It’s Earth To Bongo time! In what seems to be one of the most difficult years of the last decade, Vanessa Bongo is on a mission to re-inspire fellow creative entrepreneurs all over the world to regain confidence in their passions and reconnect to their higher selves with her 9-track Reggae Album, Earth to Bongo, released on July 19, 2020.
Born on the small island of Barbados, Vanessa Bongo has traveled to Jamaica at the age of 19 years old and has been living there for the past 9 years. This calypso soul is finding her reggae roots and Earth To Bongo is her expression of the ups and downs of her journey pursuing her music career independently. This reggae-fusion Caribbean party was produced and arranged by Stephaun “Maxx” Samuels, of Maxx 749 Music Productions and recorded and mixed at Double Trouble Studios in Kingston, Jamaica.
The album begins with “Blast-Off”, a journey to outer space where Vanessa travels to the realm where all dreams are possible despite any obstacles. Track #2 of the album, “Great Things”, is an inspirational, high- energy dancehall record and a reminder to all listeners that patience is key, “great things come late” so “hold the love through the rough.” The album then continues with a warm reggae groove in “Jah Send Me” where Vanessa tells the story of her surrender to faith in a higher power to improve her life. “Like a dream at the end of the day, Jah send me, Jah send me, Jah Send me!”
Each track on the album has a different vibe, all reflecting different styles of reggae and all filling the listener with an abundance of passion to keep reaching for their personal goals. A rebellious spirit is inspired through Track #4, “Walk In The Park” where Vanessa unapologetically sings, “Dem think is a Walk In The Park, give them a mile, stop them from talking!” This dub-styled track is an ode to believing in yourself even when other people don’t. Of course, this reggae album would not be complete without the celebration of the decriminalization of marijuana which happened in Jamaica over the last couple of years. If you want to celebrate that too, then Track #5, Ganja Farmer is your jam!
After succeeding at making you rock and bounce for the first half of Earth To Bongo, Vanessa takes you to a flirtatious mood with her fanciful, Track #6 DMs , a love tune for the new age where she urges her lover to bring his attention from social media and turn it towards her. In this song, she playfully sings, “Don’t just like all my pictures or drop in my DMs, bring your kisses right by my doorstep!” Track #7 Caribbean Dreams is a dancehall, afrobeat fusion and still maintains the playful vibe of the previous track but speaks to a very serious topic. The song questions why the Caribbean is a paradise to so many but still faces such high levels of poverty.
If the album couldn’t get any more interesting, we see two revolutionary generations of reggae merging in Track #8 Damage Again, a hardcore tune featuring the great, Lutan Fyah. Both Vanessa and Fyah tell their stories of overcoming misdeeds often done by close friends who are usually trusted the most. Earth To Bongo ends with an acoustic-styled “No Trespassers” which leaves listeners with the final key to transformation. The catchy hook, “I want it now somehow, no trespassers allowed!” inspires listeners to finally step away from people and things that do not serve them well and to claim their higher-power.
This album is light, fresh, playful and rebellious at the same time and is refreshing to the soul. If you want to experience and share in the full Bongo energy, Earth to Bongo is available on all digital platforms via: http://smarturl.it/vbongo . Vanessa is also currently hosting a 1-month virtual album launch on her Instagram: www.instagram.com/vbongo which includes, music videos, interviews with special Jamaican entertainment personalities, lifestyle tips, farming tips, and much more inspiration. Join the experience now. “Earth To Bongo” is your world, your creation!
Overall a great body of work, a nice uplifting and joyful album. Well done Miss Bongo!
