DAMIAN MARLEY (Jr. Gong)
Welcome To Jamrock
CD: |
Tracklisting: |
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| 01 | Confrontation | |
| 02 | There For You | |
| 03 | Welcome To Jamrock | |
| 04 | The Master Has Come Back | |
| 05 | All Night (ft. Stephen Marley) | |
| 06 | Beautiful (ft. Bobby Brown) | |
| 07 | Pimpa's Paradise (ft. Stephen Marley & Black Thought) | |
| 08 | Move! | |
| 09 | For The Babies (ft. Stephen Marley) | |
| 10 | Hey Girl (ft. Stephen Marley & Rovleta Fraser) | |
| 11 | Road To Zion (ft. Nas)  |
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| 12 | We're Gonna Make It | |
| 13 | In 2 Deep | |
| 14 | Khaki Suit (ft. Bounty Killer & Eek-A-Mouse) |
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REVIEW IN ENGLISH: SOURCE: ROOTS MUSIC Reggae & Dancehall AUTHOR: Teacha Dan 
Damian Marley's latest album is smartly named after the chart busting single that features on it. Welcome To Jamrock is an original and highly energetic urban mix of reggae, dancehall, r&b and hip hop with a distinct Jamaican feel to it thanks to Damian's patois interspersed vocals. After his debut album Mr. Marley (Ghetto Youths, 1996), and after Halfway Tree (Motown / Ghetto Youths, 2001), this is Damian's third album. Damian Marley was born in 1978 out of the affair Bob Marley had with Jamaican Miss World 1976 Cindy Breakspeare. This is not to be frowned upon by European standards for in the largest part of the world extramarital children are very common, and Bob certainly had his share. In Jamaican English there is even a term to describe women who bear children like this, people name them baby-mothers. Of all the Marley heirs who are making it in the music business nowadays Damian, who is also know as Jr. Gong after his father, is surely the most engaged, consistent and talented one. His talent in combination with the terrific production skills of his older half brother Stephen Marley has already led to a Grammy Award for Halfway Tree when Damian was only twenty-two years old. Welcome To Jamrock is produced in similar fashion and it will not be a surprise when the awards come his way again. In comparison with his previous album this one has slightly fewer reggae songs but it comes with an even stronger message. Damian has come of age and engages all sorts of global and local issues with his firm faith in Ras Tafari. His lyrics are very sharp and witty and he bends his delicious rhymes in typical Jamaican style. He is at his best when he is gun mouthing his dj skills, raving on with his very recognizable husky inbred Marley voice over bombastically pounding riddims. But there are also some easier gems like 'There For You' and there is even a reworking of an ancient Skatalites tune named 'All Night'. There are funk hooks, vokoders, African influences, eastern melodies and hip hop cross-overs all mixed into one amazingly consistent urban reggae album. Damian has again reworked some of his fathers songs for Welcome To Jamrock. 'Pimpa's Paradise' is a modern semi acoustic cover version with added lyrics. 'Move!' is based on 'Exodus' and contains samples of Bob's original. Guests vocal appearances by Damian's co-producer Stephen spice the mix up even more. But also artists like Nas, Black Thought, Bounty Killer, Eek-A-Mouse and Bobby Brown pitch in. Even Bunny Wailer, Marcus Garvey and Selassie himself can be heard delivering their messages. When the album Welcome To Jamrock was released mid September 2005 it became an instant success largely thanks to the preceding hit single by the same name. The album entered The Billboard 200 at position 7 and thus became the biggest selling reggae release ever. It has been hailed by critics as the best reggae album ever and has already won the prestigious MOBO award in the Best Reggae Act category in England where the album was first released. The British also get an extra track on the album as a UK only bonus track 'Carnal Mind' is included on their release. Welcome To Jamrock is a very contagious and energetic set and the album does not contain one boring second. (Teacha Dan, 2005) |
