Journey (J&D, 2001)

Qshan Dia (born Kellis Quashie) is a singer who's quietly making a name for himself...although you may not know how to pronounce it.  Still mostly an underground figure, his debut Journey nonetheless has received consistent praise from critics -- those who've been able to locate the elusive album, that is.  Looking at the cover, I was expecting to hear a lot of acoustic guitar -- perhaps something like Screwdriver's Prophecy -- but aside from "What Is Meant For Me Shall Be," "Jahovah," and "Hallelujah," the latter 2 of which do sound rather Screwdriver-like, there is little eclecticism in the sound; it's pretty much straightforward modern roots.  Thus, I was a bit under-whelmed when I first listened to Journey.  To top it off, Qshan Dia definitely comes from the same school of vocal style as Luciano and Bushman, so it's hard to feel like he's really established his own sound.  Granted, you could've said the same thing about Bushman (in comparison to Luciano) when he debuted, but the strength of his body of work since then has spoken for itself.  (It remains to be seen how Dia's career turns out.)  That said, Journey is certainly a promising first step in establishing Qshan Dia as an identifiable force in reggae; indeed, his inclusion as the "4th wiseman" on the Three Wise Men Volume 2 album alongside Luciano, Sizzla, and Junior Kelly implies high expectations.  Overcoming my initial misgivings, I came to appreciate the passion, the melodic flow, and the rich roots and light dancehall sound.  Tracks like "A Time," "Together Forever," "Hallelujah," "Journey," and particularly the righteous "God's Identification" are powerful statements . . . even if they do sound like Luciano.