Chalwa Band – Liberation

Release Info

Chalwa Band – Liberation

Label:  Play It Loud Records | Format: CD-LP-DR | Street date: September 17, 2021 | bandcamp

First Album

During the pandemic in 2020, the Chalwa Band from Uribe Kosta (Bizkaia) in Spain started to work on a new album which was recorded and mixed by Roberto Sánchez at A-Lone Ark Muzik Studio, Cueto, Spain. Working with the versatile Sánchez wasn’t a novelty for them as the band recorded their first album Bass Country with the esteemed producer in 2011.

Chalwa Band

Formed by a group of reggae fans, the band’s beginnings go back to the end of 2006 when several current members of the Chalwa Band decided to create a melodic reggae project. It was in 2009 that they recorded the promotional song for the Armintza festival ‘Txapel Reggae’ in collaboration of Basque singers King Konsul and Bita (Akatz). Two years later their aforementioned debut album saw the light of day. The tracks on that album featured roots, rocksteady, and dub sounds.

Liberation

Ten years after the release of the Bass Country album, the six-piece band presents a new collection of tunes entitled Liberation. The first five tracks are vocal offerings with the band’s fine lead vocalist Isabel Sharpe taking centre stage on four of them. Burn Down Babylon is vocally dominated by Uncle Robert (aka Roberto Sánchez) who together with Isabel Sharpe makes this song sound awesome. However, back to the start of the album where the powerful message piece Get Burned takes no prisoners. A massive opener and one of the album’s highlights. Next comes Your Eyes, a very enjoyable love song with a beautiful sounding riddim behind it. The uplifting Express Yourself is just lovely to listen to. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t take that long to grab your attention. Three versions of Liberation are featured here. First, there’s the vocal piece about a riddim that liberates your body and soul, and furthermore, there’s the instrumental Be Free with a nice melodica play, and at the end of the album its dubwise version Liberation Dub. Truly worthwhile hearing are the other three dubs featured in the last part of this set.

Liberation is a moody vocal/dubwise album that caresses the eardrums from beginning to end.