Apart from Jamaica’s greatest mythical musical symbol which is, of course, the beach-locked and hammock laying guitar playing Rastaman singing ‘don’t worry, be happy’ or something or another, I’ve always maintained that Reggae music can serve wonderful purposes for one’s mood. What I mean is that, with all respects to my obvious partiality to it, I’ve yet to encounter such a genre of music that has the seemingly innate ability to lift the spirits and the mood so easily as great Reggae music. Of course, I’ll make a mention of Soca which, although for me it serves the purpose of an IMMEDIATE shot of adrenaline, there are quite a lot of people who see it as annoying (sucks for them) but you’ll hardly EVER meet too many people who have such definitive negative emotions for Reggae and particularly Roots Reggae music (which is why we’re here today). And it doesn’t always have to be just my favourite artists, most of whom, honestly, have become my favourites because they challenge my mind and not so much my ‘devotion’ to whatever emotion I’m experiencing at a given time but, to my opinion, there are quite a few artists who ROUTINELY and CONSISTENTLY seem to specialize in just pushing Reggae music to the masses and simply making people feel good by doing it. The best example in recent years and a bit beyond is the Messenjah, Luciano. I can characterize Luciano’s music, when at its absolute best as being just a NATURAL and forceful type of vibes which, even in times when he gets into specifics (which is rare unless he’s dealing with herb or a particular bible verse which has caught his attentions), is just so uplifting and joyous that you simply take notice if you hear it, Reggae fan or not. With songs like Sweep Over My Soul, No Night In Zion, It’s Me Again Jah and a whole heap of others (most recently Jah Canopy on the Jah Is My Navigator album) Luciano, along with the ever present Beres Hammonds and Cocoa Teas of the world, has made himself into an artist whose vibes I will specifically check for to get me through a rough moment of myself (its also to his credit that I can’t even begin to say similar things about similarly vibed artists like Bushman, Natty King or Prince Malachi, all HUGE artists still in their own ways). Another artist who I find myself putting in this category as of late (but certainly not to the same degree as Luciano) is African born French based, English singing chanter/singer Lyricson. Lyricson’s uplifting talents come from, in large point the underrated range of his vocals which can, at any moment, have a feel which can make him singing something sounding downright dangerous, make the listener feel like. . . But maybe there is hope. I would also DEFINITELY put someone like Jah Cure into this line as well and also, very quietly, an artist by the name of Prestige, currently one of the most underrated names in the game in my opinion. All of them really can entrance a listener and uplift the soul and are a helluva lot better options than that guy in the hammock and his damn guitar.
As I mentioned (and as I ended up showing) such a group of artist capable of tangible emotional (if such a thing exists) upliftment through their music wouldn’t be FILLED with my favourite artists but that doesn’t mean that it would be completely devoid of them either; because Queen Omega is somewhere on the list. Having spent the better part of the past decade as one of my top five favourite artists, Queen Omega, to no great surprise, also makes a rather joyful type of vibes at times and although I wouldn’t say its necessarily a vibe which DOMINATES her music like Luciano or her inherent style gives her that ability, like Lyricson or Jah Cure, instead, like Prestige or Norris Man (when at his best and ONLY when at his best), its something that comes across in her music at times due to her obviously great skill. You can look through the entire catalogue of the young veteran and find so many tunes which can pull off wonderful reactions and hit so many nerves in the listener and through that STACKED bag of vibes she has made herself, quietly, into one of the Reggae world’s most talented and simply most pleasant names. When hers is a name attached to a show near you, definitely check that out as simply vibing a LITTLE can definitely do nice things. Getting back to that catalogue, if you were to look through it right now as far as albums, a few things would definitely jump out at you. The first would be her WONDERFUL self-titled debut album (DUH) from 2001 which effectively got her name out to the masses. You would also notice, from 2004, the Away From Babylon album because, up until that point it was definitely her most high profile release (and after you just noticed it and got it home you would be AMAZED because its one of the best albums of the past two decades) and then you would go and see what now stands as her most high profile release, Destiny from late in the same year, 2004. You might even notice the very nice Servant Of Jah Army album, if for no other reason than because it is her latest. BUT, buried down underneath all of that (and a nice EP, Revolution which featured German superstar, Gentleman) would be without a doubt, not her best but Queen Omega’s undeniably most UPLIFTING release to date, Pure Love from 2003. Although that album was (BIG) the first of her two releases through Jet Star, it didn’t AT ALL get the same push as the second (the aforementioned Away From Babylon) and curiously it has appeared in the fallen label’s recent mad rush to digitize it’s catalogue as of yet (AFB has) and as they don’t appear to be doing that anymore, it doesn’t appear likely that it may EVER, making it definitely one of the more hard to find gems out there. It would be worth your efforts to track it down. Although the Pure Love album lacked pretty much any type of promotion AT ALL, it offered such a DIVINE vibes at times in its fourteen tracks that this thing could have come with as a prescribed medicine for depression! And wherever Luciano was when it reached, he probably even had it playing in his car.
The Pure Love album, although it was released by Jet Star comes via the same Green House Family on the production side which helmed her debut album and discovered her as well. The vibes in it, although perhaps not consistently as high as on her first (although MAYBE), definitely mirror that album to a certain extent as it is FAR more VIBRANT and less heavy. Getting things started on Trinidad’s Reggae Empress Queen Omega’s sophomore album is definitely one of the finest tunes you’ll find here altogether, the earth shaking Many Mountains. This song is just LUSH! It literally sounds as if its trying to climb out of your speakers and hit you on the head and that’s a good thing here because the tune is just so nice. It speaks of not only overcoming the ills of life but also ENJOYING it when you do it and, of course, seeking the comfort of His Majesty. BIG BIG opening. The next tune up, We Don’t Want (credited as We Do It on the actual CD), takes an expected dip in quality when compared to the opener but its still a very nice tune and MAYBE even still one of Pure Love’s best. This tune is a shot out against negativity wherever it may exist but, again, it really keeps the vibes high and the feelings nice, particularly from a lyrical point of view. The final tune on the opening of Queen Omega’s Pure Love album is also the signature and most well known and, in my opinion, the best tune you’ll find here, I Believe In Love (and your computer won’t have the “I”, it is a Jet Star after all). Simply one of the best tunes she has EVER done to my opinion, I Believe In Love is one SWEET ass tune. Its also very interesting as she takes a pretty standard Reggae ’cliché’ of sorts with ’healing of the nation’, as its typically reserved for the herb, Queen Omega, however, proudly and wonderfully proclaims LOVE as the real healing of the nation. And she’s right. She was also RIGHT in making the song, its BEAUTIFUL. The best the album has to offer ends a more than just solid start.
The joyfulness and the uplifting just continues largely through the excellent album. We Can Make It is a very nice example of this as, with the exception of I Believe In Love, you probably won’t find a sweeter tune on Pure Love (not even the title track which has to be one of the least impressive vibes here, I digress). You might call it a bit corny or clichéd but its still such a very nice song that it definitely worked for me. The very familiar Hustle Up is another one, although definitely the vibes themselves, which have an old school rub-a-dub type of an appeal to them, help in that style. I can see Queen Omega singing it for a sweaty Reggae dance floor for the slow dance session definitely and make some room for me on the floor as well! And as I said, my favourite artists are generally those who can stimulate my thoughts more so than my emotions and then there are those who can do both and the Queen is definitely one of those as you’ll notice on the gospel-ish Mouths Must Be Fed, easily one of the most lovely and BEST on Pure Love. Throughout her career Queen Omega has been an artist with some of the best connections as she’s collaborated with so many nice artists. Sizzla & Capleton (on the same song no less), Anthony B, Buju Banton, Macka B and a whole heap of others (even Messenjah Selah, see here) have all worked alongside the Queen and she pulls in three more, with one being ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. Vykmark is up first on the nicely vibed Protect Me From The Wicked Man (on CD as ‘Protect Me‘) and I believe that at the time Vylmark would have been another Green House artist and the two combine to work WONDERS on the same DIVINE You & You riddim from Green House head Mickey D, which backs We Can Make It and it may actually just be stronger than that big vibes also. There’s also the tune I Don’t Wanna Cry alongside UK veteran Ambelique which I think is a remake of an older R&B tune but, of course as the title would suggest, its set to be a sad tune, but its SO NICE! The two work the best combination on Pure Love and I love when the Queen shows a bit of an edge and goes the DJ route as she does on this one. One of the album’s best tunes. THEN! Of all people, Queen Omega links Ninja Man for the nice and oft-hilarious Bad Man Can’t Make Love. The only thing you can say is that I hope to someday get to see these two do this tune live and in person because it would be amazing! Also have to say that Queen Omega rips her underrated range on the tune and Ninja Man is. . . Ninja Man. ODD! But we love that it happened somewhere, Queen Omega & Ninja Man. WOW! Queen Omega provides a couple of more ‘wow’ moments on Pure Love as she continues to uplift everyone with a functioning set of ears. Check the almost ridiculous All I Want Is Weed which has to be the most passionate ganja man anthem this side of Luciano’s tear jerking Hard Herbs tune (Navigator album). Queen Omega, who made headlines earlier this year in her native Trinidad for getting all she wants (did you see what I did there???) publicly, absolutely lays into the song which will have you reaching for the lighter twice, once to do its job and once to go in the air. BEAUTIFUL song. And, because I know you’re wondering, she doesn’t literally cover former sparring partner Sizzla’s legendary tune of the same title but instead the Queen gives her own nice take on Black Woman & Child. And the album closes out with another of its clear highlights and signature tunes Rastafari Be There. This song is, of course, one for those who walk the path to His Majesty and as someone who does just that, MAN! The song just makes me feel good to hear and even though a rate a few other tunes more than it, in the years since I’ve had this album I’ve probably spun Rastafari Be There more than any other on Pure Love altogether. WONDERFUL ending to an album which definitely deserves it.
Overall, in terms of pure quality, I think I’d place Pure Love somewhere in the middle of Queen Omega’s almost flawless five and a half album catalogue (seriously five albums deep, she may have the best start of ANYONE in Reggae history). It doesn’t register on the same levels as the Destiny, Queen Omega (although it isn’t far at all from that one) and the Away From Babylon albums, but its CLEARLY better than Servant Of Jah Army (which was a strong effort in its own right). Regardless of its stature there, all of her albums are good, you won’t find an album which serves its purpose so well in her catalogue (and probably not in anyone else’s either). Do yourself a favour and track down Queen Omega’s stirring Pure Love album and feel good, very good, for a really long time.
Rated 4.10/5 stars
Jet Star
2003
No comments:
Post a Comment