There’s not enough female dub/reggae singers or songwriters in the spotlights of our musical history.
I only just realised that while listening to the debut album of Jamaica’s Jah9 – and in each and every track appreciating the jazzy, soulful and refreshingly feminine vocals of She Who Is Jah9: Janine Cunningham.
There’s so much more to appreciate about the album New Name over and above the fact that Janine Cunningham has cemented a place for herself as a successful woman in the contemporary dub/reggae sphere – or as pioneer of ‘Jazz on Dub’.
To begin there are the positive, socially and spiritually-conscious content of Jah9 lyrics – and their poetic composition. Old-school Jamaican roots reggae lovers (and any switched-on new ones) would approve and appreciate, certainly.
Also Janine Cunningham’s stellar vocal phrasing.
Ever so importantly, that those Jah9 vocals are combined with contemporary reggae and dub music that is refreshingly good quality in every way.
Finally there’s the fact that Janine Cunningham not only wrote the songs, but also co-arranged and produced alongside Rory Gilligan of dancehall sound system/label Stone Love.
Jah9 – New Name (2013)
Beyond all of that, Janine Cunningham deserves more respect because it seems that she does a decent job of living out in actions, the words she sings. Through her music and lyrics, as well as her human ways of being (check out youth NGO Manifesto Jamaica for example) I’d say Janine Jah9 Cunningham is contributing lots and lots of human and womanly and musical goodness to this world of ours.
That Jah9 goodness is of great benefit to me and the world – because as a human and a woman, it inspires me to try and contribute the same level of positivity to the world in which I live; and because it also means I have the lifelong pleasure of listening to Jah9 music. You can too.
Check out these sample (dirty mp3) Jah9 tracks yourself and see if you agree that this female artist has earned her place in a spotlight of our ‘Good Music History’…
Jah9 – New Name (2013)
‘Intention’ – Jah9 – New Name
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‘Legitimate’ – Jah9 (feat. Protoje) – New Name
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Agreed?
You can buy yourself all the sounds written and recorded by Janine ‘Jah9’ Cunningham and Rory Gilligan on cd to have in your music collection forever after, through Dub Vendor – or better yet, get yourself to Jamaican shores (via Cuba 🙂 ) to find it. I promise you that Caribbean trip will be filled with a whole lot of musical goodness.
