ASHAKA
The title of Illinois-based singer Ashaka's debut album could just as easily be something like "It's About Time," given how long a while he's taken to get to this point. Born Linval Thomas in Jamaica, he was in his teens when he recorded one Prince Buster-produced song before moving to the U.S. and spending 22 years in the Air Force. That service ended in 1997, but it took a few more years for Thomas to adopt the name Ashaka and give music another try. I'm glad he did. Time has a fresh, punchy modern roots feel to it, with all real instruments including horns storming in support of Ashaka's here-I-finally-am vocals, which have more than a hint of Dennis Brown influence to them. The songs are an impressive bunch and cover a lot of territory- I certainly can't think of another reggae singer who would put songs entitled "Muddy Waters" and "Claude Monet" on the same album, let alone do each subject justice in unexpected ways. Lovers rock gets a nod on the title track and elsewhere, as does an earlier musical era on "Ska Groove," a lyrically loopy bit of pure fun. More serious concerns like "Conflict," "Yesterday" and "Why?" show the depth of an artist who's had plenty of life experiences and now gets to unleash the desire to sing about them. Time is a pleasure from start to finish, but be sure you also latch on to Ashaka's EP entitled Ooh, Ooh Girl, a three-song, three-dub sampler that includes the heartfelt "Save Darfur" and "Belt-Up," a humorous poke at hip hop fashion that's sure to skin a grin. Nice to see a new reggae artist getting his shot no matter how belatedly, and even nicer that the music's as good as it is.
Independent . Original . Now School Reggae