Tchiya Amet Rise Again Truth (Milky Way)
Texas Platters
Reviewed by David Lynch, Fri., Feb. 4, 2000
Tchiya Amet
Rise Again Truth (Milky Way)
Crucial reggae ain't dead, not if Tchiya Amet's even-tempoed debut Rise Again Truth is any indication. Local singer/keyboardist Amet and handpicked area musicians supply the intricate and airy musical red carpet for this Soul Sista's reasonings on living a natural, Ital life. Still, two things distinguish Rise Again Truth from other lyrically intense reggae: jazzy arrangements and the incorporation of Native American tradition. On the propelling "Lakota: 4 Directions" for example, Amet mixes Rastafari theology with indigenous mythology, the music evoking a hypothetical blend of Finnish sensation Värttinä vocal harmonies, Burning Spear's saxophone, and Aston "Family Man" Barrett bass grooves. Likewise, a Native American Mallard flute flows through the Cherokee song "Tsalagi Thankful," with the outcome being a far cry from New Age thanks to drop riddem beats and dub breaks. On opener "Natural Life," Amet's voice evokes the glassy phrasing of Sade, but with more straight-ahead conviction. Edwin Livingston's donates killer basswork throughout, but shines on "Reservation Ragtime Blues" and "Rastafari Is Universal," a tune in which Amet alludes -- like Dizzy Gillespie's brilliant "Kush" -- to the great African kingdom that gave rise to the Pharaohs. Some may find the dread lyrics a bit preachy, but Rise Again Truth is -- musically and lyrically -- head and shoulders above lovey-dovey pop reggae. Some tracks ("Natural Women") can stand alone as instrumentals. Jah Live!