This month’s listening picks from the Caribbean — featuring new music from Jimmy Cliff; Leyla McCalla; Hezron; and Lee Foss & Annalie Prime
Jimmy Cliff
Refugees (Sunpower Productions/UME)
Reggae music offers perspectives on Caribbean realities that often resonate globally. An initial catalyst that “introduced reggae to the world” was the 1972 film The harder they come, starring Jimmy Cliff as Ivan Martin – a country boy who came to town in search of reggae stardom, only to end up as a wanted criminal. Fifty years later, the iconic Cliff is still at the forefront of keeping reggae in the international consciousness. His new album balances a variety of love songs with some thought-provoking anthems. The title track – a collaboration with Haitian-American star Wyclef Jean – reflects an increase in recognition of the status of refugees and shines “a light on people forced to flee”, identifying the historical plight of refugees as an ongoing tragedy of existence human. Thirteen tracks showcase a voice that thrilled the 1970s and now shows what greatness sounds like, having kept the flame alive when others passed. An important memento of a career milestone.
Leyla McCalla
Breaking the thermometer (anti-record)
Haitian stories are sometimes tinged with a kind of tragedy that can evoke anger and rage, or inspire a kind of creativity that repairs our perceived lack and powerlessness. Haitian-American Leyla McCalla developed a multimedia theater piece about Jean Dominque—the owner of the pioneering Kreyòl-language Radio Haiti, and an outspoken critic of Baby Doc’s callous and corrupt regime—who was killed by as yet unknown, but possibly vindictive. criminal enemies. This album is born from that project, with 15 original songs, re-created folk songs and audio excerpts in both Kreyòl and English that sublimely capture the pathos, intrigue and bleakness of the story. McCalla’s voice, once described as “disarmingly natural,” turns the themes of this ugly episode into songs to be heard and understood. Cello and banjo become her primary instruments as she revisits the legacy of a martyr and invites us to learn. Epic!
Hezron
Moama [Man On a Mission] (Tad’s Records)
Hezron (Clarke) says this – his new album – “in its truest sense, is a mission to bring great Jamaican music and music back into the mainstream … It’s a reminder of where reggae is supposed to be in the world.” And with that mission statement, Hezron weaves his way through the 16 tracks here, in the style of Beres Hammond and Denis Brown, to reinforce the idea that beyond conscious lyricism, reggae music had American soul and R&B as original influences—and now the new poster-boy for these jams is alive and kicking. The title tells us that he is the ideal man for this job: I don’t know ’bout dem, yuh know / Whoever say meh so meh can’t do it / Meh told dem meh go harder. In other words, I will prove the doubters wrong. With love songs and soulful melodies that dig with a modern production aesthetic, harkening back to the days of the lovelorn rock genre’s dominance, this album is a happy reminder of why reggae has universal appeal.
Lee Foss and Annalie Prime
Blue Dew (Mars Repopulation) • Single
American producer and DJ Lee Foss has harnessed the currency and vocal magic of Trinidadian pop singer Annalie Prime to enhance this house music banger. Prime – whose popular sophomore album of 2021 nine was rewarded for its fresh take on island realities – has been on the lips of a new generation of local influencers and music fans looking for new and original expressions of Caribbean character. She also caught the ear of movers and shakers in the wider music industry for her unique timbre and vocal flow. On this song, Foss made a smart choice by combining her child-like vocal tone with lyrics that read on paper like a heady love story full of fear: I close my eyes, I feel like I’m falling / Too soon, mountain blue, I heard the sunset calling / Save me mountain dew, I don’t want to fall / I’m afraid to fall for you, for you / My heart beats in two, one for me , one for you / Blue dew, blue dew. Hallmarks of a hit here.
