Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Members of the group Morgan Heritage at the album launch, held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Tuesday. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
IT WAS two the family way for the Morgans on Tuesday night, with the presentation of new albums from two groups comprising members of the family at the Jonkanoo Lounge of the Hilton Hotel, New Kingston.
For the elder set, Morgan Heritage, it was their seventh, Full Circle, while London to Paris is LMS's fourth full-length set.
Over the buzz of the packed audience, Andrew Pryce of Wray & Nephew said the company had "been working with the Morgan family for three years on Red Label Wine East Fest. We like the type of music they put out there and we are glad to be associated with the number one band in Jamaica, because they are producing some really good music."
CONSCIOUS MUSIC
Yolan Zanders of VP Records, which is distributing the albums, referred to the music of the groups as "clean, conscious and culturally relevant to Jamaica and the world."
Before the songs from LMS and Morgan Heritage in the brief, informal function, there was speech from Gramps of Morgan Heritage, who went back to the beginnings in Jamaica. "In 1992 when we came here to this island it was serious coming from Brooklyn, used to Nintendo and all that. The love we have received in Jamaica has been phenomenal," he said.
THIRTY CHILDREN
And he referred to the Morgan family structure, saying "As you know, my father have 30 children an' him gone about 70 granpickney. Somehow he has managed to keep us all together, showing us principle, respect, discipline. It is a hard task. Some have one an a gi pure trouble. Him have 30 a we, carry some come a Jamaica, none a we tun gunman an none a we no get inna no mix up." There was applause, which continued as he introduced LMS.
The trio, performing to recorded tracks, presented mostly songs from London To Paris, the two males flanking the young woman. "Don't listen to those words they say to you/they are only jealous of you," they harmonised, moving on to the title track of the new album.
'FORWARD'
"We go back to the foundation, yuh done know," was the announcement and there was a 'forward' when they harmonise "dem neva a go get fi enjoy no tomorrow/cause dem naa praise Jah today." "Da one ya sen LMS worldwide," they said on the restart.
"This one is actually the current single from our album. This is dedicated to the ladies," they said, before doing I Adore You, complete with a rapping segment.
The lady of Morgan Heritage asked the ladies to scream and they did, but when she asked for a sound from the men there was not much response. However, when Gramps asked for a Yes Rasta from the men the bass rocked the house.
They went back to earlier years with Down By The River, Peter Morgan instructing "Grandpa sing!" And he did, to tremendous effect. "The new album is called full circle, so we are going to do a few songs from the new album," they said. "We are going to start with a song produced by Christopher Birch. Longman Productions, I'm Still The Same."
Mojo rapped after the Heritage harmonised "if it wasn't for my name/would you want to be my main squeeze", the audience cheering.
There was a huge response to Your Best Friend, two members of TOK stepping from the audience to send up "hurry up and come back".
Heritage asked for applause for TOK, saying that their album just went gold in Japan. They went a cappella to inform "if you think the judgement start yet/there is so much left to come".
"This is the latest single from the album," they said, ending their performance with How Come.
Denroy Morgan said the final goodbyes.
