Yes Mi Friend We Di Pon Street Again
Reggae and Dancehall legend Buju Banton is riding waves of many emotions in his new anthology Upside Downwardly 2020, released on June 26. After waiting in vain for so long, the news of peradventure hearing more than original music from Jamaica's favorite messenger came to fruition in late 2018 when Buju was finally released from United states of america federal prison or the 'workhouse' equally he calls information technology.
This is non Banton just pushing out music to slake the expectations of his fans. There is deliberate intent behind every attribute of the album, even the name. 'Upside Down' comes from the Gargamel's views of how things are perceived and at present accepted in the new fashion of life. "In a globe where good is chosen bad and lies are accepted as truth, and the guilty tin be fabricated innocent and the innocent tin can be made guilty, why wouldn't I call the album Upside Down? Banton said in an interview with Munchy at Reggaeville.
Relevant yes, but could the aforementioned be said for what'south inside the album? While things aren't so 'upside down' in in that location, they are quite haphazard, but what cracking album isn't?
Taking on global economical bug, sharing intimate feelings never heard before, demonstrating his flexibilities in music and imparting spiritual credence and knowledge to the people, Upside Downwards 2020 is a polygonal piece of work reflecting a more refined and quite seasoned Buju Banton.
Xx tracks are a lot, just the fusion of contemporary sounds and throwback styles carried by that familiar thunderous and demanding tone makes a terrific reintroduction of an creative person who has been gone for too long.
As we discovered some unexpected features and cruised through intimate journeys in that location were a few resonating elements, so let's become into our x takeaways from Banton's 'Upside Downwards' world.
First, let's start with a prayer
Buju literally utters a prayer over his new album. The starting time single on the runway-list Lamb of God is a humble cry to the Almighty for mercy. Through impactful lyrics, we can imagine Buju on bended knees equally he messages this 'Negro spiritual' (Rasta don't sing gospel) ballad. Exactly the way he started his Long Walk To Liberty concert at the Jamaica National Stadium in March 2019, just 3 months afterwards his release.
He's happy to be costless – 'Man deh pon street over again.'
Yes, of class, he'south happy to exist costless, merely information technology's moving to hear him say it. Buju opens upwards to reveal what we all have assumed was one of the hardest things he has had to endure in his life. Yeah My Friend with Stephen Marley and Buried Live are heavily versed about this unfortunate journey.
Yes My Friendwas touchingly put on brandish during the Welcome To Jamrock cruise in December 2019.
"Their walls could not hold I, so they had to turn me loose/ how in Jah earth could this exist? They take no no idea what they have done to me/ but I thank Jah the day I human walk free," Buju sings in Yes My Friend.
So to tribute a friendship that is and so genuine, he thanks Marley for showing a certain kindness that is rare. "10 years of trial and trade, clean and pure middle make man prevail. For my freedom ah' y'all put up di bail, now man deh a road, shout information technology pon the principal."
Buju too describes his experience in jail as being 'Buried Alive' as the single is titled. Nevertheless, he's all the same breathing, and there must be a reason, so with 1 more than run a risk at life, he is determined to win.
Ole male child Gargamel has nevertheless got it.
With a music career spanning more than than 30 decades, it's quite an astonishing talent being able to keep up with the evolving trends in music. Let's not forget Buju has been off the music scene for near ten years now.
Listening to a few of his tracks, it'due south like he was never gone, but more surprisingly, the old-timer shows off his lively up-to-the-minute musical chops. His sound and delivery on singles such as Cherry Pie, Blest, Trust, Beat Dem Bad, and Call Me are undeniably hip and trendy.
On these fresh beats, he confidently plays with the pitches in his vocal to effectively meet the flows on the rhythms of the songs. Like his previously released single Trust says in the intro, "new style, new period," Gargamel'southward sound is simply timeless.
Lots of songs and lots of genres
Buju has said in the by that he doesn't come across himself locked into i genre of music, and you lot can tell in Upside Down 2020. There is an exciting synthesis of Afrobeat, old jazz, pop, reggae /ska, dancehall, and Negro Spiritual in the album.
Aye My Friend, Buried Alive, Appreciated, Steppa, and Helping Hands all have old reggae melodies, which find Gargamel in his truthful chemical element for some very seamless deliveries.
Blessed, Crush Dem Bad, Trust, Call Me, and Cheated are piece of cake dancehall tunes, merely some are lightened with soulful hooks.
Then in that location are his rhapsodic plays on pop and jazz with singles like Cherrie Pie and Good Time Girl respectively. Memories and Lovely State of Mind are smooth, soulful ballads, and Moonlight Love is a mingling of a little ska piped in with jazzy flows.
Lamb of God is a strong religious hymn, and The Earth Is Changing, 400 Years, Rising Up too as Unity are powerful roots and civilisation rhythms with the latter reverberating the drumming of Afro beats.
He shockingly pulls-off his silky sounding collaborations
Almost of the collaborations on the album beginning with his featured guests. Cherry Pie with Pharrell Williams especially has the rapper/singer dropping his usual sweetness falsetto tones on a quick popular-infused rhythm. To imagine Buju'south powerful timbres on the track waves uncertainties but with a seamless insertion, the dancehall deejay chimes in to deliver an immaculate riddim-riding showdown.
In Memories with John Fable, the euphonious singer sweeps soft blissful pitches in this classic beloved song. Even though Buju stays true to his thunderous lyrical commitment, the teaming blends well for an easy listening experience.
Gargamel is in love
There are quite a number of songs (actually 8 of them) versed direct almost honey and his relationship with the ladies or more likely a 'lady'. Lovely Country of Mind is the nearly obvious, the single finds a smitten Buju lulling, "I am falling in honey/ now I'yard smiling all the time/ I accept finally found a love that is truly mine. Happy like a kid in a candy store/ the dearest I am seeking is right at my door/ walk correct in, my beloved is pure."
In Appreciated, he mentions 'her' again, "No 1 ever touched me the mode you touched, exit me wanting you and then much. Daughter I've got to let you know." Then in Moonlight Love, he says, "Have I told y'all what you mean to my life, like dearest on a stormy night/ pinch myself wondering if I'1000 in a dream."
Call Me with Stefflon Don is another story … see more than about that below.
Speaking of girlfriends, sometimes they cheat
You'll never hear this in the media or the news; it takes a long-awaited anthology release from Banton himself to finally know whatever happened to his relationship later he went to jail … ofcourse he had a girlfriend.
Well, he gives u.s. the inside scoop in his single Cheated (runway #14). She cheated, she lied (it wasn't her 'cousin'), "When di trouble tek mi, you were nowhere effectually/ showed di real you when I got locked up, not fifty-fifty a postcard," he sings … Ouch!
It doesn't end at that place; singles such equally Skillful Time Girl says the good times are gone and and then is she, "At present I'g standing all lonely, no i to call my ain." When he needed that supporting shoulder to lean on, she 'turned her dorsum when he needed a mitt'.
Memories is actually most a break-upwards … she left a message to explain herself. He sings, "she said, I've tried, even avert surrounding distractions and outside noise, merely nosotros've both made mistakes and nosotros both lied." Banton says, there's no honey lost though. No matter how many friendships come and go the spot that she touched is even so tender and soft.
Buju gets sexy with Stefflon Don
This is the simply time you hear Buju really let loose in the anthology, yeah there are his torrential love songs, Lovely Country Of Mind and Appreciated, even Cherry Pie boasters his prestige as a gyallis and so gets a picayune raunchy.
Call Me featuring dancehall vixen Stefflon Don, on the other hand, gets much more than spicy. "Mi cyaa wait till tomorrow, mi a telephone call yuh tonight/ mek certain yuh come yah and then fi wine a erect up, ehh a going make sure dat yuh believe/ trust mi when mi enter yuh, you lot wont want me leave/ upside downward the whole 40 acres", Buju assures Stefflon as he flexes his stallion lyrics.
She and so says, "Anytime mi back it up, yuh temperature buck/ pull it push it in dorsum, yuh haffi kiss a sweat/ mi badda dan a pack a cigarette/ di sum'n weh mi give yuh mek yuh body sanctified, mek yuh sing lullaby/ like dread we a go lock ii a we a combine."
Heed hither –
He'southward an oldies fan for sure
Buju has crafted many of his 'new' singles with old and nostalgic flavors. Lovely State Of Heed, Expert Time Girl and Moonlight Dearest are soul infusions that are all quite reminiscent of classic Rhythm and Blues music from the '70s and '80s. The blend of American jazz and rocksteady flows undeniably expresses his love for 'oldies' songs.
Cached Alive and Appreciated, fifty-fifty though they are rich reggae compositions, likewise have old derivative strains of an earlier time.
Things become a fiddling serious in the end.
The anthology takes on a more than serious tone in the terminal quarter; The World Is Changing raises the topic of migrants crossing the borders and economic warfare. 400 Years is a musical Rastafarian motility, "We've been likewise long in Babylon, '400 years'…I homo never seize my fire till Babylon was fire, Banton says in the lyrics.
Rising Upwardly is a fight for people's rights and pointing out the wrongs in society while highlighting that a revolution is happening everywhere across the globe. Banton sings, "At that place'due south low wage and high price market/ how will we feed our piddling boys and girls, have you ever seen water carried in a basket." then makes his proposal for positive changes.
Helping Paw follows, and fifty-fifty though information technology sings like a traditional life lesson, "If you see your blood brother or sister falling, lend a helping mitt," Buju also warns, "The Spirit of Jah may not e'er strive with man."
The album ends with Unity, and similar the title, Banton asks the people/his listeners, "Look how long we've been fighting each other? … The just way forrad is unification."
Stream Buju Banton's Upside Down 2020 below.
Source: https://www.dancehallmag.com/2020/06/29/features/ten-takeaways-from-buju-bantons-new-album-upside-down-2020.html
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