The remake of his hit from 2009 ("I realized how much people love him. Popcaan beats me in a friendly Clash with my song"), and his use of singing to overcome stuttering. The Saint Ann native singer returns to the scene
Zamunda’s studio album, ‘Jah Love Surround Me’ is a masterful mix of reggae. The 15-track collection hit the airwaves on Thursday, February 3 with a ponderous, uplifting message. The message? Gratitude. From the upbeat opener 'Never Give Up' to the title track that brings the entire album together in its theme of gratitude, perseverance, and reverence to a higher power.
Zamunda‘s melodic voice emanates roots reggae in a consistently sustained riff, accompanied by smooth basslines and hypnotic harmonies. The artist spins the sounds of reggae, from its classical one-drops to some more experimental vibes on songs like 'Lights in the Sky' featuring international dancehall superstar, Popcaan and on the track 'Give It Up for Me'.
The album features dancehall and reggae giants such as Popcaan, Dre Island, Chris Martin, Anthony B, Capleton, Jah Cure, and Kumar. The soulful longing of Zamunda’s voice throughout the album is as captivating as it was when 'Jah Love Sound Me' original single was released in 2009.
Zamunda’s Journey
As we follow Zamunda’s journey, it’s hard not to be taken away by the warmth and sincerity that this chapter unfolds. The 'Jah Love Surround Me' original track was released in 2009; "This was my first ever hit single which started my musical journey and career which to date is still my biggest song yet", Zamunda describes.
After a jovial sound clash during a trip to Portland in 2021 with Popcaan and friends and seeing the reactions of his peers, he realized how powerful the song truly was and reworked it featuring Popcaan and Dre-Island.
"Popcaan and I were in Portland Jamaica and we were both playing songs and having a 'sound clash'. He mentioned that during the clash that he was going to use my own song to win the clash against me and started playing 'Jah Love Surround Me' original track when all the people around us started a loud uproar. At that point, I realized how powerful this song really was and decided to remake it and feature Popcaan and Dre-Island", the singer revealed.
Zamunda & Popcaan, "I realized how powerful this song"
Overcoming stuttering through singing
Zamunda testifies that he stutters whenever he is speaking, so singing came so naturally as a natural solution for him to express himself. "I decided to sing more in trying to express myself better. Over the years I have developed a passion for music. For me, this was my gift, my way of expressing myself since talking was way more difficult. I would take too long trying to tell you a single sentence so I expressed everything through my music".
The St. Ann singer explains "Music has always been a part of my life, at the age of 5 I discovered that I could sing started writing every day and listening more and more to legends such as Dennis Brown, Garnett Silk, Beres Hammond, Jah Cure, James Brown, Sammy Davis, Bob Marley, and the great Michael Jackson. I started going to studios at the age of 15 where I would observe and try to imitate what others were doing until I was able to practice, compose and sing better".
Zamunda had previously stated that the album was produced back in 2018, but he had yet to find a title for the project. With the 'Jah Love Remix' in tow, the project now had a title track, lead single, and a name. After a decade, 'Jah Love Surround Me' has found its way back into public consumption as an even bigger hit. This album boasts 15 tracks of lyrically direct, deliberate, and profound messages geared toward the Jamaican soundscape.
"The future is more positive music. I will continue to empower myself to bring across more inspiring, stimulating, and productive songs to the people", he said.
We’ve not been hearing a lot from the artist since his days of collaborating with I-Octane on the 2010 track, 'Badda Dan Dem' which landed multiple number 1 slots locally and regionally, and he’s still around a decade later serving more hits.
"Always give thanks to the Almighty first in everything that you do and always seek his guidance to do what is right and ask for his guidance on the path that is rightfully yours", Zamunda encourages, as he reflects on the blessings he’s received thus far. 'Jah Love Surround Me' is available on all major streaming platforms and was released under the Sweet Waters Spawn Music label.
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