Hamaleh-G West Africa’s own reggae breed By Eric Orji Gambia's very own group Taking the game to a new level.

30 March 2006 21:19

 

Reggae has continued to be a style shared by the original participants (Jamaica), aliens or visitors to the sound and the roots (Africa) that produced the enticing stem. There’s really no contest or debate on who actually owns reggae music. Reggae is a black sound. The link between the diaspora champions of the genre and the trailing Africans is the blackness portrayed by the music itself; from the lyrics to the baseline and to the sentimental mellow and wailing that divulge pains, agonies and denials. As reggae moves on to bear kids that have reached the tender hiphop mix called bashment, fusions which one could rightly call nephews, nieces to dancehall, raga and roots skanking emerge even from the most unexpected area.

 

Presently, Anglo-West African youths have marched up the stage with their very own mixed reggae. You’ll feel the originality escaping vigorously out of the traditional reggae flavours. At the enclave of Senegambian music scene a young trio called Hamaleh-G has climbed the platform as the newest breed with marvelous reggae. Mixing African manual instruments to reggae and stirring properly the crew burns steadily like a dreaded furnace. The traditional manual instruments one would least think of fusing with reggae’s groovy beats are forced to be in a happy matrimony with the baseline, drums, horns and the melody.

 

Hamaleh-G, a youthful Gambian ensemble, is serving reggae with the spice of Kora (West African local guitar that originated from the Mali Empire), Balafon, Djembe and the Flute. The crew merges its heritage, culture and tradition to the popular reggae that has eaten deep into the nerves of all. The end result leaves ears in awe; drifting in the surprise of such a savvy mix.

These three talented youths found themselves accidentally. They came from different backgrounds and neighbourhoods and were nurturing their flairs individually. They all started putting their talents to the test from early teen. The three were attracted to themselves by the fact that they suffered precisely the same musical ailment. As they met, the sound sickness each suffered turned around to be a triangular epidemic, hunting them deeper. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time. The boys quickly merged up their heads and took up a tag.

 

Alagie Mbye (aka Freddy Man), Lamin Mansal (Fricky-L) and Pa Modou Faal (aka Cliff Lion) thought picking up a name that spells teaching will be so apt. They chose Hamaleh-G, meaning enlightenment. The trio aims to use their lyrics to wash off some dirt in the beliefs of the present-day youths and also to liberate some lights on the ways of the blindfolded ones. Hamaleh-G is tied to conscious lyrics that caries them some years ahead of their age. The words spawned in the songs are rather a presentation of a satire of the ills of our micro and macro societies.

 

Hamaleh-G began officially in December 1999. In the first quarter of 2000 they became the sweet spice of all clubs and open air shows in Gambia. Their melodies were so captivating virtually most radio and television shows wanted their acapella as intros and outros. ‘Hit Da Sea’, the crew’s roaring single, has become the quickie anthem in the lips of all reggae lovers around Senegambian region. Their portrayal of African tradition; in dressing and sound fusion has stood the group miles away from the rest who are rather tagged strict emulators. This distinction earned Hamaleh-G a four album contract with American-based Paradyme Records.

 

*You are from different backgrounds and neighbourhood, how exactly did you guys meet?

This group was actually started by Blacky, Freddy Boy and I, Fricky-L. Right, we are all from different background and neighborhood but then I was friends with Blacky. Suddenly we met Freddy Boy, and soon we found out that we were all consumed in the same feeling of making reggae music that had raw African appeal. We went on with that spirit and recorded some demos. Not too long Blacky and Freddy Boy left for England and Switzerland for further studies. I was left alone with that big urge. But I never lost hope or felt dampened in any way. After some months friends and fans told me they found two guys who are beginning to do their own thing and that they sounded like me. I met them and really amazed to know that they have same feeling of original Afro-reggae. Coincidentally one of them happened to be Freddy-Boy’s younger brother. We just hit it up and began officially. Freddy Boy’s brother took the name Freddy Man as a continual attachment to his brother’s venture in the crew. We started with the name Hamaleh-G which means enlightenment. After the rejuvenation it never crossed our minds to change the name, it’s like our theme; leading us to the lyrics we actually needed to serve.

 

*You are blending African instruments to reggae, as Gambians what are the things of your land that are visible in your kind of reggae?

Reggae is universal, and reggae continues to be reggae anywhere. The difference is that you should represent the music from your very own identity or heritage. Apart from fusing African instruments, we serve the reggae that has Gambian culture inserted. We fuse traditional instruments such as balafon, kora and the flute. We sing in English but about thirty percent of our lyrics are in our local languages; Wollof and Mandinka.

 

*So what kind name would you call your distinct reggae?

We’ve heard people call theirs Afro-reggae, Reggae-Afrik and lots of African attached names. Our reggae is so influenced by Gambian and Senegalese cultures. If we have to give it a stretched name we’ll call it ‘Senegambian Reggae’. I know when some hear this name they’d want to listen up for the flavours of mbalax and manding. There are various mixes that shift some kind of reggae to the category of world music but we still think reggae is reggae, no matter the touch. We only seek for originality.

 

*You came up to be Gambia’s own breed of a stylish reggae, what song introduced you to the people?

We were doing our thing undercover believing that someday the seal will be off us. Suddenly some DJs found us and were eager to play our demos on radios and in clubs. The songs were played for few weeks when music lovers around fell deeply for them. We soon became the hot crew for shows and concerts. The fame was soaring so fast. Viewing what we went through in a locked cupboard of struggle before being discovered, we thought we should dedicate our first single to the hassles we went through. We released ‘Dohandem’ as our first single. The title simply means hustling. The song itself talks about a struggle that has lots of pain and agony. The single was very much accepted by Senegambian music fans, and all other dwellers in the region. It became the tip favourite tune for most radio stations.

 

*After this single, I guess the next move was to record your debut album.

No. We didn’t think that way. We were taking our time and also watching the market plus searching for international recognition and shield. We waited a while and then released another single. This one seemed to be the kick we really needed; bringing us closer to our utmost aspiration. The single is called ‘Hit Da Sea’. Music pundits around told us that the song is the best to happen to indigenous Gambian reggae. It broke the jinx and we became the group all fingers point at. The video clip holds steady airplay on the national TV and the radio stations jam it morethan enough. The song talks about slavery and the slave ship. We are saying that our brothers and sisters in diaspora should hit the sea and return home. Just like when you say hit the road and come back home. We want them to board a ship filled with our deserved reparation. The song also stresses that since they went by sea they just must return by the same sea, and that’s the actual essence of the title ‘Hit Da Sea’.

 

*What other singles have you released?

We’ve released a song called ‘New Generation’. In it we talked more about the ways youths of today will tread to excel to satisfaction. There’s another one we call ‘Broken Promises’. This one spells itself; empty promises that people make and eventually never live up to them. We have lots of songs but we are choosing the sure hits to make a bombe debut album.

 

*The titles of your songs are all like teaching, preaching and then about suffering or surviving; there seem not to be anything yet on love, why?

We thought deeply before we picked up the name Hamaleh-G which means opening up the hearts of the people to the things they don’t know. Our lyrics are of conscious words and they point at the right direction. Wise people say the struggling mind never thinks love or relationship, and most love songs are either from the artist’s experience or from the experience of his friends. We are yet to concentrate on love; we are not in relationships, I mean romantic ones. Most of our friends share our thoughts so we don’t know where or how we could dig out love stories for songs yet. We sing what we see, hear and experience. Maybe when we are fine and comfortable enough to attract relationships and then acquire experiences of it we’ll be branching into love songs. But, I promise that it must be the love or relationship that has African flavours...hahahaha…

 

*Tell me precisely what is holding your debut album.

We want to be very compact, not just drop in the market like others. It makes no sense that you are out and makes no impact or noise. We’ve been working so hard, praying and hoping that we’ll get an international offer. We want to release our project into the local market and without wasting time break into the international market as well. Our debut album is coming out in the third week of June. We’ve been signed by American-based Paradyme Records.

 

*Tell me about the album and how you got into the deal.

The album is a sixteen-track CD. It will spawn songs that bite one or more African instruments. The songs branched dancehall, raga and even roots skanking, and our harmonies are just as suiting and sentimental. Like we said, we’ve been working so hard to break into a larger spectrum and reach our bigger ears. We have a website with samples of all our singles. One of the executives of Paradyme Records visited our site and listened to the sample of the single ‘Hit Da Sea’. He was impressed and had to call immediately. We talked and agreed to terms.

 

*And what’s the deal about?

The deal is a-four-album contract with tours and promotional concerts around the world.

 

*When you release the album, what follows immediately?

We’ll introduce the album into the local market and then do some promotional shows around. From early September Paradyme Records will be taking us to a-three-nation tour which starts in UK and moves on to a festival in America and then to another festival in Berlin, Germany. Through the tour we’ll release the album into American and European market. After the tour we’ll stay on record our second album at Paradyme Records’ studio.

 

*In the festivals, how do you intend to attract attention?

At the back of our mind we believe we have a style that no group has ever played. It’s reggae but you don’t need to listen longer to feel the difference. In the festivals we will portray the Gambian nature and culture infused in our songs; with our traditional attire, our dance and then the local languages that mixed with English. We our intended extraordinary African display, we hope to create wonderful impression, and attraction.

 

*So what’s your utmost aspiration in this reggae game?

We want to break the barriers that have long stood before Gambian music. We want to make universal noise; reap and harvest fame and forune.