Title
Artist
Label
Format
Date

 A Pair Of Olive Leaves
Poetz 4 Peace
Olive Tree Music
CD-r
19 - 09 - 2003

Track list
  1. Intro
  2. That's How We Do It
  3. Dangerous Smile
  4. Revulsion
  5. Funky Tilirka
  6. Cease The War
  7. A Pair Of Olive Leaves (SOS Remix)
  8. Life Could Be So Beautiful
  9. The Fig Poem
  10. Party @ Ledra
  11. Chifteteli Jam
  12. Peace & Quiet
  13. Down By The Green Line
  14. Strangest Creature
  15. Dead Man's Bed
  16. No Bread On My Table
  17. Tumblin' Down
Rating : from 5 (excellent) to 1 (poor)
Vocals : 3/4 Backing : 3/4 Production : 4 Sound quality : 5 Sleeve : 3
Olive Tree Music LTD is a newly formed record label based out of Nicosia, Cyprus. It is the first ever "Bi-Communal" project of its type and has been funded by the United Nations Office of Project Services. OTM's main goal is to bring the people of the divided nation of Cyprus together by providing a structure in which artists from both Cyprus and northern Cyprus can work freely together to heal many, if not all the old wounds. Nothing is more of an example than OTM's first release, "A Pair Of Olive Leaves" by Poetz 4 Peace, a group of vocalists and musicians who make up an amazing one of a kind collective.
Poetz 4 Peace combines the talents of Haji Mike (a Greek Cypriot poet and MC), Zeki Ali (a Turkish Cypriot poet), Mike Minas (an English Cypriot bouzouki master), Mike Cherry (keyboards) and Steffen Franz aka Standout Out Selector (a Northern California based producer and founder of PSM Recordings), the main beatmaker of Poetz 4 Peace. "A Pair Of Olive Leaves" was conceived in 2001 and the first six tracks were recorded in February of 2002 on both sides of the infamous "Green Line". The latter unnaturally divided Cyprus for the last 29 years, with people only up until April 2003 being denied access to each other. Then the album was completed in 9 days in late June of 2003, in a studio in Limissol, Cyprus.
Musically spoken this intrigueing album brings you a mixture of several influences including hiphop, ambient, funk, reggae, dancehall, dub poetry and, of course, Hellenic bouzouki music. Lyrically there's a lot to enjoy and also to think about. All lyrics, written by Haji Mike and Zeki Ali, are in English and thus accessible for a wide audience. Some real entertaining tunes included here are the dark "Revulsion", the instrumental piece "Funky Tilirka", the anti-war song "Cease The War", "No Bread On My Table", "Tumbling Down" and "Peace & Quiet", the latter delivered over a riddim that is loosely based on the "Punanny".
Not exactly a reggae or dancehall album, but nevertheless a very enjoyable set for music lovers with an open mind and ear.

Note: Poetz 4 Peace's debut album "A Pair Of Olive Leaves", due out worldwide at October 15th, 2003.