Jahmekya

Jahmekya
Studio album by
Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
Released1991
GenreReggae
LabelVirgin[1]
ProducerGlenn Rosenstein, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers[2]
Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers chronology
One Bright Day
(1989) 		Jahmekya
(1991) 		Joy and Blues
(1993)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Chicago Tribune[4]
Robert ChristgauB+[5]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[6]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]

Jahmekya is a studio album by the reggae group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, released in 1991.[9][10][11]

The album was nominated for a Grammy.[12][9] It peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200.[13]

Production

The album was produced by Glenn Rosenstein and the band.[4] It was notable for incorporating a more contemporary Jamaican production sound.[2][7]

Stephen Marley took a more pronounced role on the album, contributing both lead vocals on two tracks as well as writing or cowriting almost a third of the songs.[14]

Critical reception

AllMusic wrote that "the album has a much tougher sound than previous records, and its digitized beats are indebted to Jamaica's dancehalls."[3] The New York Times wrote that the band "have joined their contemporaries in a sonic universe where computers and synthesizers jostle percussion and guitars, where dancehall toasting (rapping) can turn up alongside singing, and where the grooves are stark, propulsive and full of unexpected jolts."[2] Robert Christgau wrote that "the complex drive of the music, cut this time in full Tuff Gong regalia, could pass for innovative: a genuine reggae groove at pop speeds with pop horns."[5]

Track listing

  1. "Raw Riddim"
  2. "Kozmik"
  3. "Rainbow Country"
  4. "Drastic"
  5. "Good Time"
  6. "What Conquers Defeat"
  7. "First Night"
  8. "Wrong Right Wrong"
  9. "Herbs an' Spices"
  10. "Problem With My Woman"
  11. "Jah Is True and Perfect"
  12. "Small People"
  13. "So Good, So Right"
  14. "Namibia"
  15. "New Time and Age"
  16. "Generation"

References

  1. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 512.
  2. ^ a b c Pareles, Jon (June 16, 1991). "RECORDINGS VIEW; Ziggy Marley Steps Out Of His Father's Shadow (Published 1991)" – via NYTimes.com.
  3. ^ a b "Jahmekya - Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers, Ziggy Marley | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  4. ^ a b Heim, Chris. "Ziggy Marley and the Melody MakersJahmekya (Virgin)..." chicagotribune.com.
  5. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers". www.robertchristgau.com.
  6. ^ "Jahmekya". EW.com.
  7. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 717.
  8. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 450.
  9. ^ a b "Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  10. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (August 25, 1991). "POP RECORDINGS" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  11. ^ Moskowitz, David Vlado (November 15, 2006). Caribbean Popular Music: An Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313331589 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers". GRAMMY.com. November 19, 2019.
  13. ^ "Ziggy Marley". Billboard.
  14. ^ "Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 November 2020.