Escape To St.Croix

Escape To St Croix - Reggaescape Production - 68 Mins

Reggae music went outernational a long time ago with London and New York being the best examples. 

Closer to home - not much happened. Reggae was popular in the Island and South America - but nothing happened.

About twenty years ago that changed. St Croix aka The Virgin Island came forward with some serious reggae music.

First and foremost it was The Midnite band. Those initial set of releases were something else. Vaughn Benjamin had a remarkable and was an incredible songwriter. 

And they loved to make music - albums from and in collaboration with the Midnite band number nearly 80 albums - that is about 4 albums a year! And they are all of very high quality.

But the success of Midnite was nothing compared to what was going on, on St.Croix.

This DVD documents that. And it does so in fine style. Made by a French Company it also shows just how popular this music is in France and on the continent. 

Here are the people included on the DVD. Junya P, Mada Nile, Ancient King, Silk, Niyorah, Batch, Tipy I Grade, Sekhu, Melame Gange, Ambush, Spla'I Jah, Seigo, Fiyah Iselah, Revolution, Sanga, General, Stumpy, Sagie.

Some of these artists are new to me - some are not. But they all have something interesting to say.

Time and Time again the artists on the video state they were inspired by the roots artists of Jamaica - Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley and so on. 

With little or no interest in the dancehall style. All I would say is that they should listen to artists like Admiral Tebbit, Scion Success, Garnett Silk, Luciano and a few more. 

Those artists have made some of the greatest reggae music ever made - and are great singers and songwriters. To stick a label on them and call them dancehall is foolish.

Still, what inspired these artists - inspired them. So that is a good thing. They have also gone on to create some great music - and are still doing it.