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JAH CURE

FREEDOM BLUES

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2005 - VP - studio - discs: 1

Siccature Alcock, the real name of Jah Cure, was sentenced to spend fifteen years in the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre (one of the Kingston jails) after being arrested for an episode of rape and gun robbery. Cure was released on Saturday, 28th July 2007 on parole after serving eight years in prison. In the mean time two albums were released: "Free Jah's Cure" (2000) and "Ghetto Life" (2003). What really happened is still quite obscure since there are two versions collideing: there is one from Jah Cure and one from the victim. Cure says that he was caught in a trap and the victim says that everything that she told in court was what really happened. Of course I am not here to judge anybody, what I am here for is only the music! This set is full of faith, the lyrics are more than conscious: they express the need for a freedom thought and the necessity to underline that Cure himself is a righteous man. This attitude permeate the full set with Cure crying (at least lyrically) to be heared without prejudice. Believe him or not (but it does not matter here since we are here for the songs and not to judge anybody) the songs are strong, the lyrics heartfelted and the final message clear: clean up yourself, turn away from troubles, live through the light of Jah Rastafari. All the tracks here were recorded in jail. Maybe I am wrong but I heared that Cure sung over tapes recorded outside the prison. I have to admit that I felt a little bit disappointed at the first hearing: something was missing. Later, after playing the songs quite a lot of time, I started to get the right vibes: those from somebody that was closed inside a nightmare that could have killed him. If not phisically, at least mentally and spiritually. Again: I am not able to say if Cure did what he was put in jail for, but his sufferation comes to the surface and cross it in every song of this set. While listening to these songs, it is such a nice thing to think that Siccature Alcock is innocent. If he is not, and all this struggle to be judged as a poor victim is only a theatrical and commercial move, well... the Almighty I will put everyone under the right light.