Has he found The Cure?
WITH his seventh album, The Cure, scheduled for release this summer, singer Jah Cure is preparing for a European tour to promote the much anticipated set.
A July 7 release date has been announced for The Cure, the first of a two-album deal with VP Records. The 36-year-old singer oozed confidence Monday when he spoke about what he considers his best work to date.
Jah Cure performed on the continent last year, but the shows were club dates. This time around he will play major festivals, such as Rototom in Spain and Geel in Belgium.
Decked out in fluorescent football gear, he said touring without new material makes no sense.
“Nobody should be on the road if you don’t have a new album. Some artiste jus’ go out there to pay bills or sell merchandise…I don’t see it dat way,” he told Splash.
The Cure sees Jah Cure going into new territory. He co-produced all of the tracks with Lamar Brown, Bahamian Christopher ‘Sketch’ Carey, and Trevor ‘Baby G’ James.
He and Brown (keyboardist with Stephen Marley) worked on Life fi Live which was released last year. Carey co-produced several of the tracks, including Made in California and Set me Free.
James, one of dancehall’s leading producers, put his touch on Show Love.
“Is a new soun’ mi a try. A lotta the newcomer dem trying to go back to the Bob Marley era, but I don’t want to be like dem. Yuh can hear a likkle bit a everything on dis album,” Jah Cure said.
His last album, World Cry, was released in late 2012 by SoBe Entertainment, and had duets with R&B singer Jasmin Sullivan and rapper Rick Ross. Jah Cure blames its below-par performance on the Florida label’s lack of clout.
VP is the largest distributor of reggae in the United States, but Jah Cure won’t be making promotional appearances there because he has no visa to enter that country.
This likely stems from his seven-year incarceration for rape. He was released from prison in 2007.
He admits his inability to work in the US has affected his career somewhat.
“Not having a [US] visa hurt every artiste cause is the biggest market. But I don’t want to go somewhere an’ be turned away like a slave,” he said.
Jah Cure starts his Euro tour on July 3 at Festival Musa Cascais in Cascais, Portugal.
