When I first saw and heard the Wailing Souls perform--dreadlocked singers Pipe and Bread jogging in synch and they criss-crossed the stage--I likened their high-energy stage performance to a tv commercial presented by the Jamaica Tourist Board. How appropriate that years later their cd would be called Souvenir from Jamaica (Artists Only). The title track plays just like an advertisement for the island, calling out Jamaica's landscape, ladies, and the "Out of many one people" motto. And until you read the album credits, you'll swear that that guest dj on "Souvenir from Jamaica," Ragga Z, is Shaggy, perhaps Jamaica's current #1 musical ambassador. Ragga Z absolutely nails Shaggy's style. Musically, the tracks on Souvenir utilize some of Jamaica's most in-demand players, Sly & Robbie, Dean Fraser, Nambo Robinson, Chico Chin, Steve "Lenky" Marsden, and other top session musicians. To their credit, the Wailing Souls and the players exhibit creativity without needing to recycle old hit rhythms. Of the two singers, Pipe (You might remember his vocal performances on older hits like "Back Out with It," "Row Fisherman," and "Shark Attack") has the distinctive and polished voice, yet each man sings lead on 6 of the 12 cuts. Overall, the Wailing Souls deliver a traditional-sounding reggae album that will cater to even casual fans of Peter Tosh, Lucky Dube, Culture, and Bob Marley.






 by Quatty, ReggaeTrain.com
 E-Mail: info@reggaetrain.com