Lutan Fyah drops 30 tracks

n the upper right hand corner of Lutan Fyah's seventh album there are a few numbers that tell the tale, in short, of the set entitled 'Africa'. It reads "2 CDs, 30 tracks, 4 #1 hits in Jamaica."

Those hits were presented at the end of the album's official launch at Weekenz, Constant Spring Road, St Andrew, on Tuesday evening, when speech gave way to song. The large, enthusiastic gathering cheered for De La Vega, Juvenile, Mek It So Hard and Africa, Lutan Fyah, bouncing on his toes as he delivered. And he hailed some of his performing colleagues in the audience, including Queen Ifrica, Capleton, Natural Black and I-Octane, as the evening developed into a mini stage show.

Some of those guests were also featured on 'Africa'.

In a recorded interview shown before he performed, Lutan Fyah made it clear that he played an integral role in the creation of the double CD. He pointed out that "most of the songs on the album is really me produce them. Most of the producer is not a producer. Is up to the artiste to produce the music, so is a great achievement," he said.

Africa - bedrock of humanity

As for the title track, Lutan Fyah said it presents the continent as a woman and "Africa is the bedrock of humanity." Still, he said "most don't know the African self."

Guest speaker Mutabaruka said that he appreciated the name, as "we live in a society where it is all about guns and daggers."

"We give thanks to see a brethren come with an album named Africa in this bling time," Mutabaruka said. "Most people is Miami and New York them waan go. Them no waan go nowhere with so much bang-belly pickney and fly inna dem eye - that is what is projected."

Later in his address, Mutabaruka said that Lutan Fyah had decided to go against the tide. "we going to call an album 'Africa'. Nothing else. That is saying a lot."

He pointed out misconceptions of Africa and how 'forest' was used for places in Europe where there were lots of trees and 'jungle' was used for Africa, with images of having a picnic in the former and the latter, automatically a dangerous place.

He cautioned, though, that "a whole heap of the radio station them not going to play it. And I a tell the brethren don't pay nobody fe play yu album. No payola business to play good music in Jamaica."

There was applause from the gathering.

And Denise 'Isis' Miller, who hosted the launch, said "I find that Lutan Fyah is aware of what is happening, nationally and internationally and you can hold a decent conversation with him."