Queen Ifrica’s (real name Ventrice Morgan, daughter of ska and rocksteady maestro Derrick Morgan) ‘Welcome to Montego Bay’ is a strong and varied album of reggae styles, with a deep feel of Africa that shows off her vocal talents to full effect. The album is produced with the help of many different producers, including the likes of Donovan "Don Corleon" Bennett, Kemar “Flava” McGregor, Adrian & Steve Locke, Rickman Warren, plus Tony Rebel, who after hearing her sing way back in 1998 asked her to join him at his Flames label, and more. These different producers have obviously helped with the LP’s diverse feel, but this has also not ruined any flow or consistency to the finished product.
The album starts with nyahbingi chant T.T.P.N.C (Tribute to the Pitfour Nyahbinghi Centre), before hitting you with title track ‘Montego Bay’. This tune which rides along on a bubblin’ dancehall riddim is far from being a Jamaican tourist board welcoming “how great it is here” message, but rather a stark look at the inconsistency between Montego Bay's plush five star, all inclusive resorts, and the grim realities of a city suffering from high rates of poverty, violence and unemployment. In fact there are quite a few songs on here with a very strong social commentary, which I suppose you might expect from someone who has worked with many outreach programs in Jamaica's inner-city, counselling abuse victims and other disadvantaged individuals as well as working with UNICEF. The strongest of these social tunes though has to be ‘Daddy’, a powerful and poignant look at child abuse and incest, which reportedly some parts of Jamaica tried to ban and some DJs did not want to promote. Which is a shame for a song that although is perhaps a bit uncomfortable makes it’s point very well, and is hard hitting without being over dramatic
Don’t however let this make you think the LP is all doom and gloom without a lighter side. ‘Coconut Shell’, which sounds a bit like it a derivative of The Abyssinians' ‘Satta Massagana’ riddim, is a blatant ode to herbalisim, while ‘In My Dreams’ and ‘Far Away’ are both beautiful lovers tunes, that never gets too syrupy.
In my opinion "Montego Bay" is an extremely strong set of tunes, by a Lady who knows how to write a good song and deliver it with great vocal style, and who on the strength of this could be in for some big times ahead.
The album starts with nyahbingi chant T.T.P.N.C (Tribute to the Pitfour Nyahbinghi Centre), before hitting you with title track ‘Montego Bay’. This tune which rides along on a bubblin’ dancehall riddim is far from being a Jamaican tourist board welcoming “how great it is here” message, but rather a stark look at the inconsistency between Montego Bay's plush five star, all inclusive resorts, and the grim realities of a city suffering from high rates of poverty, violence and unemployment. In fact there are quite a few songs on here with a very strong social commentary, which I suppose you might expect from someone who has worked with many outreach programs in Jamaica's inner-city, counselling abuse victims and other disadvantaged individuals as well as working with UNICEF. The strongest of these social tunes though has to be ‘Daddy’, a powerful and poignant look at child abuse and incest, which reportedly some parts of Jamaica tried to ban and some DJs did not want to promote. Which is a shame for a song that although is perhaps a bit uncomfortable makes it’s point very well, and is hard hitting without being over dramatic
Don’t however let this make you think the LP is all doom and gloom without a lighter side. ‘Coconut Shell’, which sounds a bit like it a derivative of The Abyssinians' ‘Satta Massagana’ riddim, is a blatant ode to herbalisim, while ‘In My Dreams’ and ‘Far Away’ are both beautiful lovers tunes, that never gets too syrupy.
In my opinion "Montego Bay" is an extremely strong set of tunes, by a Lady who knows how to write a good song and deliver it with great vocal style, and who on the strength of this could be in for some big times ahead.
Tracklist
01. T.T.P.N.C
02. Montego Bay
03. Coconut shell
04. Lioness on the rise
05. Yad to the East
06. Far away
07. Don't sign
08. Daddy
09. Keep it to yourself
10. Calling Africa
11. In my dreams
12. Streets are bloody
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