Charly B - Forever (Geejam Recordings/Forward Recordings/Reggae Europe)

Although he has already been actively rotating the dancehall scene for over fifteen years, Charly B is still rather unknown in our neck of the woods. Born in Italy with Armenian, French and German roots, he likes to profile himself as the ambassador of French reggae. The undisputable talent of Charly B is reflected by the many prizes he collected over the last years due to his singjay skills. More recently, he was also picked up by Geejam Recordings, giving him the opportunity to record his new album in one of the largest studios in Jamaica with the help of none other than Alborosie himself. In addition to this French edition, an English version of the album will also be released at a later date.

Despite this being the French version there are parts where Charly B effortlessly switches to immaculate patois (title track 'Forever' is, not taking into account a single verse in French, a good example). The video for this track was directed by Rick Elgood (director of 'Dancehall Queen') and recorded in Port Antonio, where Charly B has spent a lot of time. It even seems as if half of the population of Porty is represented in the video including the local school band, rasta's, dance crews and more.

A recommended track is 'Robot Sang', featuring original lyrics about the rigors of everyday life over a compelling riddim. Another highlight is the lovers tune 'Que Pour Toi' in which he switches between rapping and singing. The tight flow in between the verses keeps up the pace and his voice at times resembles Pupa Albo´s signature sound. Charly B can rap like a pro but his style sometimes tends to be more hip-hop than reggae. The question remains whether or not he will be able to grab the attention of the more seasoned reggae fans. 'Forever' most likely won´t knock your socks off but proves to be a decent album nevertheless.