Messenjah Selah (b. Everton Clarke) is a fresh voice in the conscious reggae scene, although he has been singing professionally for ten years. His music is smart and powerful, breaking down general reggae themes like love, consciousness, and justice, and personalizing them to his own style. His main message is to, “Know yourself and by knowing yourself, you will know the Creator.”

Selah attributes his global perspective to his upbringing of growing up in Jamaica, moving to the Virgin Island at age 15, and relocating to Atlanta, Georgia after high school. His sophomore CD is his best one yet, entitled “Breaking Babylon Curse” on the Zion High/Lustre Kings label.

The lead-off track, “She Ask Me Say,” on the Proverbs riddim was inspired by his contact with a woman who was dating a rastaman. The tune addresses the implications of trying to live up to other people’s expectations, “She ask me say, do I have to stop eat me? And I told her say, well first, Jah Kingdom you haffi seek. She ask me say, do I haffi locks my hair? And I told her, this, no matter what, no, Jah love is gonna be there for you. If Jah no inna your heart, no you could never start. If Jah no deh pon your mind, the truth you will never find.”

Other important gems on the CD include “African Bless,” “Focus,” and “You Deserve.” The East Bay Express writes, “Light on the well-worn spiritual and social imagery of Rasta culture, [Selah] prefers to pair smart, serious commentary about contemporary issues with pure positive vibrations especially throughout his sophomore album’s superior second half.”

For further information, please visit http://www.m-selah.com or contact Laura Gardner, editor@jahworks.org, 510.207.0477