“Jamaican music has wandered from the path”, begins the official Derajah bio sent by his label, Chapter Two. And Kingston singer-deejay Derajah Mamby’s long awaited first album, with tight if somewhat scholarly French backing band The Donkey Jaw Bone, is aimed squarely at those who feel this is an inalienable truth.
Recorded using only vintage analogue equipment ‘Paris Is Burning’ aligns the fundamentals of 70s roots with the fire and fervour of the 90s revival that first galvanized the reggae movement in France. Several tunes are re-recordings of old compositions such as My Sister, the candid account of a sibling’s murder, and an electric version of the Inna De Yard hit Who Yeah Yah, given away as a free download to promote the set.