Ziggy Marley And The Melody Makers - Jahmekya (1991)

“Jahmekya” is a 1991 studio album by the reggae group Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.
Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers was a Jamaican Reggae family group whose line-up consisted of the children of musicians Bob Marley and Rita Marley, which includes lead singer Ziggy Marley with Sharon Marley, Cedella Marley, and Stephen Marley. Formed in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name The Melody Makers.
From their earliest days, Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers had gloried in crossing over sounds and blending genres, shoving reggae into the pop world, then dragging it out to the discos. But now the group was swiftly outgrowing this teenybop phase, maturing into adults with more sophisticated tastes. Ziggy was no longer the main songwriter, as his siblings joined in, notably David, who composed many of the tracks on “Jahmekya”. The album has a much tougher sound than previous records, and its digitized beats are indebted to Jamaica's dancehalls. Stephen's growing interest in this scene is evident on "Raw Riddim," a pure dancehall number, stripped down to the beats. However, the other members of the group are pulling away from influences of their homeland toward the urban contemporary sounds pouring from the U.S. Much of “Jahmekya” explores this style, twining in funk, soul, and modern R&B into the group's mix. Of course there's still a sprinkling of reggae pop tracks and rootsy dance numbers, but it's clear that the group is moving beyond these old sounds and evolving a more contemporary style. This album would lose Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers much of their pop fan base, but earn them a more loyal adult audience. Once again, it was nominated for a Grammy; however, this time the group did not win.


01.  "Raw Riddim"  (Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 3:59 
02.  "Kozmik"  (Cedella Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 6:16 
03.  "Rainbow Country"  (Bob Marley)  - 3:22 
04.  "Drastic"  (Carlton "Carly" Barrett, Ziggy Marley)  - 5:14 
05.  "Good Time"  (Bob Marley, Cedella Marley, Sharon Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 5:29 
06.  "What Conquers Defeat"  (Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 2:39 
07.  "First Night"  (Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 3:30 
08.  "Wrong Right Wrong"  (Ziggy Marley)  - 4:00 
09.  "Herbs An' Spices"   (Ziggy Marley)  - 4:03 
10.  "Problem With My Woman"  (Stephan Marley)  - 3:49 
11.  "Jah Is True And Perfect"   (Ziggy Marley)  - 3:29 
12.  "Small People"  (David Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 3:15 
13.  "So Good So Right"  (Ziggy Marley)  - 4:35 
14.  "Namibia"  (Cedella Marley, Stephen Marley, Ziggy Marley, Erica Newell)  - 4:04 
15.  "New Time & Age"  (Daniel Marley, Ziggy Marley)  - 5:09 
16.  "Generation"   (Ziggy Marley)  - 4:16 

Credits
Ziggy Marley - vocals
Glenn Rosenstein - guitar, percussion
Earl "Chinna" Smith , Constantine Walker - guitar
Tyrone Downie - horns, piano, keyboards
Franklyn Waul - keyboards
Wilburn "Squiddley" Cole - drums
Rick "Soldier" Will, Bashiri Johnson , Uziah "Sticky" Thompson - percussion
Cleveland "Clevie" Browne, Giles Reaves - programming
Erica Newell, Sharon Marley Prendergast, Rita Marley, Cedella Marley Booker - background vocals
Producer- Glenn Rosenstein, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers

Notes
Recorded at Tuff Gong Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica.
Genre:  Reggae
Length: 1:07:09

© 1991 Virgin Records