Ras Shortly I & His Love Circle
Jambo The Gospel of Soca
Straker's Records (US) 1984
GS 2259 (LP)
sleeve : VG+(SPSE: 6cm crack on bottom, wear on corner.)
media : VG+/VG+(some light noises caused by slightly wear and hairlines,. some small pressing-error and comes some light click noises.)
A hidden gem of an album by the legendary calypso/soca figure Ras Shorty, a singer and percussionist from Trinidad and Tobago, recorded both in his homeland and New York with his family band, Love Circle. Starting his career in the 1960s, Ras Shorty launched his own label, Shorty Records, in the 1970s, releasing a wide range of works from carnival-style calypso numbers to Afro-funky tracks, eventually establishing his own musical style known as Jamoo. This album stands as a monumental celebration of the Jamoo style, featuring a one-of-a-kind soca sound enriched by a thick rhythm section, fiery brass, and trippy synthesizers. Every track is a standout, but the most jaw-dropping is A1, where various soca tracks are seemingly cut and pasted using tape-collage techniques, overlaid with Ras’s spiritual spoken word. Also not to be missed is B1, featuring an insanely good electronic reggae beat driven by rhythm box and synthesizer. A highly recommended piece for Afro and reggae freaks alike.
A1: From Genesis to Revelation
A2: Jamoo
B1: Lamentations