Raging Fyah presents reggae music for the soul on 'Destiny'

Raging Fyah's signature style - soulful roots rock reggae music - is presented in fine style on their sophomore album, Destiny, which the group launches today.

Kumar Bent's voice resonates throughout the album, rich and electrifying, expertly enhanced by exceptional music and underlined by an infectious groove.

If you've ever been to a Raging Fyah concert you would understand why the band is renowned for its live shows. Raging Fyah is made up of Bent (lead singer), Delroy Hamilton (bassist), Anthony Watson (drummer), Demar Gayle (keyboard) and Courtland White (guitar). Each member is an adept musician in his own right and their individual talents combined make for an unforgettable experience.

The same intoxicating spirit that the band brings to its live performances is channelled in Destiny.

"If it's not live, it's dead," the band asserts.

In order to capture that live vibe, a lot of time was spent on producing, rehearsing and getting comfortable with some of the songs on stage prior to recording.

musical comparison

Many have compared the emerging band to the likes of Bob Marley and The Wailers and Third World. Though there are these comparisons, Raging Fyah's sound is distinct.

Bent's voice on Destiny is soaked with soul and presents something more than just rehearsedcrooning.

Every lyric is pronounced with feeling, and Bent seems to imbue something of himself in each song.

Reggae music connects with its African roots on the track Africa and Kumar's heartfelt performance is supported here by a talented cast of backing vocals.

The theme of Destiny is reiterated on the track and the lion artwork on the album's cover along with the band's Rastafari background could hint at some significance between 'the motherland' and Raging Fyah's latest inspiration.

The band explains, however, that Destiny was the theme chosen as the follow-up to their debut, Judgement Day, as it seemed natural that "after judging oneself, one would align themself with a particular mission".

SPIRITUAL TONE

The album illustrates the band's journey with fervent emotion and often takes a spiritual tone. Jah Glory seems to be at the pinnacle of this spiritualism.

A parallel can be drawn between the track and Bob Marley's own hippie-anthem, One Love, but Jah Glory goes a more devotional route and adds a lick of authenticity with some well-placed guitar riffs.

Destiny is a record that goes beyond boundaries, pulling its inspiration from cultures all over the world. The album carries a metropolitan appeal while expertly capturing and building on the nuances of the reggae genre to inevitably present a sound that is borderless.

"We experimented with a few more genres to create our sound [on the album]. We wanted to create music that speaks to a larger group of people," they revealed.

The album's sign-off, Dance with You, showcases Raging Fyah like you've never heard them before.

The album will be available worldwide both digitally (on iTunes and the like) and on compact disc today.

The official launch will be held at Triple Century Sports Bar and Grill, 69 Knutsford Boulevard, starting at 7 p.m.

Copies of the album will be available upon entry at a cost of $1,000 and fans will be treated to a special live performance by the band.