Culturellenium Vol.2

I dunno if y'all have started to notice a trend on this blog but i tend to try and focus on non-Jamaican Reggae as i feel there is so many talented artists out there that goes unnoticed due to geographical reasons. By now we should know that Reggae has gone international, there is tons of great groups from Europe and USA but also from a whole heap a West Indian islands. Among the best of them is the Virgin Islands.

They have been around for years and their output of conscious reggae is nothing short but amazing, i could throw superlatives for forever about them but let's just settle whit that their constant output of high quality Roots Reggae defies all logic's, a label from such a small place should not have resources to put out this much good music. For those not aware of this label and the Virign Islands Reggae scene, what could be better than a compilation? Culturenium pt.2 is a very good introduction to the scene!!!!

We get 17 tracks of pure fyah, based on 3 riddims and featuring both established artists such as Midnite and Dezarie while not forgetting bout the underground acts such as Ahjahmel and Boy Blue. On a ideological level this is a fairly conservative album, being against Gays, questioning science and modern health care, denouncing the sexual revolution etc... If you are not an Rasta you may have some objections to the lyrics. I'm not big on gay bashing myself but apart from that I don't find the lyrics too questionable.

No matter how good the artists on here may be doing no one is beating Dezarie on track 2, "Waiting on Jah". This is an amazing song, not so much because of the riddim (who is by no means bad) but because of the harmonising/singing of Dezarie, I've liked her since I've first heard her (she even looks great) but this is probably the finest song of her career. She manages to create an almost middle-eastern, melancholic atmosphere on here, very beautiful. The riddim demands a lot of the artist to make it work (since it's pretty anonymous) but Dezarie squeezes out the most of it.

Another track that stands out is track 6 with the to me unknown Ahjamel who does "Dr.Jekyl" a meditation on the crooked doctors of Babylon who only makes things worse for their patients. Roots reggae usually isn't that humorous but Ahjamel manages to pull a few heavy punches at Babylon but still keep it lighthearted and evoke a smile on the faces of the listeners, you can also notice that this is a seriously personal account on something he himself experienced. Not that the riddim is bad or nothing but it's the lyrics who makes this a truly great song.

Then we got the always good Ras Attitude whit "Stop chat" whit his recommendation to all folks who talk bull about Haile Selassie I being dead etc to just simply shut up cause they got no clue. Among the hordes of new Roots artists that has come out id say that Ras Attitude is among the better and he proves himself worthy of praise on here (he got another 2 songs on here).

In general i would say that this is a very strong compilation full of great contributions from both "well known" and newer talents of the Virgin Islands scene, if you're not familiar whit it this is a great introduction and fans of modern Roots Reggae will not be disappointed