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Sizzla Album Launch
Sizzla Album Launch
What a Whoa release!
Sampler
The naysayers said you couldn’t have an album launch outside of New Kingston, that the press wouldn’t travel to the historically troubled neighborhood of Waterhouse, especially when the Sumfest launch was taking place the same night. But both the artist and the producer felt strongly that where the music was created, so should it be presented to the world, and they couldn’t have been more right. June 29 was the night that both the press and the disciples of Rastafari came together to celebrate the release of Sizzla Kalonji’s new album 'The Scriptures', together with the King himself and his family at King Jammy’s Recording Studio. Everything at the studio was fresh-up and spotless, the entire block had bright, newly white-washed curbs and was the picture of respectability.
Right from the very start, you knew the party would be special when the artist himself was one of the first to arrive. This was his night to celebrate the fruits of a year-long recording and mixing process shared with his close bredren and producer, Lloyd ‘John John’ James Jr., and I guess he didn’t want to miss a moment of it. Labor of love doesn’t even begin to describe the care they put into the creation of this wonderful body of music.
The courtyard of the studio had been covered in album posters for the occasion but by the end of the night, all of those posters would come down to be autographed by Sizzla, as he accommodated the many, many request for his words of wisdom. Journalists a-plenty were granted video-taped interviews and countless photos were taken of Sizzla and his friends and well-wishers.
Things really peaked when Sizzla performed almost the entire new album and I don’t think anyone enjoyed the exuberant performance any more than Sizzla himself. Joy was the theme of the night and this party was certainly one worth taking, to quote one of the songs from the album. The catering was supplemented by contributions from Rum Bar and thoroughly enjoyed, in addition to a sublime conch soup prepared by King’s wife Iris and of course, a never ending supply of Guinness and Red Stripe. The sacred herb was in plentiful abundance and you could witness other label heads and staff of the album’s digital distributor, Zojak World Wide, all enjoying themselves right along with Sizzla and his entourage as the party moved on to DJ-ed music that had the crowd up and dancing on the ballroom floor to many classic Sizzla tracks.
At one point when I thought the artist was leaving the party after about six hours, he instead held an impromptu prayer service outside the gates of the studio for the many youths of the neighborhood who had come to listen. An hour or so later, when it seemed like the party was finally winding down, Sizzla and John John were inspired to head upstairs to the studio to record a new song, where they were joined by Capleton. This celebration would not, could not, have been as sweet in one of the typical New Kingston hotel venues for launches and although it was expected that much of the crowd would move on to the Sumfest launch, that didn’t happen, everyone was having too much fun to leave. I can’t help but believe that other album launches to come will take the party to the people at the spacious temple to reggae music that is King Jammy’s Recording Studio.
'The Scriptures' album is available at all fine etailers in digital format and is physically distributed exclusively by Ernie B at ebreggae.com.
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Read comments (3)
| Posted by fireball on 07.07.2011 | |
| Sizzla is the greatest if the people say culture Sizzla Kalonji. Destroy everything simply great youth talent unending. |
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| Posted by mashupdiplace on 07.11.2011 | |
| Nice article! I love Sizzla! But does the article have the correct album launch date...July 29th? | |
| Posted by Camille on 07.11.2011 | |
| You are right, it is June 29th. | |
Comments actually desactivated due to too much spams
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