REGGAE LOVERS~ Have you come across the Emeterians?
If not,
actively seek them out to experience a band that is genuinely on a level with
the Reggae greats. Listen to their new album, ‘Power of Unity’ and you will instantly
agree as traditional roots reggae vibes flow into your aura, especially ‘Lesson
Fe Learn,’ which has a really cool Third World 96 degree feel to it- specifically because of their use of the
minor key.
The Emeterians are clearly very spiritual people who have a
high regard for humanity, noticeable as it flows throughout the album. They're a group of 3 who are clearly connected with each other and live a lifestyle based on Rastafarian values; reflected in their
song choices. Traditional topics such as love and unity are covered in a clear
cut way through straight forward lyrics which project a clear, direct message making
them 'easy on the ear' enabling you to focus on the instrumentals. Check out these lyrics from ‘Not Always Easy’ - chances are that you will instantly relate to the sentiment! In fact,
you can study all the song lyrics in the booklet provided-
‘Life is not always easy
Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose
Oh I say, Life is not always easy
Sometimes it plays you cool
Sometimes it plays you for a fool’
The timbres of the Emeterian’s voices
are beautiful, particularly Mary Jane who has a distinctly soulful sound suited to different musical styles.
As I was contemplating the possibility of a more commercial cross over sound,
(not suggesting it) ‘Send Me Some Love,’ started playing and for a minute I wondered if
we had swapped genres! This track almost has a Marvin Gaye or Boys To Men type
of flavour for the duration of the first few bars however up-beat reggae notes quickly commenced, revealing the intro to be an interesting interlude which succeeded in adding a little
variation to the Roots Reggae package.
'Too Many Weapons' touches on a subject that is permanently current, sadly, speaking about weapons in the neighbourhood and the world, creating a powerful opening to the album with the subsequent track 'Judging Not,' clearly spelling out the value of individualism and the right to own your opinion whilst refraining from judging others. In some ways the challenging lyrics have led this to becoming a favourite of mine and I definitely appreciate the classic musical patterns and use of a traditional horn section which features throughout the album. Must mention that the collaborations with different artists such as Aurora Garcia, Astrid Jones and Ras Kuko add to the high quality achieved throughout.
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| Howard Powell |
I really enjoy listening to this album and was doing so in the presence of Howard Powell (international cricketer, currently playing for
Dartford, UK) who was very impressed and said:
‘This
band is so good Jaz I’ll have to take their music back to Jamaica!’
I’ll second that and in fact it needs to go universal as the potential of the
Emeterians is huge.
In conclusion, with 15 quality tracks on offer this album is
excellent value for money and provides many hours of pleasurable listening
backed up with positive messages- ~IB~ recommendation: Buy your own copy~ Support great Reggae music.
Jaz McKenzie
We review different musical genres on ~IB~ and welcome your comments. For more info contact: itsbraap@live.co.uk
We review different musical genres on ~IB~ and welcome your comments. For more info contact: itsbraap@live.co.uk
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