Reggae Tip
Stephens, Tanya - Rebelution (Cd/Dvd)Releasedatum: 29 augustus 2006
Just about 2 and a half years ago Tanya Stephens returned from her self-imposed musical 'exile' to Sweden to drop the finest album of her career, Gangsta Blues. GB caught many people by surprise and set Stephens in rare air as a complete female dancehall artist, who had yet to crossover, but could still sell albums. For a dancehall album, on an indie label (VP), Gangsta Blues did amazing, reportedly selling over 100,000 copies. The now eagerly awaited Rebelution has caught no one by surprise, and it more than lives up to the sickly high standards set by GB. Rebelution is very similar to Gangsta Blues in terms of the vibe, with the only main difference being that Rebelution takes a more cultural vibe in its duration, however, musically the two are very similar. Stephens and her manager/producer, the brilliant Andrew Henton work the boards and the minimalist production here makes Stephens' greatest talent, the real star of the album. The best song on Rebelution is probably the wicked wicked first US single, These Streets. These Streets an admonishment to her lover who spends much time which rides a slightly revamped version of Marley's No Woman, No Cry riddim. Instead of going out again, she suggests he "keep your lips pon me like your marijuana". The song is lyrically strong and its not the only one here. You also check the wicked Do You Still Care, a tune about acceptance and discriminationAlso check Come A Long Way, an ode to Black leaders of the past. Come a Long Way is one of the main tune which emphasizes the differences between between Rebelution and Gangsta Blues. Also check the opener, Welcome to the Rebelution, a spoken word style piece that sets the album off on the right foot. In the package is a (now becomming more and more common in reggae) dvd. The DVD includes videos from the big hit from Gangsta Blues, Its a Pity and the first JA single Warm Dem. It also includes a private performance Tanya held in NYC for several of the tracks from the album; However, most interestingly, it includes interviews in the studio with Tanya and others. Perhaps the most interesting being when her own producer, Andrew Henton and the producer who discovered her, Barry O'Hare, discuss her lyrical ability, with Henton summing it up best as "we figured if you make music with no point, then whats the point of making the music?"
€ 32.99
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