Soldiers: A review of Journey Of Gratitude by Abja
On foot. I guess, in some way, the case could be made that I am sitting writing and you are sitting
there reading, sorta/kinda because of Bob Marley? I would like to think that the word would have gotten out at some other point but... it didn't and a giant portion of the credit for opening the door to the general popularity of the music is still given to Bob and deservedly so. That will likely always be the case and that's just fine. We would not be as RICH as we are without the work he did. Furthermore (and far more interesting than You (and most certainly) I) who knows who we would be listening to if Marley did not kick that door open and who knows how it would sound. If making this music wasn't something that could support someone to a certain level, despite the fact that I know that we have an extremely dedicated flock of vocalists and musicians, surely at least some of them would have found something else to do in order to pay the bills, at least hampering their musical activity, if nothing else. Fortunately, however, we aren't in that situation and the one with which we are faced is entirely more pleasant as, since the door was ajar (always did like that word) a (hopefully) never ending line of others have come through. Not only that but, of course, the vibes have traveled and we've seen similar 'micro' circumstances come through as well. For example.... I don't know... let's take a quick look at the Virgin Islands, for example. When I first started listening to Reggae from out of the VI, there were two very dominant entities which garnered the lion's share of the attention, initially. At least from the outside looking in, there were the Brothers Benjamin and Midnite and then there was Jalani Horton and Bambu Station. That's who GOT US.... they had help keeping us (and they're still getting "help"). Soon, there was also Dezarie (who, arguably, belongs in that first group), Pressure Busspipe, who probably served a similar role for people younger than me and then an extremely strong line of talents such as Ras Batch & Ras Attitude, Ras Army, Danny I, NiyoRah, Raffijah, Ickarus and the rest of the Star Lion Family (I may've named them all by now). There was Ikahba, Iba, I Grade Records, a guy named Willow (biggup Ancient King) Sabbattical Ahdah, Sistah Joyce and, later, the brilliant Reemah. There was just a devastating level of talent which, for the more attentive of listeners, had already produced so much powerful material available by the time we became aware that we'd become longtime fans of many of theirs as well, almost immediately (that was out of the ones I just named, definitely that applies to Batch, Attitude, NiyoRah, Danny I, Ancient King.... I should stop). And should you doubt the impact of these artists, feel free to check the tags on this same page (this is the third review I've written for a VI artist in 2025, alone). We LOVE them and for good reason.
2013
Another name that came to prominence as part of that Virgin Islands lot was someone else who we've talked about a bit over the years, Ras Abja. Chances may be pretty good that if you are familiar with the works of Abja that you came on board via one of his most well known releases (courtesy of the aforementioned I Grade Records), "Inna Red I Hour" & "Mahogany Road" from 2003 & 2006, respectively. I go back now and do background on Abja for this review and I notice just how delightfully received those two albums were. You'll find quite a bit of material online in regards to both at the time of their release which shows just how rooted the structure already was at that point, twenty years ago now (the same goes for Army and Batch as well) (Batch almost had this... almost mystical type of interest around him at the time, if I recall correctly. A combination of the word of mouth of the quality of his first two albums and the great difficulty that it took to find either one). Since then, the St. Croix native has had his hands in a few different projects, including at least a couple of albums, an EP and a relatively steady stream of singles for varrying maestros. We last dealt with his work way back in 2013 on his "Songs Fa Jah" album from Higher Bound Productions but, as of late, Abja has definitely been re-demanding a closer look and listen.
A large chunk of the credit owed for that is to be thrown in the direction of the suddenly flaming Trinity Farm Music (in association with Go A Chant Productions, of course). I'll spare you their credentials (because I'm probably writing another review for one of their other recent releases and I'll save it for that since it's a compilation), but if you've hung around here much recently (you poor, POOR thing) then you've surely seen us cover some of their work and may've also seen me allude to material Abja and TFM have done together as well. While that does include singles (some of which we're going to be discussing shortly), at the center was an actual album released earlier this year, "Journey Of Gratitude". Not too long ago, I wrote a review for another of Trinity Farm's releases, "Oath Of Akae" from the aforementioned Ancient King and it forced me (not really) (not at all) to take a closer look and listen to "Journey Of Gratitude" which was seemingly born out of a similarly curious set of circumstances. Like Ancient King, Abja had done a number of singles for Trinity Farm prior to the album's release and.... some of them would feature on the album and some would not. Even more interesting, perhaps, is that since "Journey Of Gratitude" landed he's done MORE work with the label as well. For me, that says that artist and label enjoyed one another's company and felt that their was a great deal of musical chemistry as well and, while I can't speak to the former, in listening to the output, I would firmly agree with the latter. Like Ancient King and many of the others I've named, Ras Abja makes a very straight forward brand of Roots Reggae in the musical sense. If you're looking for 'crossover' or something more 'accessible', you will do much better for yourself turning your head in virtually ANY other direction besides his. On top of that, his style, specifically, is one which is for more seasoned fans of the genre. Abja is a chanter - pure and simple. That's what he is and I would say he falls somewhere between the Ancient King and Vaughn Benjamin. You'll rarely hear the consistent level of aggression from Akae Beka that you will get from Abja but Abja also doesn't spend a great deal of time hanging out on that kind of torrid level where AK dwells. He's a little more reserved and his style works well for him as is apparent throughout "Journey Of Gratitude" which, coincidentally -- and like "Oath Of Akae" -- is also produced by Vaughn Benjamin.
If you go back to the "Songs Fa Jah" set, it kind runs congruently with this one as far as how it seems to have come to fruition. "Songs Fa Jah" came via one Higher Bound Productions and, during that very same year, the label would go on to release full albums from Akae Beka ["Free Indeed"], Ancient King ["Ethiopie"] and Army ["Dreadlocks Time"] ("Dreadlocks Time" was probably the best of the lot but, unsurprisingly, it's "Free Indeed" that stands out as the most popular) (album had 'Hemp Scroll' on it). So, as is the case for Trinity Farm, that album arose from the works of a delightfully active imprint delivery a new Abja album. Let's do this one in reverse: Trinity Farm Music's edition of an Abja album, "Journey Of Gratitude", actually ends with the tune for which it is named. Before we even get into the actual song, let's deal with the obvious: 'Journey of Gratitude' is just a great name! Left to my own thoughts to sort it out and I go to the direct thought of someone actually having to WORK and to DEVELOP to the point where they know how to be appreciative for what they have in life, which is all kinds of fascinating. Abja's take is a bit more broad, however (at least somewhat), as he presents "gratitude" and the display of gratitude as several different things. Abja's gratitude is humility (should be everyone's), HARD WORK, upful behaviour, intelligence and a few other things as well, beneath the umbrella of giving thanks to His Majesty. This is set atop an ultra simple and minimal riddim that I do not LOVE but does grow on you as you spin through it more and more. Abja also touches on the subject earlier on with 'Attitude of Gratitude'. In comparison to the title track, the riddim supporting this one is also very basic but this thing is BEAUTIFUL! 'Attitude of Gratitude', in general, is the stronger of the two as Abja delves deeper into the idea of gratitude, this time with an even more spiritually inclined reasoning and a song which is stronger, lyrically, than the already quite impressive 'Journey of Gratitude'. IN A SEMI-UNRELATED TWIST, Abja & TFM released a single back in January of this year by the name of 'Grateful For Life' which, oddly (as hell), does not appear on "Journey Of Gratitude" at all. It is an excellent song and you would have thought one that would have fit perfectly here (it would have) but, for some reason, it is missing. I kind of appreciate that on some level because it makes things seem like there was more of a plan that they refused to detour from and that everything you hear on the album was meant for it.... just thought you'd like to know. And because this paragraph isn't quite big enough, also check the other two efforts hanging out around the closer (told you we were going to reverse it today), 'Rasta Have Faith' & 'Brave For Life'. 'Rasta Have Faith' isn't at all what I was expecting in terms of vibe. It isn't this kind of laidback chant. It has some bite to it. The song is a plead to the masses to show some perseverance when times get hard and to keep faith in The Almighty. It does take a decidedly more social/tangible route at times and I was very impressed by 'Rasta Have Faith', in full. As for 'Brave For Life', this thing is in the stars somewhere. 'Brave For Life' was an unexpected praising tune and I don't think I've ever heard a song so categorically focused on thanking HIM for BRAVERY, such as this one. Abja, essentially, thanks His Majesty for the strength to get out of bed every morning and go about his daily works, in good times and bad ["Life bring such blinding things. Help me a sight. Help me see alright, that outta darkness comes a light"]. You won't get a tune leaping out at you with originality but, TRUST ME, it's in there and well worth the 'journey' to discover it.
This song is not on this album
While you won't find previous single 'Grateful For Life' on board, "Journey Of Gratitude" does get going with a pair of songs that you may've been familiar with prior to its release date. 'Behold The King', for once, is EXACTLY what you're supposing it is.
"Jah Hail The King
Behold HIM in His glory
As I trodding out Addis Aba' to cross to Awash, to hail Jah Rastafari, The King
Give us solace, oh Jah, in our time of suffering
Hear I when I wail and cry
Keep wi in Your bossom of splendour, oh Jah
Hail King Selassie I
I will praise His name in every song that I sing
Magnify His magnificent glory
Can hear the angels from afar, singing songs of The Emperor
Hail Jah Rastafari, THE KING
Long live The King
Behold HIM in his His glory"
Despite the fact that there is nothing really flashy or exceptional about 'Behold The King' on the surface, I am HOOKED on this tune and it's probably my second favourite on the album altogether (yes, there is one CLEARLY better). When you really tune it in, 'Behold The King' is downright flooring. 'By The Way' is something else in its own territory, playing by its own rules. Coming off as an almost... Gil Scott-Heron-esque Spoken Word piece, at times, 'By The Way' is a very powerful social commentary (I'm going to also call it a 'personal commentary') telling us not to focus too heavily on the ills of society as "Jah will find a way". The 'hole' on this one, however, goes very deep as it takes several MASTERFUL lyrical twists and turns, in its time making for, again, one of the legitimate highlights found here.
With alllll of that being said, the highest ranking tune on "Journey Of Gratitude" is 'Chanting'. Blessed with another riddim saturated in a beautiful simplicity (more on that in a second), 'Chanting' is HEAVY and Abja takes the moment to its fullest through both straightforward and more complicated routes. On one hand is that beautiful basicness:
"Chanting is healing"
While on the other, Abja, once again, goes Spoken Word
"Black is a divine cosmic principle of the universe
Since the very beginning, Blackness is fundamental, universal energy
DARK MATTER
Blackness, not darkness, is a receptor fi all colours and wavelengths in dimension of energy"
I mean... you drop something like THAT right in the middle of a tune and just keep on going. 'Chanting' is FIRE. It is literal FLAMES! Also should be mentioned that, at just south of five minutes in length, the tune is easily the longest on "Journey Of Gratitude" with the final minute or so going total instrumental as a STUNNING nice touch. As I said, though the riddim is very simple, when you hear it sans vocals, you begin to fully appreciate every little twist and turn in its sound and it also gives it more of a PRESENCE in my opinion as I can see Abja performing 'Chanting' in my head and when the riddim plays, he backs off and does exactly what I'm doing while hearing it: ENJOYING. I hesitate to call the riddim backing 'Majesty' "cute" or "adorable", but that's kind of what it is. It's just a delightful bounce and something tells me Abja would have agreed with me because 'Majesty' ends up going in so many different directions that it comes off as such a total vibe. It seems like he was just so pleased with the composition and he came up with something organically and spontaneously from the top of his head and what resulted was 'Majesty' and that's just fine! Lastly, Abja casts LOVE as far as he possibly can -- worldwide, dimension-wide -- with the DEEP 'Matuneta Luv Song'. This track is kind of Bluesy to my ears and it also comes off as slightly less planned out and orchestrated and more of an organic creation. Speaking of things organic: 'Matuneta Luv Song' is a celebration of life, of LOVE and of just a general level of positivity and it is a very solid addition to the album, particularly on the sonic side.
Overall, although checking in at just nine tracks spread out over about thirty-seven minutes, "Journey Of Gratitude" is a fairly HEALTHY set. I don't listen to it and, as I often do, come away wishing there was more (well.... I do, but only because I want more of it and not because it feels incomplete which is what I mean here). It is exceptionally well done and a solid case could, perhaps, be made that it represents some of Abja's best work to date. On top of that, for those of us who're likely to appreciate such work (more hardened fans of the genre), you will LOVE much of the subtle music on display throughout "Journey Of Gratitude". I found myself often talking about how simple it was.... while nodding my head along with what I was hearing at the time. Trinity Farm Music continues their tear with an artist, in Abja, who, though maybe you originally learned of his name through searching the work of another, has shown himself to be an extremely talented artist. Want an example? Take a listen to "Journey Of Gratitude".
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