The Greatest Show On Earth: A Review of De Road Show by El-A-Kru featuring Tizzy

I’ve always described myself, in terms of my musical tastes as 51% Dancehall head and 49% Roots Reggae head. Even still, the most entertained I find myself listening to music is when a devastatingly talented Dancehall DJ is on the mic and I can watch accordingly, in awe, as the deliriously lazy and tired seven year old in me can reemerge, wishing that was me. However, as I get older, as much it pains me to admit it, my tastes have shifted and I find myself either harder to please in the context of Dancehall (and Roots, for that matter) or maybe just absolutely SURROUNDED by less than stellar work within that context. So maybe I have to readjust my percentages. Now, if I’m actually going to do this I’ll also need to factor in, somewhere, the fact that the previously mentioned lazy seven year old Achis has now gotten quite the ear for Soca music. So much so has it infiltrated his tastes that, near the beginning of OCTOBER, the insanely hype musical art form still comprises roughly 20% of what he listens to. And, of course, this didn’t just happen over night. Thus, while spending the last few weeks with older albums and the occasional new piece or single which slipped through my nets earlier this year, I definitely needed my Soca FIX, needed it in great order and what a better way than with one of my personal favourites? Say hello to Tanzania ‘Tizzy’ Sebastian and El-A-Kru. I ran into Tizzy and co. a couple of times during this past Carnival season, most notably at Trinidad Soca Monarch (more on that in a bit), where I was pretty surprised to see her actually open the entire competition as the first participant in the groovy category and although her crowd response wasn’t very good (as you might imagine), I, WELL PARTIAL, definitely enjoyed her performance, however. It certainly wasn’t the first of Tizzy’s performances that I enjoyed and it definitely won’t be the last as I have been HOOKED on her and El-A-Kru a few years and running at this point. And while my initial interest came via the strength of a song which was so ridiculous that I spontaneously break out in tears TO THIS DAY whenever I hear it, by the name of ‘Expose’. It’s definitely to their credit that they’ve maintained my interest in the subsequent few years since the explosion that was Expose and I routinely and continuously find ways to give my support to the group (my most recent work happens to be what you’re reading now actually).

So what is it about El-A-Kru and Tizzy? Well first of all, I’ve only recently come to the realization that, much like in Zouk, I’m just incredibly partial towards the females in Soca (in Zouk it’s even more pronounced. I basically won’t even listen to male Zouk artists AT ALL) and in particular, those who remind me, in some way or another, of the ball of energy that is Destra Garcia and Tizzy definitely has that and then some. Of course, sounding like Destra shouldn’t be and isn’t the only reason El-A-Kru gets my respect, they also have a very interesting style in terms of being able to add a bit of CLASS to Soca which I don’t think is necessarily a critical connection that many people (fans or musicians) actually speak of too much, especially not in the midst of the jump up. You can just see it every time you see the group perform or hear their output that they have OBVIOUSLY spent quite a bit of time not only perfecting the performance, but on the musical end, El-A-Kru’s leader and mastermind Rohan ‘Sylky’ Hector and songwriter and musician Glenroy ‘Zamba’ Richards have clearly done their job as well. And on the DIVINE Tizzy’s end, she presents herself as one of the quintessential Soca divas as she (seemingly with the flag of the group’s homeland, Antigua, eternally GLUED to her hand) stores enough energy into her frame to jump and sing for entire shows and could probably do so first thing in the morning if she were needed. Wonderfully, like quite a few of their peers, El-A-Kru has maintained a very steady album release schedule as well, to coincide with any given year’s Carnival season and they’ve actually (by my count) released an album for every single year, dating back to the late 1990’s. Also wonderful is the fact that they linked, a couple of years back, with European Soca specialty label Faluma who has made the music of El-A-Kru available worldwide and they even began to handle some of the back catalogue for the band as well. In fact, at least by my observations, either Faluma decided to take a break in 2008, or they just FORGOT, but you’ll also be able to soon pickup the band’s piece from last year, Rocket Launcher, which was, to my opinion, one of their absolute finest albums. NOW Faluma is delivering, right on time, El-A-Kru’s offering for the 2009 Carnival season, the somewhat conceptualized De Road Show. I remember hearing quite a bit about this ‘show’ to the point where it almost seemed like a poor man’s version of what Machel did with his season and subsequent album release. I don’t think El-A-Kru’s intents were at the least bit strange (as were Machel’s) or ‘mysterious’, if there was an overlying intent at all and I ultimately just think there goal for 2009 would have been (like it should be from everyone every year) to make the best vibes possible and to take them as far across the globe as you possibly can and if that were, in fact, what was meant by ‘De Road Show’ then I feel incredibly confident in saying, ‘Mission accomplished El-A-Kru’. De Road Show is a very nice trip through the equally lovely and COLOURFUL vibes El-A-Kru brought this year (with a special shot towards last year’s season also) which ultimately, in my opinion, form one of the better Soca album releases of the year (and we’re still waiting for Bunji. Anytime now king). The album is very fresh and it definitely covers a variety of different styles, which is definitely fitting for Tizzy’s sound and approach. And on a personal note: I’ve been reviewing an almost endless line of HARDCORE and heavy Roots Reggae pieces for a minute now and young Achis really needed something which will help him to JUST LOSE HIS FUCKING MIND!

Something stands out when you skim over the cover of De Road Show, or at least it did to me. I believe that just for the past two seasons (and everyone one indefinitely from here forward) that Tizzy has been El-A-Kru’s sole lead vocalist. Following a time (and albums) where she shared the duties with Blade and Naycha Kid, Sylky and EAK declared her their one in only and apparently on the cover of De Road Show, it is they’re intent to push the name Tizzy even further (as in billing it as “Tizzy & El-A-Kru”) and I’m not complaining about that at all. While the album doesn’t exactly offer the insanity that I mentioned (and, honestly, I didn’t expect it to) it does definitely deliver it’s maddening moments such as the opener for El-A-Kru’s (featuring Tizzy) 2009 album, De Road Show, the ecstatic ‘I Luv Carnival‘. Not only is this the best piece of pavement that you’ll find on this Road altogether (and it is), but the tune was also probably EAK’s signature tune from 2009 and it is absolutely GORGEOUS! The tune finds our heroine in FINE form as she, rather proudly declares the love of her life to be exactly what the title suggests it is. It’s hype from beginning to end and even though I think it might’ve done better later on the album, you can’t deny its power wherever it is. I Luv Carnival is HUGE and the album’s best. Things tone back for the next few tunes in terms of intensity (they almost had to), but do so nicely as up next is the very jovial and pulsing ‘Ride It‘. I’ve been kind of high on this tune for awhile now. It almost seems like the type of song which would grow on me, but instead I liked it immediately and I’m pretty sure you will as well. The same should be said of ‘Wine Gyal’, which is pretty clichéd actually and definitely nothing special, but I found myself liking it simply because of the ‘COOLNESS’ it exudes. It never gets too crazy, but it comes close and it also keeps you paying attention. With the slightly early including of I Luv Carnival, De Road Show’s opening is very strong.

Although the second and third tunes on De Road Show, respectively, don’t go there, the listener doesn’t have to wait too far for another reason to jump and shake away those last remaining brain cells as the RIDICULOUSNESS that is ‘On De Road’ comes in at track #4. On De Road is exactly what I mean when I say that EAK & Tizzy have a classy sound, even when the vibes are this crazy. On De Road is downright complicated at times, but no one misses a beat and the sound vibes SO BIG making it, at the very least, the second biggest stop on De Road Show. ‘Push’ is a song which, again, seems like one which might take a minute or two to warm up to me, but I liked it almost instantly. It is, of course, another exercise in ‘wineology’ from Tizzy and this one is a bit more complicated as what she wants you to do is give her the wine she requires, BUT you cannot touch her! She wants your hands where her eyes can see them at all times. Tizzy if those are your only conditions then I’m the man for the job! The two tunes immediately following Push change the vibes of De Road Show drastically, but that’s not a bad thing as they both are, to my opinion, two of the stronger tunes on the album. The first is the very sensual ‘Groovy’ which is one that I’M SURE could do major damage on international were it given that type of opportunity as it never gets downright sexual (DUH) and the vibes are pretty much akin to faster paced R&B/Pop music which would transfer right across and so very well. Just to my ears and I usually don’t like that type of song, Groovy is a real winner. And then there’s ‘Ghetto Boy‘, a song which I’m REALLY sure I should hate, but I like and I like it shamelessly too! Ghetto Boy finds Tizzy RIDICULOUSLY plundering the melody of ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ from the world’s creepiest band, The Fine Young Cannibals (which, in its original form just makes me itch for some reason), to talk about how a special young gentleman from the ghetto has gotten her attention and she is completely unable to get him out of her mind. You may or may not have a similar situation going on but good luck to you to get this song out of your head anytime soon because it’s just not happening. And after the two song changeups, things are back to normal on De Road Show and steering us out is Tizzy’s own tune, ‘TZ Wine‘. This song is hyperactive silliness and I like it (and it also marks the second consecutive album I’ve reviewed which mentioned Scooby-Doo). TZ Wine is another one in wineology and apparently Tizzy doesn’t give a damn what you do with your hands this time around. ‘Tek Meh Picture’ was the one tune on De Road Show which I didn’t remember AT ALL and hearing it here may have been the very first time that I’ve heard it altogether. Regardless of where or if I know it, Tek Meh Picture is MAD! This one is more on the higher scale of intensity, but it has so many different levels that it doesn’t just feel the need to knock you over the head and finish you. Instead, it knocks you down, picks you up, dusts you off and knocks you down again! The tune is easily one of the biggest vibes on the album altogether. And to finish everything off is the remix of one of El-A-Kru’s biggest 2008 efforts, Wuk Meh, alongside Richard Trumpet. This is the tune Tizzy performed (with Trumpet) at TnT Soca Monarch and, even though the rest of the crowd didn’t seem to think so for the most part, I thought they did a very nice show and I’ve grown fond of this tune since. I still prefer the more ‘involved’ original version definitely (which you’ll be able to hear on the Rocket Launcher album), but the remix is pretty big and was one of their popular songs from this season and a more than adequate last stop to this road show.

Overall, yeah, the usual complaint about EAK albums still holds true on De Road Show: It’s only ten tracks. I don’t mind that, however, as they CONSISTENTLY give you new tunes and new albums every season (and not too many of their peers, at the highest could actually do a ten track album from this year’s tunes alone), so I give them a bligh on that. For what is actually on the album? You simply have to rate it. De Road Show is one of the better complete Soca albums I’ve heard in 2009 and no, that’s not saying such a great deal, but trust me, it’s solid. Of course, you’ll take it into consideration that I’m EXTREMELY partial with all things Tizzy, but even removing my Antigua flag coloured glasses, this Road Show is one you, fan of Soca, new and old, do not want to miss.

Rated 4/5

LA Music/Faluma

2009