How many times have you heard an artist in one specific genre who sounds like he/she would sound INCREDIBLE in one, if not more, other styles of music? I’m not talking about some lame ass fan who can’t overstand the words, sitting around talking like, ‘that Sean Paul would be so nice if he rapped in English’, or some shit like that, I mean a pretty unusual and (generally) WICKED group of artists whose style, almost inherently, blends itself with more styles than just his/her own. MAYBE I would draw on someone like Vybz Kartel who, very early in his career, was often thought of as this new age Dancehall/Hip-Hop artist. That sentiment was so great back then (and if I recall correctly Kartel, himself, actually fed into a bit also) that, even though it’s not one that I see so clearly, myself (and I think it’s evident by the lack of success Kartel has had in that genre, despite several opportunities to break out, even earlier in his career), it’s one I mention because of the popularity and Kartel’s subsequent successes amongst Dancehall faithful. Of course he wasn’t the only one. Way ‘back in the day’ you would have most certainly heard similar things heard about artists such as Super Cat and Mad Cobra whose deliveries were, essentially, simply a linguistically modified version of what was popular in Hip-Hop at the time (especially considering the move to make them more ‘mainstream’ at the time). You’ll also hear similar things said of artists such as Sanchez, Wayne Wonder and definitely Beres Hammond and how wonderfully they’d match in the R&B arena and, more still, the potential proclivity of artists like Tami Chynn, Brick & Lace and Christopher Martin within a Pop setting. Caribbean music is the best music in the world, everyone wants what we have! Still, if you look at things interregionally speaking, the rather easily crossed genres within the same spectrum, present even more interesting comparisons. Check the case of Elephant Man. You cannot tell me that man didn’t and doesn’t take a lead from his peers within the genre of Soca. Besides the obvious, an almost hilarious over the top stage presentation, the energy that the ’Energy God’ actually shows in his recording is also something highly reminiscent of the ’jump and wave’ style of power Soca. Of course, Ele isn’t the only artist who does such a thing, as his literal antithesis over the years has been Bunji Garlin. I believe I remember reading an interview with Garlin years ago which basically said that he would love to be a Dancehall artist (paraphrasing of course) and that he intentionally added flares and bits from the sister genre of his chosen style, Soca, when he performed. So much more than any of his peers (at the top flight), Bunji Garlin has gone to exemplify that somewhat ‘mystical’ and ‘mythical’ subgenre of ‘Ragga Soca’. His music is incredibly lyrical as he, for the most part, metaphorically rests rather comfortably halfway between downtown Kingston and down Port of Spain.
Of course, Bunji Garlin didn’t just come to power over night, he’s every bit the respective veteran of Soca that Elephant Man is of Dancehall. And, he happens to be one of the most decorated as well, as despite NEVER winning a Road March crown (and he probably never will by his own admission), Garlin has taken the Soca Monarch crown of Trinidad (where other champions from around the Caribbean also compete, essentially a Champion of Champions competition, although a Trini artist wins EVERY year) more times than any other artist besides his Father-in-law, the legendary Superblue. He’s done so with an ability draw some of the most powerful responses from audiences with his almost too intense style which combines the typical ‘jump and wave’ antics with a HARSH lyrical ability. Seriously, were Garlin a Dancehall artist, I think and have always thought, that he would be held in the same lyrical esteem as so many of the genre’s best lyricists. Not to mention he’s also proven to be quite the adroit freestyle artist, as well. There was a time, a few years back when Garlin’s popularity amongst Dancehall hardcore fans was quite high. He also gained the attention of VP Records, who has released two albums for the artist. During that same period he was publicly feuding with Reggae singer, the strange I Wayne (after the Portmore singer called Soca “the devil’s music) and it only helped his popularity and he pretty much became THE favourite Soca artist of Dancehall fans and artists alike, a title which he still arguably enjoys. Around that same time (2005-2006), Garlin would also release one of the finest albums of his career to date (and that’s no small feat as, by my count, he now has eight to his credit) Flame Storm. Checking in at a ROBUST twenty tracks, in retrospect album like Flame Storm is a bit of a marvel, given that it largely draws from material from that season and when compared to Soca albums of today from active Carnival participating artists (which often check in a ten or even less tunes), it becomes downright obese. Perhaps even more a testament to Garlin’s Dancehall ways, in terms of proclivity, it wasn’t until last year’s mediocre Fiery that he had an album with less than SIXTEEN tunes. Flame Storm wasn’t just an album with a weight problem, however. In my opinion, within its girth, you get to see the very best of Bunji Garlin in so many ways as he goes through so many different styles of vibes and different sets that you just have to be impressed, even if you aren’t necessarily a high jumping, foot stomping, flag and rag waving fan of Soca. Bunji Garlin still has you more than COVERED on Flame Storm. And while, given the fact that he’s also authoured WICKED albums such as Global, Graceful Vengeance and Next Direction, I hesitate to call Flame Storm Bunji Garlin’s absolute best album, but it’s definitely right within that WONDERFUL class and is nearly outstanding from beginning to end.
The artist to whom I’ve grown comfortable comparing Bunji’s SOUND to is definitely Tiwony. The similarly lyrically skilled Gwada chanter, in terms of pitch (at least to my ears) sounds very much like Garlin (and oh what a day it is when the two drop a LETHAL combination). Testing that sound out firstly on Bunji Garlin’s fourth studio album, Flame Storm, is DEFINITELY one of the best tunes on the album and a tune which I feel is one of the most underrated of Garlin’s career, ‘Return Of The King’. The tune is MASSIVE! Get past all of the electric craziness that goes in with it and you’ll find a tune which is almost as lyrically poignant as it is EPIC in sound and downright dazzling as well. I’m this close to calling it the album’s best. Yes. It’s that good. HUGE opener. Perhaps it is outdone by the very next tune as ‘The Islands’ becomes a VIBRANT and COLOURFUL family affair of sorts as Bunji recruits his cousin and Machel Montano disciple, Patrice Roberts, to sing the AWESOME hook on the tune. I won’t lie at all. I can remember having tears streaming down my face the first few times I heard this tune, it’s so powerful (and that isn’t rare for me at all). It’s just a tune that makes you feel so good and Patrice is in EXCELLENT form and arguably outshines her superstar kin. And wrapping up the first bit of Flame Storm is another of the album’s finest outings, the Soca social commentary (yes, they do have those) ‘Right Now’. This tune definitely shows off the lyrical side of Garlin as he gets both conscious and keeps the vibes HIGH at the same time, as so few artists in Soca can do. He of course is the prime example and Right Now has since gone onto become one of his more popular tunes and justly so. It is WICKED in every way.
As I said, Bunji Garlin is no stranger to the Dancehall and he enters said hall of variety on a few different occasions throughout Flame Storm. No more so, ostensibly, than on two tunes, ‘Put In The Thing’ (which is EXACTLY what you think it’s about) and ‘Raise Yuh Hand’. The former scintillates as well as most other efforts across Mario C’s Scoobay riddim (including Beenie and Kartel’s combination ‘Breast Specialist’); while the latter impresses over the same Stepz riddim Assassin eroded with his SICK ‘Idiot Thing That’. You could also make the case of the big combination ‘Don’t Waste Water’, alongside Shurwayne Winchester has a Dancehall vibes to it as well (although it’s probably closer to being a groovy Soca sounding tune. ‘D Vibes’ is CLEARLY such a tune (despite the fact that it features Mastamind) as are ‘Dread’ (alongside Benjai & Scar) and the very impressive ‘No Friend, No Company’. The man knows his thing and should he want to focus things out and do a full blown Dancehall album someday, I’d definitely be willing to listen. Still, it is the HEAVY Soca side of Flame Storm which impresses the most. The finest tune on the album happens to be the same tune which earned Garlin Soca Monarch honours in 2005, the infectious ‘Blaze It Up [aka ‘Blaze De Fyah’]. The call on this tune “I want you to BLAZE DE FYAH” is definitely one of the most memorable of Garlin’s career and you can’t help but be moved by it (even though, to be COMPLETELY honest, I’m probably more moved by the opening two tunes at this point). And while the vibes on Don’t Waste Water take a surprising turn eventually, there’s no such surprise on ‘Send Dem’ which features then girlfriend Bunji Garlin, now Mrs. Alvarez, Faye-Ann Lyons[-Alvarez] and it makes no deviations of sort. It is a pure RUNNING Soca tune and it is lovely (over what appears to be the same riddim which backs Xtatik‘s and The Burning Flames‘ tune ‘Showdown [Band Meets Band]). The tune has a conscious edge to it as well, which works fine for two of the genre’s best lyricists. ‘Leave Meh’ has you almost trapped when it starts, waiting to see in exactly which direction it’ll ultimately go. Luckily, what eventually happens is lovely as Bunji, as nicely (and fun) as one possibly can, essentially tells us to leave him the hell alone when it comes to Carnival because he’ll be having too much fun and should you see me on the road as well, please do the same. Love that tune. ‘Doh Play With Me’ is fucking ridiculous. At the end of this review, I’m almost certainly going to tell of all the nice artists that Garlin has apparently inspired in his career, but rest assured that NONE of them could get through the HIGH-TECH SERIOUS wordplay Garlin goes at on this tune. Doh Play With Me leads into another highlight of Flame Storm as the ‘Fireman’ of Soca music proves his flame is hot enough to do almost ANYTHING, including to set ‘Satan House On Fire’. This is another of those types of double meaning songs prevalent on the album as it actually has a meaning to it (setting the devil’s house on fire, thus freeing the righteous from his control), but it sounds like your ‘standard’ ridiculous ‘jump and wave’ tune. You just can’t complain there on another of the album’s finest. Things stay biblical on the followup, ‘Preaching War’ (which is another Dancehall-ish sounding tune). This tune is less playful, but certainly impressive from a lyrical degree (it doesn’t really have a direction, he’s just kind of flowing along) (I’m not complaining). And lastly, the final two tunes you’ll find on Flame Storm are two of it’s better pieces. First is the OUTSTANDING ‘Doctor’ which features Bunji alongside the front woman of Antigua’s finest (biggup Taxik), El-A-Kr, Tizzy. Doctor is insane and it’s actually more EAK’s tune (thus, when you are unable to locate this album, you can easily find it (and the nice tune ‘Freestyle’ which also appears on Flame Storm) on their readily digitally available album The One), but when Bunji actually gets a little space, the one verse he gets off HAS TO be considered one of the best of his career. The first time I heard it, I was speechless! Nuff said. The closer, ‘Wild Fire’, follows ‘Satan House On Fire’ in terms of direction and does so as a WONDERFUL accompanying piece. It probably would have sounded better right after that big tune (leaving Doctor as the final tune), but regardless of where it falls on the album, Wild Fire is the last of a LONG string of BIG tunes on Bunji Garlin’s Flame Storm.
Overall, as I said, in terms of Bunji Garlin albums, Flame Storm is right up there and has just as big a claim as any other as being the absolute best of the bunch. I’m still waiting for Garlin to thump out that ONE project which reigns supreme and given the nature of the music now he may not ever do such a thing (although, if these next two months float by and he doesn’t have a 2009 release, next year’s album, with two seasons worth of material, may just be THAT album, theoretically). Still, one has to recognize the almost comical level of talent here. Bunji Garlin is truly a revolutionary artist, having inspired not only Trinidadian young talents, but also names like Skinny Fabulous, Mr. Killa, Ricky T and others throughout the Caribbean (biggup Fucha Kid), clearly owe a bit of thanks for inspiration to him and there’s probably another generation of artists on their way who will owe him a similar ‘thank you’. YOU can say thanks by tracking down Flame Storm. Whether it’s ‘Ragga Soca’, straight up Soca or even Dancehall, it’s a helluva ride all the way through and yet another reason to appreciate the wonderful artists from the best place on earth.
Rated 4.50/5
IP Music/JW Records
2005
No comments:
Post a Comment