Reggae legend Alborosie unites reggae music lovers around the world
Photo courtesy of VP Records. Photo credit: Tony Fisher.
Daily Reggae spoke with reggae legend, Alborosie about the artist’s amazing new album, “Destiny”, his collaboration with musicians like Kabaka Pyramid, and life touring around the world.
Your latest album, “Destiny” is one of our favorite releases of the year. How did you mix it up on the song’s creativity and production that differs to how you’ve written previous albums?
Well, every album is different, because the gap in between each album is everyday life, touring, life experiences, you know, the good and bad and stuff. So when you write an album, it reflects your state of mind, your emotions within the moment you’re writing it. And then you write a next album two years later, with a lot of experience under your belt — you know, the traveling and the touring.
So, the album naturally comes different, because it comes with different emotions and views. And sometimes you change your mind about things, and experience life.
“Destiny” has so many great features including Kabaka Pyramid, Buju Banton, and Jaz Elise. What was it like collaborating with these artists?
Well, collaborating with artists like Kabaka, Buju, Jaz Elise, Ezhel, all the [other] artists on the album, it's an experience. These people are amazing artists and great talents. So I feel special, really, working with them. And I learn a lot from artists when we record. I learn a lot about lyrics, the way they record. It’s a process, and it’s a great experience all the time.
Tell us about your partnership with Greensleeves Records, who released “Destiny”. What is the Greensleeves Records family all about and have you been working together for a while?
Well, when it comes to Reggae, Greensleeves is a legendary label. So, for me, working with Greensleeves is a dream come true. It’s still a dream, obviously I’m grateful for that. It’s a great label, and we’re working very good together, and there’s a kind of family vibe in it that gives me more strength, more motivation.
These people, they’re not the label people, the sharks, in the sense that they just want to sell music.
It’s amazing how you still have people out there selling music, but doing it in a way that’s it’s organic. You know, like good music, real music with content, with lyrics, with arrangements and solos and stuff. So, there’s still labels like that — and Greensleeves is definitely one of them.
You bring so much energy and passion to your live shows. What was the energy like touring with Dub Inc on the West Coast, and around your shows in Europe over summer?
Touring is a great experience and it’s my life. I’ve been touring for the past - I don’t even know, all my life. So it’s my lifestyle, it’s who I am, every day a different city, different languages, different cultures, you know, different people. I’m bringing the same message right to all corners of the earth. Like we just went to California, to the United States.
The last tour was with Dub Inc., great experience. We enjoyed ourselves. I’m presently touring; I just came from Europe. We’re heading to the Pacific Islands, Africa, and then we go to South America - Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and then Chile. So we’re doing what we know how to do, we’re doing our job, you know?
