Current takes aims at a 'Betta Tomorrow'

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Over a decade since his debut album, roots singer Lazah Current is preparing to release his second set with a mini promotional tour of Canada. He is banking on Betta Tomorrow, the new album, to make a mark in Jamaica.

Current is booked to perform in Toronto and Ottawa for the rest of March, before returning to Jamaica in early April for an official release of Betta Tomorrow and its lead song, Hey Girl.

"We've been working on it a long time, but we finally got it out," the dreadlocked Current told The Gleaner. "It's been a rough road but we expect great things."

Most of Betta Tomorrow's 15 tracks, including Hey Girl, were produced by Anthony 'Bassie' Hibbert for his Gorilla Music label. Additional production came from the DJT Promotional Group out of Poughkeepsie, New York which will also handle distribution in North America.

Current says his first album, Glorious Ride, got good reception in Canada where he lived for over 20 years, but little was heard of it in Jamaica.

Establishing himself in the land of reggae was one of the reasons for him returning home in 2003.

"There's nothing like making it as a reggae singer in Jamaica, everyone knows that. When we get back, we'll be trying to get the single as much (radio) rotation as possible," he said.

Doing the promotional rounds in Canada is familiar territory for Lazah Current. Born Hal Duggan in Manchester, he immigrated there when he was 11 years old and settled in Kitchener, Ontario.

It's also where he cut his musical teeth, playing keyboards for several years with Messenjah, one of Canada's most popular reggae bands.

Messenjah, which performed on Reggae Sunsplash at Jarrett Park in 1985, is best known in Jamaica for the hit song, Jam Session.

solo career

Despite steady touring and winning a number of Canadian awards with Messenjah, Current says he left the band in the early 1990s to concentrate on a solo career. After recording songs like Super Model and Mock the Dread, the self-produced Glorious Ride was released in 2000.

Three years later, Lazah Current left wintry Canada and returned to Jamaica. He has kept busy putting out singles but concentrated mainly on releasing a second album.

Lazah Current began promotion for Betta Tomorrow in February with a performance alongside Ky-Mani Marley at the Negril One Love Reggae Concert.