Sizzla ADD

Review

Album Review: Sizzla - The Messiah

05/28/2013

by Justine Amadori Ketola

One of reggae’s most prolific artists Sizzla returns with his 70th album The Messiah (Kalonji Music/VP Records). Since his emergence in 1995, the enigmatic vocalist has undeniably put his stamp on the genre regardless of the current style or trend. In partnership with Breadback Productions the release was mostly written and executive produced by Sizzla himself. Sizzla recently told the Jamaica Gleaner this “spiritual conscious album” compares to his early classic Black Woman & Child, released in 1997 on VP Records. He also told the Jamaica Observer why he makes music like this stating, “I do music to free the people, unite the world, heal the children.".

The album opens with a vivid psalm, Psalm 121 with its call to the highest regions, "I lift my eyes up unto the hills from whence cometh my help.".  He rides a strong groove with live drums, riffing off of the psalm text, giving himself comfort and strength to continue through the album. For Look How Many Years the artist cruises over a groove reminiscent of Sly and Robbie circa early 1980's, as he blasts the system,"look how many years deem slave I and I, look how many years, Bablyon "kill and a lie, tell Emperor Selassie a save I and I.".  

Center of Attraction continues this blast of Babylon, with Africa, as the center of attraction and how the exploitation is now underway, and how he "can't take Babylon and their destruction.". The vibe of the groove is very playful and background vocals sweetly sung, as a form of mockery of the system perhaps. Again channeling vintage vibes, this time using interpolations of Murderer by Barrington Levy and producer Junjo Lawes. Continuing the anti-imperialist sentiments, Sizzla chants that "no wicked man cannot conquer the land of Solomon" asking directly, "Why are we allowing this to happen to Africa?" delivered in a sort of Linton Kwesi-Johnson diatribe.  

Using the term The Messiah for an album title is ambitious, and in this case he uses it as a way to return again to Psalm 121 and a reminder to not become distracted and to hail the Messiah, Rastafari as the savior, as a way to stay on the path. The groove is swinging, with sequenced drums and complex background vocals.  

Chant Dem Down, burns out the Babylonians and the colonial system over a hybrid nyabinghi-hip-hop riddim with an interesting horn sound as its focus. Dem Nuh Business uses the intro of the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" to bring in a traditional one drop over which he again follows this path of calling out the Babylonians, for "the robbing and raping and killing" and how the politicians "a rob my people, in the prison they have my people, politicians they hate my people, all they do is separate my people, they poison and drug my people."  As the theme continues, Kalonji asks how the people can Suffer So Much asking for the help of the Most High to help the people.  

The theme changes to feelings of love and Good Love as Sizzla pledges to show the lady in question some good love. He mentions all of the attributes, the parts of the puzzle that would attract him to giving the said "good love" he promises, saying he wants to "show you what's up".  For One Life, he intros the tune as an ad lib in this very high falsetto that he is prone to these days, which continues in the chorus, he offers nuggets of wisdom here, like the golden rule, to take care of your temple, tell the truth, this type of advice.   

Children Bless is sung over a well-crafted riddim, inspired more by R&B than others on the set, with cool guitar sounds, live drums and percussion. This is an anti-violence song, with a pledge that Sizzla "promise I love and protect you from the wickedness".  He returns to the world leaders and politicians, placing the source of blame there, and exploring some interesting chanted rhymes which are interspersed with falsetto vocals.  

On May Di Powerz again there is a wish that the powers of Jah will keep the people protected, and give the people blessings. He goes through a laundry list of who should get blessings, and his concerns that the people are confused and need to be told the truth.
 
Returning to the love theme, Need You Right Now implores a certain someone that the artist's "entire life surrounds you, you've got my confidence 100%, love is my defense".  What A Joy bubbles over a robust one drop groove driven by keyboards, as Sizzla extols the joys of Rastafari and the knowledge that "deep down in your heart you know that love is the only thing that lasts." As the record closes out, Better Come he burns out the Rastas that better come out of the black man land with the chant, "The condition of the people's mind, is set by slave master, its so difficult at times to lead back the sheep into the pasture. They ridicule the black man's culture and they follow the white man chant, my people don't be stupid, al the great leaders were black.".

A valiant effort by Sizzla, here with The Messiah, whether it echoes the past brilliance of Black Woman & Child is up for conjecture. I welcome the artist to channel the energy and songwriting of that era as it was truly brilliant.

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