Jahseed
This 17 track album is perfomed in Jahseed’s (real name Adrian Anesu Mupemi) mother tounge which is Shona for almost 40% of the album.
“No retreat no surrender” is a pacy dancehall riddim and tune that has a self explanatory message.
Jahseed thanks and praise Jah for his life journey and achievements so far. He says in the tune, “ Icant give up, I cant go back”. The middle of the tune goes to a brigde with a nice mix that incarnates and imortalises this tune as one of the best classic dancehall tunes from Azanialand. Herbert Mupinga blesses this tune with original dancehall delivered verse.
No retreat, no surrender - Jahseed
Jahseed was originally born in Zimbabwe but has been plying his trad in South Africa, Johannesburg. As he says in his words, ” A slice of GP is for I ” His Zimbabwe roots are evident in tracks like “Wepamoyo” that resonates with a Shona lyrics and sounds of the Mbira, a traditional and indegenous musical instrument.
The CD also boasts an impressive sleeve design and packaging with authentic and creative African design. This is a true origanal reggae music collector.
One of the tunes featured in this album, Ital stew has been doing rounds in Joburg clubs as well as /Soweto tv, SABC tv as well as Channel O. This tune has a club feel and vibe laced with a raggamaffin delivery that threads carefully between two genres of music. Featured artist in this track is Mncedisi A Dlangamandla.
The track ” Jah is on their side” introduces a heavy dub feel throughtout and at the end of the song. This is a unique and distinct since nowadays a lot of reggae from South Africa has lost this reggae musical component as a result of influences from hip-hop and other musical genres.
“Planted” is a message to the thieves, thugs and robber who has been locked away for robbing poor people hence the chorus,” now you got what you wanted. I am so glad that you are reaping what you planted”. The tune has a nice reggae roots sound complemented by synthesizers that sound like a violin melody. This track features an artist known as Game Bansi.
This is a truly African musical masterpiece with a variety of artists from Thandiswa Mazwai from the group Bongo Maffin, who features on two tracks , “pfuma” and “hakuna ipwa“ These two track have a warm Bongo Maffin up-tempo beats delivered in style and fashion of the Kalawa Jazzmee beats. This tune is truly Bongo Maffin only minus Stoan. This influence was brought in by the production input of Bruce Dope Sebitlo who has vast experience from Kalawa jazzmee records.
Other featured artists include Herbert Mupinga , Zonke Dikana on the tune ”sound of sorrow.” I am tempted to say trax no 13 with Zonke is one of the best collaboration in this album after the one with Thandiswa Mazwai Zonke takes herself on to the maximum with the melodies she adds to this duet. She also sound professional and global.
Another dancehall no 1 track is “ times so hard” . It has a dancehall authentic feel but is still original African sound . “A who dem” , anada fire dancehall anthem burn a hotta fire pon politicians who continue to oppress and downpress as well as corrupt the people in many ways . With Sipho Sitholes ’ constant delivery that echoes like the old Jamaican Supercat m ge adds the right flavor to the tune.
Jahseed has a career spanning more than a decade in music in music perfoming alongside group members Stoan, Speedy and Thandiswa Mazwai. He has been a dj for yfm show Raggatak as well as a selector for the African storm Soundstystem alongside Admiral Kasrils. They have been rocking Joburg venues like Horror Cafe, Thando, Carwash and everywhere else.’
When Sizzla Kalonji, the world wide aclaimed Jamaican international dj and singer visited Zimbabwe and passed a glance in Joburg here in South African, Jahseed and the African Storm soundsystem were pon de controls.
As a true raggamuffin and defender of reggae music Jahseed has thrown in a considerable number of reggae tunes that reflect strongly on the veterans’ farmiliarity with the genre. Tunes like, Champion Bubler, the title track, No retreat no surrender” , “how come“, “a who dem” and “Jah on their side”
