Friday 05 July 2002

Friday 05 July 2002 / Miles Davis Hall
A Reggae night with Rootsman

Click on the Artist name who will be performing at the Reggae Night :

Capleton and the David House Crew / Beres Hammond and the Harmony House Family

Alton Ellis, Rico Ridroguez, Dennis Alcapone / DJ Asher Selector

	Capleton
	A decade deep into his career, Jamaica's Capleton continues to chant down Babylon in the dancehall with a fresh blast of new roots consciousness on his latest release, Still Blazin. Nicknamed for the most skillful lawyer in his native village of Islington, St. Mary, for his shrewdness, Capleton started off like most young guns breaking into the dancehall biz in the early nineties: chatting up gunplay and "slackness." But by his fourth release, 1995's Prophecy, Capleton -- much like his contemporary Buju Banton -- turned to Jah Rastafari, changed his outlook and, by doing so, helped change the course of contemporary reggae. While increasing the teaching, Capleton also embraced the swagger and rugged stance of hip-hop, using hip-hop-inspired production and cadences to give his message a broader reach. Capleton has always been able to blend militant anger with wistful positivity quite effectively. Still Blazin stokes the controversial metaphysical conflagration sparked by 2000's critically acclaimed More Fire -- a powerful album that brimmed with edgy rhythms and a bonfire of righteous Rastafarian philosophy. From the roots incantation "Behold" (featuring Morgan Heritage) to the toasting of "Mashing Up the World" and "I Will Survive" it is clear that Capleton's didactic DJing is ever-broadening and aging like a fine vintage. But it's Capleton's versatility on this project that really stands out here. He offers up rudeboy lovers' ballads on the effortless "Pure Woman" and the quiet-stormish (yet tasteful) "In Your Eyes." Capleton is also able to shift to up-tempo dancehall quite seamlessly on the churning "Cooyah Cooyah" and the rousing "Woah." Still Blazin contains all the elements of another near-classic dancehall masterpiece: crisp, textured, and often edgy rhythms; evocative melodies and delicate songwriting; as well as enormous presence and personality from a top-flight reggae artist. Capleton mixes the "upfulness" with old-fashioned good vibrations to create a singular listening experience. The maestro has once again patched together a lively and soulful mosaic of reggae music that both moves and matters