Fling Chune FRIDAY: City Gates Riddim Mix

Hap-Hap-Happy Friday and belated [Virgin Islands] Emancipation and [American] Independence Days!!  Both days were holidays here in the VI, and I did absolutely nothing with my time off.  Exactly.

Well, no that's not true. I was able to find some delicious gospel reggae music and I'm still licking my lips!  Unfortunately, I haven't been keeping up with Caribbean Christian music for the last couple of months but discovering this riddim was a great re-introduction to the scene.

It's mellow and deep, somewhat in the same vein as the dropleaf and archangel riddims.  And I am so feeling this mix--not only for the seamless transitions between tracks (big ups to the DJ!), but because every artist riding this riddim is hot!  You know, like having to skip a couple of songs because the artist just didn't do it justice... NOT on this mix.

'Nuff long talking! Enjoy as you enter into the "City Gates". :o)
pVI

Fling Chune... Sunday(?): Wanna Be Lov'd

I hope everyone is having a great weekend thus far.  My apologies for not flingin' a chune on Friday... I wasn't feeling any particular songs earlier in the week, plus I was just emotionally drained.  Normally, music is my picker-upper but I was feeling just a bit too bummy to get musically inspired (yeah, it was that serious).  So now you know part of the reason why my heart and mind are all over the place, but on top of all that, my car has been down for a while, I'm trying to make some advances in my career, and I've been sleep-deprived.  Yeah.... but God is still good, cuz things could be worse.  #truestory

Things weren't completely downhill, though.  This week, I've had some especially intriguing interactions with DarkRyderSouth on YouTube about Christian dating, interracial relationships and God's involvement in both.  He was kind enough to make some response vids on some questions/remarks that I posted so definitely check them out--great insights to consider.

So, in keeping with the vibes flowing this week, I found a chune that seems to fit the bill.  I'm not to familiar with the duo Benjah and Dillavou, but my best stab at describing their flow would be "King California reggae".  That's not an official genre, per se, but I think it fits because there is an unmistakeable reggae flava with "the King's" [Christian] lyrical content.  But there's something in there that I can't quite put my finger on, yet seems a bit "duuuude!" to me.  Maybe it's the obvious--that they're both white boys?  I dunno, but I took a liking to Wanna Be Lov'd; first because the title caught my eye but then because the topic of Christian romance is offered from a male (and Biblical) point of view.  It's far from a Scriptural treatise but I never pass up an opportunity to hear what brothers in Christ have to say. Take a listen for yourself:

Fling Chune FRIDAY: Rooted

Once again, Happy Friday to one and all! This week went by pretty fast and for that, I am truly grateful.  One of the things that kinda slowed things up, though, was my mind.  I found myself daydreaming... a lot. About what--better yet, about whom, you ask?  *sigh*  Well, that's a story for another day... But in the midst of my mind's wandering, I found it traveling down some paths that it ought not. What else is new, right?  I swear, my 'biggest' sins aren't the ones I actually commit, but the ones I contemplate...

Well, this week's chune serves as a reminder of how to get my mind right.  Dixie-Ann [Hunte] Blackman's vocals flow over an appropriately roots-reggae-vibed track, singing of the foundation that we have in Jesus.  This Trini songbird is married to Isaac Blackman, part of the musical clan of the father of soca music: Ras Shorty-I [aka Garfield Blackman; bka Lord Shorty].  The legacy is quite epic, especially since he came to know Christ and raised his tribe children to become Christian music pioneers in their own rights.  Dixie-Ann definitely holds her own in the midst of this Caribbean gospel dynasty. Listen for yourself:

Fling Chune FRIDAY: [not yo' mama's] Joy to the World

Happy Friday to one and all!  This week actually flew by kinda fast for me... maybe it has something to do with the fact that I had to relocate my workstation on the job, and I'm settling in to my new space well.

Aaaaand, it's officially the holiday season! I'm not fully in the mood yet because I'm preoccupied with a looming 'appointment' next week. *le sigh* But I'm gonna try to help things along with a Christmas chune for your listening enjoyment.

This week, we have one of the classics--Joy to the World--but done in unclassical style. Ayiesha Woods is one of my fave Christian music artists, and she brings some reggae flava to this traditional Christmas carol. She has Bermudian roots and lived there for a while, so I appreciate that she has authentic island street cred... that's probably why her accent doesn't make me cringe (yes, that was for Gabourey Sidibe in Tower Heist, and I didn't even see the movie). 

OK, ah dun wid dat. #VIaccent  ;o) Here's the song [click here]. Have a blessed weekend!

Jesus is the reason for the season!
pVI

P.S. There was no video available. And this player only allows one free listen, so don't click unless you have time to hear the whole song through.

Fling Chune FRIDAY: Overflow Riddim Mix

Praise deh Laaaawd!!! #fullaccent  Thankful to have made it through another week.  The last couple of days were physically uneventful but emotionally/spiritually charged for me, and I still feel like I'm on the edge of sumthin'... So while I'm praying for guidance, I'm gonna just put myself out there and let God do what He does best!

But one great thing that came out of the last week was getting re-acquainted with a neglected genre: gospel reggae!  For those of you who aren't familiar with the dancehall reggae music culture--rooted in Jamaica--here's what riddim means; see this Wikipedia entry for more details:

Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" (vocal part) sung by the deejay.

So today's chune is actually a mix of tracks on the Overflow riddim, done by a handful of my fave gospel reggae artists.  It comes from a series of mixes called the Street Light Mixtape by DJ Frost, and this is on vol. 5.  I love that I can enjoy Christian lyrics on wikkid riddims--and if you're interested in this one or others, check out GospelReggae.com or feel free to ask me for more info.