Ken Boothe celebrates 50 years in music and embarks on a new 'Journey' Image

by Biko Kennedy / Mar 17, 2013 01:44 pm

Dubbed Mr. Rocksteady in the 1960's, legendary crooner Ken Boothe stands as an iconic figure with an undying love for music.

In an interview we did with Boothe a while back he notes that "Music takes you to places to express yourself and interact with people all over the world…it is the love of music and people, especially to see how people embrace our music. It makes me feel good about where we come from."

A feeling that would be translated into his newly released album Journey.

"I have more journeys to go with its release. In 2013, I have an R and B album as well to be released. It's just more work and people can look out for that. I am never giving up and I advise people to never give up," intimates Boothe to The Gleaner earlier this year. But it is only appropriate that coinciding with his 50th anniversary of being a musician he'd release such a compilation.

With hints of Dancehall-esque fabrication, Journey marks the singer's debut as a producer and hopes to widen his fanbase.

"People have been asking me to record new songs and that is because I am form the 60s, so my intention is to show that I can do new material when the timing is right," Boothe told the Jamaica Star. "Journey is so relevant for the title of my album because after [so many] years in the music [industry] it's like a celebration because I have been doing music from colonial days. I remember when I never used to have food in surplus because my parents couldn't afford it and when I got my first hit song, I split the money between myself and my baby mother and I bought my first pair of blue shoes and pants lengths out of music. Since then I haven't stopped," he continued.

Mixing Dancehall with balladry

"Anything I do now I am going to add dancehall to it, but I am not going below my standards. Some people think that all dancehall is concerned with is cursing, but it doesn't have to be like that. Father call upon the youth because they are strong and we need to try and understand the change before we try to fight it," expressed Boothe. "As an elder I'm just glad that I can contribute to the development of local music and I wouldn't mind if I could forever contribute to the development of youth."

Having a string of hits aligned to his name, inclusive of 'The Train Is Coming', 'Everything I Own', 'Puppet on a String' and 'Artibella', Boothe told the Jamaica Observer that "all of us have a journey and this is my journey which my mother and father started from conception to birth,"

With stalwart musicians such as guitarist Dwight Pinkney, keyboardist Robbie Lyn and bass-guitar player Benjy Myaz, Journey serves also as a debut from Boothe's own label Train Productions.

As one of the top vocalists of the Rockysteady era, Ken Boothe's 50th year as an entertainer is packed with varying tour dates and leaves everyone wondering what's next to accomplish musically for the 64-year-old.

Journey's tracklist:;

1 Journey

2 This Much is True

3 Love in Your Eyes (feat. G-Mac)

4 I Can't Run

5 Can't Turn You Loose

6 Dancehall Girl

7 Game of Love

8 New World Order

9 400 Years

10 Love Her

11 Is There a Problem

12 Thank You Lord

Order the album on iTunes

Image A music aficionado redefining possibilities while pushing the limits of success...
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