Search - Jah Cure :: True Reflection

The Cure Has Been Released. . .

Achis | Kingston, JA/Philipsburg, SxM | 08/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"About fifty or so years from now when the story of the musical career of Jah Cure has been written and completed (although the thought of a 78 year old Cure still singing isn't too far fetched) I will imagine that the story will easily be amongst the strangest of any career. The still young singer has attracted a HUGE level of attention over the past eight years due in part to his legal situation. Having been convicted in 1999 (which is slowly becoming a pretty long time ago) on rape and gun charges and sentences to serve fifteen years in prison here in Jamaica, Jah Cure slowly but surely became of one the biggest musical names on the island, this despite the fact that many of his fans had never even seen him as he hadn't had quite the time to build his career, being just twenty one years old at the time of his conviction. The attention was also paid to his case because of the rather frivolous matters which reportedly played a role in his conviction including his alleged victim saying that his voice sounded like the man who had committed the seriously heinous crime against her, and Cure's own allegations of a defense suffering from an extreme case of incompetence. Before his incarceration, the Hanover native had made friends in very high places. Befriending and recording with the likes of Sizzla Kalonji, Jah Mason (his best friend), the legendary Beres Hammond and Capleton (who gave the young singer his name), Jah Cure's case also became a case of his friends and others even still who championed the singer's cause in song at any time they were given a chance. His case has also been very polarizing not only here in the Caribbean but in foreign as well as those who believe that he was justly convicted ultimately say that a rapist is being uplifted by society (including a rather slamming article printed locally recently which proclaimed that the singer needs to apologize for what he is (believed) to have done); while his fans, some of the most diehard anywhere for any artist, vociferously defend his innocence at any chance and have adopted the punch line of one of his more recent pieces, Longing For, `Babylon, release the cure'. Jah Cure's case has also brought to a much greater light the rather horrid conditions in Jamaican prisons, as he and some of his more high-profile peers who were/are also incarcerated have began to tell just what the situation in the prisons are and what exactly needs to be improving, and that is a situation which figures to be in the process of being worked on.



Then there's the music. A case could be made for Jah Cure having one of the sharpest pens reggae music has ever seen as the singer writes some of the most beautiful lyrics you will ever hear and does so without EVER differentiating from his roots base. Cure also perhaps has a style which is so distinctively ROOTS based as I can just thinking off my head top, think of no roots artist (currently) who would sound more out of place on a dancehall style than Jah Cure (maybe the somewhat similarly wired Gyptian, oh and definitely Luciano and the likes)so for those of you tired of the top rootical talents crossing over into dancehall (constantly) your artist has cometh home. Jah Cure also has one of the most unusual talents you will ever hear, it is a rather large talent and something which can definitely not fly under any radar and is something you will almost immediately notice when listening to his music. This talent of his is probably best highlighted on previous singles of the artist's such as Good Morning Jah Jah where it is presented in almost an exaggerated form. If you actually LISTEN to Cure's near mythical voice you will hear one of the oddest things you have ever vibed. He has been blessed with an equally earthly and Martian toned voiced which is unlike anything you will ever hear and just when you think he has pushed it to its limit, he adds another level on top of that and even yet another. And while (thankfully) he doesn't push it to that extreme all the time, or even that very often at all, when in its most normal style, Cure's voice is still something which outshines that of most of his peers (with the possible exception of I-Wayne`s seemingly endless range) and is one of a kind as it is anything but straight forward, but flexes just enough to keep himself melodically accessible. It does definitely take a little while to become accustomed to. With nearly all of Cure's very brief pre-incarceration tunes being well covered and released within a year or two of his conviction, over the past half decade the singer has continued to wow fans and keep himself relevant by recording in prison and doing so with some of the biggest names in the business. Those who were willing to go the extra mile to voice a well-deserved talent were almost always rewarded as there was a rather nice stretch between the middle of 2004 and the end of 2006 when the singer was just about as reliable hit maker roots reggae had, this was certainly due to his highly publicized situation, but his music was just THAT GOOD as well. Producers like Vendetta, Downsound, and Lionvibes routinely voiced the singer and reaped the benefits as the public hanged on every tune and embraced and gave Jah Cure a very solid base to return to after his well anticipated release. Reportedly by design, his output slowed over the last year or so of his incarceration, although he continued to score decent sized hits on at least a semi-regular basis, the work had already been done as Jah Cure fans everywhere awaited his release from prison



That day has come. Just over a week ago as of this writing, on the morning of July 28, 2007, having served eight years, four months and 2 days of his 15 year sentence, Jah Cure was paroled to a public rabidly awaiting his release. Coinciding with his release the shrewdest of the shrewd in the reggae music industry, VP Records has released True Reflections: A New Beginning by the artist, his fourth album to date. Coming after 2000's Free Jah's Cure for J&D Records, VP has seemingly (and to their credit) been in charge of promoting Cure to the international masses as they have released each of his other three albums: 2003's ridiculously wonderful Ghetto Life, helmed by Beres Hammond (Cure`s strongest release to date); 2005's greatest hits styled Freedom Blues and now True Reflections. The album is named after the song which ahs become Cure's signature track to date, at least the signature of his incarceration, the MAMMOTH Jamaican #1 hit True Reflections. While Cure co-penned the track (Duane Stephenson, who himself has a deal with VP due to produce an album in September and a more recent combination with Cure as well, My Life) the track is yet another fine example of what his voice can really do, and combined with its subject matter and his situation at the time, made the song one of the real sentimental favorites in Jamaica over the past twenty years or so. True Reflections the album, flows pretty much in the same vein as did the Freedom Blues album as it is compiled almost COMPLETELY of not only previous singles, but previous hits, the result is an album which is seemingly built almost completely for the newer fan of Jah Cure's music, and for those like myself, who are collectors. If I even told you how the album was, and told you that it was built from songs which were absent from previous Cure albums, you would probably (`YOU' meaning the hardcore reggae head) be able to guess most of these tracks on your own, and while that fault probably goes to VP as they seemingly rushed this release to coincide with Cure's release, those of us seeking a real studio album, sleeked and well produced with predominantly new material will seemingly have to wait until 08-09 (although the singer has maintained over the past couple of years that his first post-incarceration album will be a Live recording release. . . And we'll take that too) .



Looking at this one purely musical is difficult however, as it almost too easy. Do I really need to say how wonderful a tune True Reflections is? If you have read this far into the review you have undoubtedly heard the track several dozens of times. And of course, the even older Longing For, which may be on more reggae compilations than any other song in recent memories. My own personal favorite here is probably my own personal favorite from Jah Cure's entire library as well, the Vendetta produced Love Is from the Seasons riddim. The song Conga Man, from Downsound's very very nice Maroon riddim is also one of my personal favorites which shows off another element to the singers voice, and it appears to have been at least slightly re-mastered from the original piece. Some of the more lesser known tracks, Jamaica, very very nice track about home and probably the track which should be on all of the international tourist attracting commercials for Island. Check the more recent To Your Arms of Love which is probably the biggest attraction to hardcore fans here as it has to be on any cd and the Arif Cooper produced cut on his Guardian Angel riddim apparently was gobbled up by VP as it even missed most of the local mixtapes and promos for the riddim as well. The track is typical magical Cure and while I can't absolutely say he owns the best track on the riddim (think that honor might belong to Alaine, Chris Martin may have something to that as well) but its well in the stratosphere of tracks on that well stacked riddim. The lovely Searching For a Girl, which may actually be the oldest track on the album from the Lion Paw riddim, which I believe dates back to 2001. Check Same Way, over the nice and bouncy Gideon riddim from about 2004; the very strong Cease the War (which may actually pre-date his incarceration), Cease the War is seriously one of the strongest tracks here altogether; and lastly the Gentleman combination Share the Love, which is very strong, yet suffers from being VERY poorly recorded on Cure's side of the vocals.



Would have loved to see this album get even deeper into some of the lesser known tracks if it were to be compiled in the manner that was. It would have been an excellent spot to pull out So Free, the combination with Vybz Kartel over Vertex's Runaway riddim, the notoriously underspun track which has yet to reach album form (I guess we`ll see that on Kartel`s Greensleeves album in 2008). And where is Sticky? Jah Cure's tune of the moment a little while ago which actually seemed to be a promo for True Reflections the album which was present on both VP's Reggae Gold 2007 and Jamdown riddim albums this year.



Overall, as I mentioned, this one is strictly for new fans and collectors and the TRUE collectors out there might even buy this one and not even open the packaging. When you figure that, almost undoubtedly a Jah Cure album was on the schedule from VP this year as he has released his previous two for the label two years apart, they would undoubtedly line it up for the late summer as it was announced last year would be the planned release date for the singer, it was probably done in a rush. The result is an album which makes me almost jealous for the newer fan. If `newer fan' is what you are, then by all means pick this one up, to you it will be about as lovely a reggae album as you can hear from one of the genre's greatest, yet most unusual talents. You, hardcore fan, you've been singing these tunes in your head for about two years now and have had them on regular rotation, and will probably continue to have them such. This one isn't for you. You, like the rest of the world of Jah Cure fans however, will rejoice that one of the most powerful musical forces has been released to the world and await the wondrously endless possibilities of tracks, combinations and performances which are undoubtedly to come. The cure has been released."

NO BED OF ROSES

Locks Lion | Blue Mountain Peak | 08/07/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"TRUE REFLECTIONS (A NEW BEGINNING): This is a nice collection of some of Jah Cure's recent - and not so recent - singles releases, nicely packaged by VP and distributed to coincide with the singer's own release from prison July 28 -- but there's next to nothing here that you haven't already heard if you've had even a passing interest in reggae music over the past couple years. Without any doubt, the chart-busting, Vendetta-produced pair of LONGING FOR and LOVE IS (delivered on the massive DROP LEAF and SEASONS rhythms, respectively) are Cure's biggest hits to date. A naturally gifted singer, Cure tackles these themes of love, longing and the lock-up with such passion, such belief, such raw emotion, you just can't help but be moved. The confessional TRUE REFLECTIONS ("Prison a no bed a roses, the livity it mek me bawl, I wish that Jah could come and take us back in time...") is deeply and almost uncomfortably personal, nonetheless a very powerful statement and a beautiful vocal, if somewhat controversial considering the nature of Cure's conviction. WHAT WILL IT TAKE on the Vendetta-soundalike ISTANBUL rhythm is another convincingly emotional statement. It's not all such heavy going though. Definitely one of the best cuts collected here - probably my personal favourite, actually - is the excellent SAME WAY, a much breezier, much brighter love song on the bubbling GIDEON rhythm, though the quality of the vocal recording is a fairly stark reminder of Cure's circumstances at the time. It's even more apparent on the otherwise excellent combination tune, SHARE THE LOVE, where Gentleman's vocal is crisp and clear, and Cure sounds like he's recording in, well, a concrete cell. Still, that amazing voice packs a very powerful punch, especially on such highlights as CONGO MAN (on Black & White's spiritual MAROON rhythm), the beautiful, balmy JAMAICA (a sure shot for the Tourist Board), NUH BUILD GREAT MAN (with Fantan Mojah on the SWEET SOP rhythm) and the truly outstanding MOST HIGH CUP FULL (on a speaker smashing heavyweight remake of the Wailers' SUN IS SHINING rhythm).



As far as what's not here, VP has done a pretty tidy job of rounding up the biggest and best sides that Cure's recorded over the past three or four years, but I did miss the excellent Morgan Heritage-produced I'M STILL AROUND, as well as the strong combination with Italian singjay Alborosie (or is it Al Borosie??), LIFE. I was also surprised to find that the very, very nice HI HI was overlooked, since it was previously released by VP on the Alozade-produced BINGIE TROD rhythm as a part of the RIDDIM DRIVEN series. STICKY, Cure's nice cultural number on the new JAMDOWN rhythm is also missing.



There's definitely some value in having all of these great sides available in one place, and had this been a collection of new material, it would clearly be up for a five-star rating. Jah Cure is without question the most gifted, most talented singer in reggae since the untimely end of Garnet Silk's career back in the early nineties, and it will be very, very interesting to see what he does now with real recording equipment and unlimited studio time at his disposal. But the reality is that life on the outside isn't always a bed of roses either - anyone who's done time will tell you that those first few months after parole, the "new beginning" as VP has called it, can be the greatest challenge of all. It will be a crucial time for Jah Cure, I think.



Jah bless the Cure."