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Life (RAS, 2001)
Although she’s a veteran DJ inna di dancehall, it wasn’t until 2001 that Angie Angel released her debut album, Life.Having recorded music since 1987, Angel has garnered much respect within the Jamaican reggae scene and even some exposure abroad (in the UK and Canada in particular) – just not enough to warrant an album until now. Life collects 9 singles that she has recorded in past years, plus 3 new songs.The age of these tracks (I’m not sure exactly how old they are) shows in the sound of the riddims, which have a distinctly early to mid-‘90s feel.Luckily, they aren’t beats that have been worn thin over the past decade, so while they feel a bit dated, they’re not obsolete. Unlike contemporary female DJs like Lady Saw and Tanya Stephens, Angie Angel uses her gruff vocals to promote conscious, Rasta-centric topics – much like the more renowned Sister Carol.There’s perhaps no more appropriate track to establish her cultural inclination than the opening one, “Rastaman,” which adapts Patra’s sexually-oriented hit “Worker Man” into a religious statement.Instead of “Man is not a man if him a nuh worker man / Man is not a man if him can’t go ten furlong” we get “Man a nuh man if him a nuh Rastaman / Man a nuh man if him nuh be heartical.”She goes on to spout fierce lyrics on love, unity, the Rastafarian faith, and particularly on female empowerment – including advocating an end to abusive relationships, ceasing “batty rider”-type clothing statements, and promoting pride.The lyrics are generally more unique than the music on Life, but in combination, they form a solidly entertaining package.“Rastaman” and the harder-edged dancehall tunes “All a di Princess” and “Love Essence” shine, as do the more soulful DJ-singer pairings “People,” “Go Wey,” and “Right Here,” which borrows from SWV’s ‘90s hit of the same name.There’s nothing spectacular to this album, but it’s certainly worthy of a follow-up; hopefully, Angel won’t have become burned out by then.
| Track Listing 1. Rastaman 2. People Unite with Bobby Blue 3. Life with Judy Mowatt 4. All a di Princess 5. Queen Omega 6. Go Wey with Bunny Brissett 7. Right Here with Desi Roots 8. Love Essence 9. How You Feeling? 10. No No No 11. Through the Race 12. It’s Coming Down |
