Video Drop #17

{Note: Please excuse the absolutely and assuredly AWFUL writing which accompanies some of these. I believe I passed out several times while doing it}

‘Fame Is Gone’ by Stevy Mahy [Directed by Pasquale Pagano]

First up this week we have a video which quite forced my hand to do a ‘video drop’ this week - It’s the latest single from “The Beautiful Side of A Kreyol Folk Trip” from Achis Reggae favourite Stevy Mahy (who I just discovered actually Face-booked our review of her album) (Stevy we love you!), ’Fame Is Gone’. This was definitely an interesting choice following the devastating ‘Beautiful’ and the lovely ‘Something About You’, but when you consider the likelihood that this tune is probably the most English she delivers on the entire album, perhaps it makes sense. Seemingly to mark the occasion, Stevy and company head to the States and make stops in what appears to be New York, Las Vegas and California. I do so much love the colours in this one and definitely following Stevy Mahy is fun (especially when she’s showing off those hips). Anyway, while I may be reading into things too much here, I think that the connection here is that she goes to all of this big and quite glamourous places and she’s able to do so without a big fanfare - She somewhat fades away in these places which is what would also happen when the ‘fame is gone’. Very well done.

Video Rated: 4.75/5
Video - Song Link: 4.75/5

‘Two Lontan’ by Methi’S [Directed by DeeJay Slam]

Next in, speaking of glamourous (and Frenchies), is another Achis Reggae favourite with a new single from their latest album, Methi’S with ‘Two Lontan’ from ”Mon Nid D’iles”. The video is helmed by the same DeeJay Slam who also has made his own artist, Kénédy, look absolutely SPECTACULAR on his past three or four clips and he does a pretty nice job on Methi’S (who shocks all by proving herself tall enough to actually drive a car) as well (if you are a Zouk singer and want to look GOOD, you may want to call up DeeJay Slam for your next video. The video itself isn’t spectacular, but it is very colourful and the main thing which I’ll say about it is that it actually makes me enjoy the song CONSIDERABLY more. The tune was always very accessible and had a nice vibes but it sounds even more so, on both sides here, as we check in on a day in the life of Methi’S.

Video Rated: 4/5
Video - Song Link: 4/5

‘Nature’ by Tarrus Riley & Prince Koloni

Reggae superstar Tarrus Riley teams up with up and coming Prince Koloni from out of Suriname (I think he lives in Guyane now) for a big piece of ‘green’ tune, ‘Nature’ which has been receiving quite a bit of attention (as does anything which Riley does these days). It’s also been released digitally and they’ve now made a video for the tune even. The song is fairly straight forward and the resulting video certainly doesn’t surprise any at all. It’s just showing off the nice scenery (CLEARLY of two different areas as you never see Koloni and Riley with each other) and it, effectively, serves its purpose and I’d definitely imagine that this tune would continue to do a bigger and bigger piece of damage and do so far reaching.

Video Rated: 3.5/5
Video - Song Link: 4.25/5

‘Rasta Love’ featuring Ky-Mani Marley by Protoje [Directed by LeAnn Ollivierre]

Here’s the latest much discussed most interesting venture from the most interesting Protoje from his most interesting debut set, ”Seven Year Itch”, ‘Rasta Love’, which features Ky-Mani Marley and finally gets its own video. This video is excellent! Protoje has (short) history of doing excellent things with his ‘musical visual aids’ and this time the Dreamseeker does him very nicely. The video follows the tune for the most part as we meet a young lady having difficulties with her family, her Father in particular because she’s fallen for a Rastaman. Of course you’ve heard hundreds and hundreds of tunes like such, but this one is slightly different. She sneaks out runs amongst him (played by Protoje), his friends and elders and you can genuinely see how interested and how COMFORTABLE she is with them which is certainly an experience had by so many people, male and female. It ultimately does become a rather normal love story, but definitely the interest here comes in the young lady and watching her move closer and closer to her ’natural element’.

Video Rated: 4.75/5
Video - Song Link: 5/5

‘Taking You Home’ by Romain Virgo [Directed by Karl Durrant]

Another Achis Reggae favourite with another latest single from another latest album - The outstanding Romain Virgo brings in his latest video from his big 2010 self-titled debut album, ’Taking You Home’. I’ve grown to love this tune over the last year or so and by the time it arrived I was pretty happy that it was chosen to be featured next. The video features a (SEXY, chocolate) young lady who had been . . . Beaten by her boyfriend (who looks like Admiral T) and has (THANKFULLY) left him. She runs into a most accommodating Virgo in a café and the two become acquainted. This video comes close, but never crosses the line of being damn sappy and I really like it. I like the way that when you see the features cut in with the boyfriend, it’s very dark and ‘grayish’, but when she’s with Virgo, we actually get to go outside and enjoy the scenery, which is literal and, at least I’d suggest’ figurative as well. Well done.

Video Rated: 4.25/5
Video - Song Link: 5/5

‘To Live’ by Diana Rutherford [Directed by Sherkhan]

Lastly this week (even though I know I should include Wayne Wonder, I’ll have to get to it next time, because I’m entirely too lazy at this point) (even though it’s . . . Thursday and I’m not posting this until Saturday) (Yay for me) is the new video from another favourite of mine, Sherkhan and Tiger Records, who serve up the video for the latest single from ‘The Tigress’, Diana Rutherford - ’To Live’. This is a pretty flashy video for a pretty flashy tune as we follow Rutherford, in a very fashion-showy/runway-ish style to various photo shoots (they might want to go and contact a gentleman by the name of DeeJay Slam). Of course the highlight is the fact that she looks REALLY good and when you look good and you are willing to appear . . . Looking good - That’s a good thing! The song clearly has outer-Reggae aspirations and it’s damn catchy and, again, Rutherford is pretty easy on the eyes so perhaps that type of thinking isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Video Rated: 4/5
Video - Song Link: 4/5