Various – Mighty Kuchie Riddim

The high prolific producer/artist Perfect Giddimani presents a brand new reggae juggling project, released by his own Giddimani Records. This time the listener is taken back to reggae’s golden era with a resuscitated version of the Mighty Diamonds’ Pass The Kuchie riddim from 1981, which actually was a relicked version of Studio One’s Full Up riddim.

This 9-track compilation, inspired by the harmony trio’s hit tune that is based around Rastafarian use of cannabis via cannabis pipes, is also a tribute to the Mighty Diamonds whose members Donald “Tabby” Shaw and Fitzroy “Bunny” Simpson died earlier this year.

The roots reggae compilation features cuts from well-established Jamaican artists Perfect Giddimani and Lutan Fyah and talents like Kelly-Ann Minto aka Da Real Storm, Ras Fraser Jr, Young Shanty, and Grammy Award winner MediSun, formerly known as King Mas. Although one might think this Mighty Kuchie Riddim set is solely packed with songs about the good herb, it isn’t the case. Lutan Fyah talks about coming from Country To Town, while Young Shanty sings about the foundation of Reggae Music. The artist with probably the most ganja songs under his belt, Perfect Giddimani, delivers the solid Babylon By Bus (not the Marley song!). Rob Symeon vocally uses the melody of Trini Lopez’s If I Had A Hammer and transforms the song’s lyrics into: “I smoke my Chalice, blaze it in the morning, burn it in the evening, and all over this land, cause it’s a herb of freedom, cause it’s a herb of justice, it’s a herb of love between my brethren and my sistren, all over this land.” Menny More asks the youths if they are Ready To Roll for time gets so dreadful and cold before the compilation is rounded off with the straight instrumental version by Sam Gilly of Austria’s House of Riddim.

This one is another nice release from Giddimani Records.