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Island Mele
Friday, May 5, 2000
Jamin explores
softer soundJAMIN "The Chief Ragga" Wong reaffirms his credentials as one of the foremost talents in local reggae music with "The System." Wong wrote and performed almost everything, including the music tracks, in this 13 song collection (THC guitarist Binghi T completes the "band").The System: By Jamin (Neos V039)
The impression overall is that Wong is going for a slightly softer and more pop-oriented sound than that of his landmark "Gold Mind" solo debut album. "Gold Mind" was one of the top five local reggae albums of 1999. "The System" finds Wong maintaining his commitment to excellence and originality. The results are as polished and viable as anything by any local artist getting high rotation play on Hawaii's "island music" radio stations.
Wong has the beats, the melodic accents, and the overall reggae pop ambience. He avoids the hackneyed dead-ends popular with the many Jawaiian and local reggae acts who sound either like imitation Jamaicans or gangsta rapper wannabes.
The songs are generally more about love than Rastafari or social issues. Several convey Christian themes. Others speak of the importance of unity. The closing number hints at Wong's appeal as a concert act; no local singer surpasses him at aggressively working a crowd.
Wong has been voraciously studying pop and roots reggae music ever since his days as the teenage member of Ho'aikane. "Bulletproof" was that group's creative zenith but Wong has continued to work at blending rap and reggae -- and now pop.
"The System" shows how far above the mean he is in local reggae/Jawaiian music.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Quicktime | MPEG-3 info
"Never Give Up" puts that title maxim to a basic reggae beat, "Keep Me In Mind" addresses a child's anxiety at a parent's departure, and "Reggae Street" is a basic reggae-beat version of the familiar "Sesame Street" television program theme.
True rastafari "dreads" abhor materialism but kids will likely enjoy "Pokemaster" as Dread and a friend brag about who has the biggest Pokemon collection.
Not all the songs on the album are really keiki oriented but astute educators will find "Keiki Reggae" useful anyway.
Mpeg Audio Clips:
Quicktime | MPEG-3 info
http://www.martydread.com
See Record Reviews for some past reviews.
See Aloha Worldwide for locals living away.John Berger, who has covered the local
entertainment scene since 1972, writes reviews of recordings
produced by Hawaii artists. See the Star-Bulletin's Today
section on Fridays for the latest reviews.
