She Came, She Saw, She Conquered

While reggae dancehall has never been particularly known for its prudishness or reserve, often extolling pure braggadocio and sexual prowess with explicit abandon over powerful and raw riddims, it has also generally been a male preserve. There stands, however, a female titan in the arena, a performer of incredible vibrancy and sexual charm and strength, with an ability to toast and roast with the best, and also to slay you with a voice of pure sweetness. Step forward and take a bow Lady Saw, the undisputed First Lady and Queen of Dancehall. I first heard Lady Saw on Missy Elliott’s “Mr DJ” from her own incredible “Da Real World” album of 1999, but little did

I know that this impressive female deejay cameo came from an artist with huge credentials and with a recorded output to make a grown man weep due to its sheer greatness. Indeed, my discovery of Lady Saw’s material has come very much back to front, and started in earnest when my good lady brought home her most recent album “Walk Out”, released in the spring of 2007 and her eighth studio offering. First off this is just a wicked album start to finish. Mixing the slackness for which Lady Saw is famous, with lyrics of sexual dominance and audacity to make this writer blush, the record also provides an example of why it is that she is so well revered.

The mellow soul of “Baby Dry Your Eyes”, a beautiful song with an addictive ska break, stands out for me amongst the slower cuts, while “The Power of the Pum”, “Chat To Mi Back”, opener “Hello Lady Saw” and rougher than rough “Me and My Crew” just kill it with straight up dancehall beats and chats. The album is interesting also for working as an album of itself, as opposed to many earlier offerings which have an almost compilation feel to them. Special mention should also go to the Sly & Robbie produced muse on inner beauty “World’s Prettiest”, and particularly the self-produced and self-referencing “No Less Than A Woman (Infertility)”, a moving and private document to her own situation, and an absolutely divine one which just stops you in your tracks for its sincerity and power. “Walk Out” is brilliant, but as I have discovered, merely the tip of a quite dazzling iceberg.

Lady Saw’s recording career dates back to 1994 when she burst on to the scene with her sexually explicit “Lover Girl”, a record of bawdy intent, showcasing her lyrical and vocal ability to an unsuspecting audience. Many have come and tried to claim her title since, but Saw is a rare act whose talent serves to transcend the genre she exists primarily within. Her 1998 best of collection “Raw, the best of Lady Saw” is probably the best starting point, collecting together 19 faultless gems, including monster hits “If Him Lef”, “Find a Good Man”, “Hardcore (It’s Raining)”, and “Stab Out De Meat”, a tune which quite wonderfully leaves little to the imagination.

But it is difficult to pick out highlights as this is one of the rare collections that really does shine from start to finish. It should be a must-own, and is the sound-track to the best pre-party, party and after-party all in one, all drenched in Caribbean sweat. Since this collection Saw has released two other albums, with a 6 year hiatus in between * 1998’s fantastic “99 Ways” and 2004’s consistently impressive “Strip Tease” * as well as the highly anticipated “Walk Out” that we began the account with. Lady Saw is a truly genuine star in her native Jamaica, but also has real worldwide credentials.

She is a Grammy winner, the first female deejay to be honoured thus, and has also gone triple-platinum, an incredible achievement. She is also the first female dancehall act to headline shows outside of Jamaica, and I for one am itching to see her perform, though this may yet be an unfulfilled desire. In the meantime I will satisfy myself with the discovery of an artist of unique charms and an aura to bring you to your knees. Indeed, chance would be a fine thing.