releases (which is why we’re here today). In 2009, even apart from the fact that there was a Sean Paul album, it would be PRETTY difficult for me to make the case that the BIGGEST (in terms of profile) Reggae releases in 2009 (such as those which everyone know so well because I mention them every five minutes, from Buju Banton, Sizzla, Jah Cure, Riley and Queen Ifrica etc.) would, at least in some respect, seemingly have attained more and more attention from international ‘mainstream’ markets and more than that would in nearly every other calendar year in recent memory. So much so is this the fact that in my review of Riley’s 2009 album, Contagious, due to the artist’s ‘newness’ and his range of potential and already MASSIVE public appeal, I went as far as to label that album, from a significance point of view, the MOST IMPORTANT album of the year.

 

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