Love on many levels from Ifrica
Published:Tuesday | April 4, 2017 | 12:00 AMMel Cooke
It has been about a decade between the release of Queen Ifrica's full-length debut, Fyah Mumma, and current set, Climb, with the 2010 Montego Bay in-between. One of her observations about the set is that it is "love on many levels".
"It has been a while coming. Then to see it come out and debut at number one was good," she said. That top spot was on the Billboard Reggae Chart, Climb holding the number 15 spot for the current listing.
She said the time which elapsed between Montego Bay and Climb "is not entirely deliberate. A lot of things happened, including he birth of my son, who is now five."
She has not yet toured to support the set that is scheduled to take place from June to August. After two weeks in the US, she will go to Europe and then return to Jamaica for Reggae Sumfest.
The striking cover art was shot in Manhattan, New York, the clothing done specifically for the occasion.
"I am taking on a whole lot of things," Ifrica said about the album. "It is deliberate, in terms of how I write and the things I care about." She takes the less accustomed perspective, Ifrica pointing to All I am Asking, in which she is approaching her partner for forgiveness and another chance. Silly is about sustaining the relationship. Trueversation, with Damian 'Jr Gong' Marley, focuses on "one-on-one communication, like how it used to be", Ifrica saying that Marley is an appropriate sole guest artiste on the album.
Good Man comes from the perspective that the majority of Jamaican men want good for their partners and children, despite the bad rep that many get ("as if the woman played no part in the negative of the situation"). The plea, "all mi father need is a chance to be a man/So officer no take we likkle van" in Ask My Granny is "just looking at the realities people face. These are some real things that happen to people in everyday society."
Touch of gospel
The touch of gospel resulted from American actor Samuel L. Jackson's Internet challenge to sing part of Swing Low, about the time the ice bucket challenge was popular.
"I am not just singing some songs on some rhythm," Ifrica said, reinforcing that she is happy with the album - which she is encouraging persons to buy on various digital platforms as well as physically at Fontana pharmacies and the Organic H.E.A.R.T's Pembroke Hall, St Andrew, location.