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Omi
Omi … Poised for Stateside success. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images
Omi … Poised for Stateside success. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

The Playlist: reggae, dancehall and soca – Omi, Boogat, Busy Signal and more

This article is more than 8 years old

Our latest round-up has tracks to keep the carnival spirit alive, and one big hit that should finally see Caribbean music make inroads in the US

Kirk Brown – You’re Number 1

There’s no time for carnival tabanca when there are still events to look forward to in the eastern Caribbean. Barbados’s August Crop Over festival is a reliable source of new, post-Trini carnival soca. Reliable singer and radio personality Kirk Brown brings the summer warmth on the infectious You’re Number 1. It’s already racked up almost as many views as his 2013 hit Don’t Tell. The track has a strong pop feel while maintaining a groovy soca sensibility, but the soaring strings and singalong hook mean it also might appeal to folks who aren’t necessarily road warriors.

Boogat – Me Muero Por Ti

The Montreal-based MC Boogat used to record primarily French hip-hop, but when he switched to Spanish his musical influences seemed to multiply, and his most recent album, Neo-Reconquista, has a bit of everything, including reggae. The romantic ballad Me Muero Por Ti has just enough echo to provide a throwback 70s roots reggae feel while including modern pop harmonies. Yes, Boogat also does hip-hop, cumbia, electro and reggaeton, among others, but Me Muero Por Ti is hopefully not his last reggae outing.

Nomaddz – Nuh Guh Deh

Nomaddz have become known as a theatrical part of the reggae revival. Their dub-poetry inspired tracks – see the incredibly infectious Rise Above Profanity (Poo Puku Poo) – and R&B crooning (try Romance) have marked the group as rather versatile. On Nuh Guh Deh, Nomaddz use their talents in the cause of change. With support from Unicef, UNFPA, UNDP, and UNAIDD, Nomaddz have composed a piece of serious social commentary that is also a memorable tune. And all proceeds from sales of the single go to the Jamaican NGO Eve for Life to help prevent sexual abuse and support victims.

Busy Signal – Welcome

One of the most reliable dancehall artists out there is Busy Signal. From last year’s huge version of the hit Personally by Nigerian stars P-Square to the recent 90s-dancehall styled What if?, Busy always has something up his sleeve. “Welcome” is no exception. It also has a bit of a 90s bounce going on, and it’s a reminder that dancehall can still be heaps of fun. If you can’t get enough, there’s the even more recent Always, which has a thoroughly enjoyable bounce as well.

Omi – Cheerleader

Sure, this is hardly a new tune, but it’s an important touchstone in terms of popular music coming from the Caribbean. Originally released in 2012, the still-relatively-unknown-in-Jamaica Omi has what just might be the song of the summer for 2015. Since Gyptian’s Hold Yuh there hasn’t been a Jamaican tune that has made what seems like a big splash in the US. Like the Gyptian track, Cheerleader had been kicking around for a while before getting attention. Also like Hold Yuh, it has a catchy piano line, but that’s just about where the musical comparisons end. Adding to its hit potential is the warm, house-y treatment by German producer and DJ Felix Jeahn. It’s been a hit in Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and now it seems as if it might also be a success in the US this summer.



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