Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer
Jah Cure
THE UNIVERSAL Cure, the new album from roots singer Jah Cure, will be released in November. A release on the website news.superiorpics.com said it is the artiste's most eclectic work to date and is geared at breaking him in the United States.
Jah Cure works with neo-soul singer Keisha Cole and rapper Florida on The Universal Cure to help get him in the US mainstream. He keeps the dancehall flavour by hooking up with hard-core deejay Mavado on one track.
It is not known which record company will distribute The Universal Cure as the singer has reportedly severed ties with VP Records, the label that handled True Reflections, his last album.
Attempts by The Gleaner last week to get a comment from Jah Cure, for details on the new album were unsuccessful. He did not return calls to his cellular phone.
Significant link
The link with rising star Cole is significant; on the strength of the hit songs Love and Heaven Sent, she has had two hit albums in the US and also starred in a popular reality show on Black Entertainment Television.
Cole performed in Jamaica twice this year, the second appearance being at Reggae Sumfest in July.
Dancehall acts have had a lot of success in recent years collaborating with their American hip-hop and Rhythm and Blues counterparts. These combinations have paid off in a big way for Sean Paul who recorded Baby Boy with Beyoncé and Baby Cham who worked with Alicia Keys on Ghetto Story Chapter Two.
Compilation
True Reflections was a compilation of songs Jah Cure (given name Siccaturie Alcock) recorded during his eight-year incarceration for sexual assault. Some of the songs on that disc, including the title track, Longing For, Love You and Love Is, gave the Rastafarian vocalist a cult following.
Prior to True Reflections, VP Records also released Jah Cure's debut album Ghetto Life which was produced by singer Beres Hammond.
Since his release from prison in July last year, Jah Cure has performed on several high-profile reggae shows in Jamaica, the United States and Europe.
