MR IRIEMAN

...Jah Love Is Truly A Blessing...

(p) 2008

CD:

Tracklisting:

 
01 Dirty Heart  
02 For So Long We've Been Together  
03 Searching So Long  
04 My Girl Lollipop  
05 My Woman  
06 Baby I Love You  
07 Tell Me The Reason Why  
08 Riddim  
09 I've Got To Go Back Home  
10 Let's Build Our Dreams  
11 Dancing Mood  
12 Tickle Me Once  
13 True Believer  
14 Where Is The Love  
15 Tickle Me Once (ft Shocking Murray)  
16 Jah Love Is Truly A Blessing  
SUNVIBE RECORDS, SUNCD 017 CD

REVIEW IN ENGLISH:
SOURCE: ROOTS MUSIC Reggae & Dancehall
AUTHOR: Teacha Dan



Mr Irieman was born in Buff Bay, Jamaica and like so many Jamaicans he received his musical upbringing through his mother's church congregation. He was the local church band drummer and so, together with his two sisters got some early age stage experience. He never chased a career in music but when he migrated to Germany in 1994 and met with the local Jamaican community he was lit by a new spark.

One of the people he met in Germany was Ras Flabba who had recently set up his own Sunvibe Records label. Ras Flabba also booked and promoted shows and Mr Irieman soon found himself on stage as master of ceremony. They joined forces for some Sunvibe Crew shows highlighting upcoming Jamaican talents in 1997. When the crew dissolved in 1999 Mr Irieman became co-owner and organiser of the Sunvibe studio and this resulted in him singing occasional backing vocals for recordings and in 2000 he took to the stage for the first time as a solo singer.

…Jah Love Is Truly A Blessing… is Mr Irieman's debut album and features sixteen tunes of which only two were written by Irieman himself. The bulk of the songs on the album are reinterpretations or straight-up cover versions, including versions of some very classic tunes. Since Mr Irieman is not the most gifted of vocalists these versions often only make you want to go back to the source. His version of Millie Small's 'My Boy Lollipop' is especially ugly, it does not even hint at the energy that made the original a worldwide hit record.

It is sad to have to note that the best piece on …Jah Love Is Truly A Blessing… is the only track with guest vocals. 'Tickle Me Once' is also included as a solo version but the preferred take features deejay Shocking Murray who was once part of the Sunvibe Crew and now resides in England where the gifted deejay has been steadily making his mark.

Not all is bad on …Jah Love Is Truly A Blessing… and sometimes Irieman's monotonous voice actually works in his advantage. The small range of his voice sounds surprisingly good on his self penned 'Tell Me The Reason Why', where his few false notes could easily be mistaken for emotion. 'Let's Build Our Dreams' is a fine interpretation of a not too well known song by John Holt and his take on Delroy Wilson's 'Dancing Mood' hits the mark. The production and the riddims contained in this album are Sunvibe's most consistent yet.

(Teacha Dan, May 2008)