Special Occasion~ Celebrating Black Music, Caribbean-American Heritage & 21 Years of Eight76 Records All in One
So much of who I am is embodied in this month's special Eight76 RetroRespeck 20th Anniversary drop. In the United States, June is both Black Music month and Caribbean-American Heritage month. On top of that, 2024 marks twenty-one years since I co-founded Eight76 Records AND twenty years since the release of RetroRespeck, an album that pays tribute to some of the music my mother raised me on.
Books and Music have been my best friends for as long as I can remember. Even as a little girl, they are who I turned to when I didn't have words of my own to articulate the highs, lows, and in-betweens of life. Music, in particular, has always had a way of taking what I think I feel, what I think I should feel, and what I think I'm allowed to feel in any given moment and melding that emotional ghoulash into something that I can not only digest, but actually enjoy.
Music is my safe place, my happy place, my sexy place, my holy place. So, it makes perfect sense that I used it to process my mother Dhaima's passing. Before her death, she had been working in the studio with my then-husband, Kenroy "YahBreeze" Archibald on a track she'd written called "Never Been Here Before". I wanted to release the song in honor of Mommy, but I felt like one song wasn't enough. My favorite memories with my mom were of her and music. Growing up she would play records all day, singing and dancing to her favorite songs by Minnie Riperton, Stevie Wonder, Terry Collier, and so many more. I wanted to celebrate my mothers spirit, and that's how RetroRespeck was born. The goal of the album was to take these amazing soul and r&b songs I grew up on and infuse them with the reggae music my mother loved so dearly- not just cover them. To me, we had to craft good records the old fashioned way~ by pairing the right songs with the right artists and building the perfect musical playground for them from scratch (which meant NO samples).
Working on RetroRespeck was therapy for me. We had already written three songs that put us in kind of a retro mindset~ "Searched For Love", "Rock Me", and "Right By Me". My co-producers, Kenroy "YahBreeze" Archibald and Barry O'Hare, and I brainstormed about what artists would be good with what songs from the 70s and early 80s. I knew Marcia Griffiths would bring her own iconic presence to the Dorothy Moore classic, "Special Occasion". Barry was working on a project with Jack Radics, and tapped him for "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", a song that had been recorded more than 50 times and was a hit for both Stevie Wonder and Peter Frampton. Kenny was working with some talented young artists. Christinti made "Searched For Love" a stand-out track. Maurice Gregory fills "Where is the Love" with fresh longing, and Fiona picks up "Don't Leave Me This Way" Right where Thelma Houston left off and takes the intensity up a notch.
My a&r contribution to RetroRespeck is stellar. However, I can't say the same for my vocal efforts. My grief over my mother was still raw, and I was keeping my feelings buried deep and tight. Because of that, "Stone Love" and "Right By Me" are hollow versions of my voice- the same way that I was hollow version of myself back then! Singing at Miami Vineyard is what allowed me to pour out my heart and let the light back in. Now, i'm looking forward to getting back into the studio and giving those great songs the spirit they deserve
A lot has happened in the 20 years since RetroRespeck first hit the airwaves. In 2020, my "big brother" Barry left us way too soon. In celebrating 20 years of RetroRespeck, I celebrate the passion and purpose that Barry and the rest of us all poured into it. I give thanks that it has transcended time to still resonate with people.
Check out the Eight76 RetroRespeck 20th Anniversary drop