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QUEEN IFRICA: MONTEGO BAY (VP RECORDS, $11.99)
Listen up, reggae fans who have been frantically waiting for the next Bob Marley to rejuvenate Jamaica's quintessential musical style. What a shock that the newest contender for the reggae superstar crown happens to be a young woman. Second only to rap in misogyny, reggae has tolerated a handful of women vocalists either in Marley's shadow (Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley) or as purveyors of musical porn (Lady Saw). But Queen Ifrica (aka Ventrice Morgan) is a multitalented singer, songwriter, and rapper tackling the really tough topics most Afro-Caribbean artists dodge. Shredding reggae's misogyny, she attacks the sexual molestation of young girls and boys, the machismo of phony Rastafarians and exploitative tourists – and escapes the trap of fixated moralizer by performing a few lush love tunes you wouldn't mind Aretha recording.
Christian Science Monitor
Listen up, reggae fans who have been frantically waiting for the next Bob Marley to rejuvenate Jamaica's quintessential musical style. What a shock that the newest contender for the reggae superstar crown happens to be a young woman. Second only to rap in misogyny, reggae has tolerated a handful of women vocalists either in Marley's shadow (Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley) or as purveyors of musical porn (Lady Saw). But Queen Ifrica (aka Ventrice Morgan) is a multitalented singer, songwriter, and rapper tackling the really tough topics most Afro-Caribbean artists dodge. Shredding reggae's misogyny, she attacks the sexual molestation of young girls and boys, the machismo of phony Rastafarians and exploitative tourists – and escapes the trap of fixated moralizer by performing a few lush love tunes you wouldn't mind Aretha recording.
Christian Science Monitor
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