Diaspora urged to support reggae
Published:Wednesday | April 5, 2017 | 10:40 AMCurtis Cambell
Following the recent release of his social commentary record, Tipping Point, recording artiste/musician Lloyd 'Cookie' Willacy, is gearing up to release his debut, Raining On Mars.
The name Lloyd 'Cookie' Willacy might be new to many contemporary fans of Jamaican music, however, the veteran has been in the music industry for over two decades and has worked with some of reggae's greatest composers, including the late Jacob Miller, the Rotation band, Michael Rose, Big Youth, Sly and Robbie, Carlton Barrett and The Twinkle Brothers.
"Lloyd is an amazing talent and the full package as it relates to the art of music. As a guitarist, he has played with the best, and now, he is looking to maximise his talent by releasing a full album. Aside from Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and some other acts from that era, there are a few Jamaican artistes who can boast that they play instruments and perform with great effect. This album is way overdue and should add to his legacy because every musician should have their own distinctive body of work to cement their place in the music industry ... not just about money or fame, but the art itself," publicist Malaika Lepine told The Gleaner.
Lepine also wants the public to rally around the album and support what she calls authentic reggae.
REGGAE BEING PUSHED ASIDE
"Reggae is not selling for a variety of reasons, one of those being that Jamaica has not fully tapped into the streaming market. However, Jamaicans in the diaspora might be ahead of the locals, and so I want to encourage them to support their music. Take the opportunity of living in a First-World country and use it to benefit yours. For too long, reggae has been inspiring other genres, yet it is pushed aside as it relates to its own development. When a man like Lloyd, who has contributed so much behind-the-scenes to the development of the music, decides to push his personal project to the forefront, he is entitled and deserving of the full support," she said.
The artiste is also gearing up to release a self-produced single titled Trendsetta. This effort features reggae artiste ORieL and will be released under Afar Music Production.
The Raining On Mars album is set for release in May 2017.