‘Ah Shenseea!’ — Grange dubs ‘Alpha’ entertainer ‘next big artiste out of Ja’
Published:Thursday | March 17, 2022 | 8:53 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
The headquarters of Romeich Entertainment, located in Waterhouse, St Andrew, was clearly the place to be last Tuesday evening for the by-invitation-only launch of Shenseea’s chart-topping debut album, Alpha.
Once one reached the Campbell’s Boulevard environs, it was obvious that something big was happening, and it was all about “ah Shenseea!” And it soon became apparent that this launch would be a combo deal, as not only was it a celebration of Alpha, it was also the announcement that the Grammy-nominated Shenseea would be one of the headliners for the Reggae Sumfest in July – billed as ‘The Return’. From as early as 5 p.m., guests started rolling in to the venue, and by 7 p.m., the two decks and the grounds almost flipped into party central.
Artistes such as Beenie Man, Tessanne, Ce’cile, Sean Paul, Mr Lexx, Tarrus Riley and Aidonia; ministers of government; Shenyengs and some music industry players all showed up and endorsed Shenseea, as the songs from Alpha blared through the venue. A beaming Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, who is a familiar face at album launches, and who has previously managed global artistes such as Shabba Ranks and Patra, told The Gleaner, “With us being here to support Shenseea, I just want to say that she is going to be the next big artiste out of Jamaica.”
Her state minister, Alando Terrelonge, waxed lyrical during the interview with The Gleaner about the virtues of Shenseea’s album and the tremendous impact it has on not only the dancehall genre, but more so for the women in the music industry. “What Shenseea has done is make reggae music a little more versatile. She has diversified the music; so it’s reggae, it’s dancehall, it’s pop. It appeals to so many different genres of music, and that makes it a global success,” Terrelonge said.
At the end of the interview, Terrlonge, in his best selector voice, gave a shoutout to the dancehall princess – and sounded quite authentic, too – “Shenseea, anyweh yuh deh, big you yuh clean self, big up yuself.”
In dancehall parlance, acknowledging somebody’s ‘clean self’ is among the highest compliments that one can be accorded.
Downsound Entertainment CEO and Executive Producer of Reggae Sumfest, Josef Bogdanovich, also gave his take on Alpha and Shenseea.
GOOD DEBUT ALBUM
“It is an interesting mix of genres, and she is still holding to her roots and culture and dancehall. She is getting into a different type of market, and she is bringing dancehall with her and reggae culture and the lifestyle, and I think she [has] a real positive energy that people will be attracted to. I think it’s a good debut album,” Bogdanovich declared.
For entertainer Ce’cile, it was a no-brainer to show Shenseea all the love and support she possibly could. “We have been in the business a while, and I love to see the success. I am not sure that we have seen success at this level, where I can see it. I know we have had Diana King, Patra, Lady Saw and now Spice, but Shenseea ... it’s amazing, it’s huge, and she deserves all of our support. And I feel like all the Jamaicans that are carrying the flag belong to me, whether in sport or in music. We have to support them,” Ce’cile said.
US producer London On Da Track (co-producer Can’t Anymore on Alpha) took the trip to Jamaica, and although he was conspicuously silent – “Only me and Shenseea a do interview tonight,” Romeich said, when asked if London could do an interview – his actions spoke volumes. In front of all the guests, the producer, with whom Shenseea has denied any romantic affiliation, took out a diamond necklace with the Shenyeng logo and lovingly placed it around Shenseea’s neck while she was on stage at the launch. For Shenseea and her Shenyengs, it was a moment.
Her brief performance was just enough for her fans, and Shenseea excited with collabs from the album with Sean Paul, Beenie Man and Tarrus Riley. She graciously shared the moment and took time to salute her manager, Romeich Major, who always believed in her, and gave Beenie Man his flowers, as she thanked him for being her inspiration and one of the persons on whose shoulders she stands.
Alpha arrived on March 11 via Rich Immigrants/Interscope and debuted at number one on the US iTunes Reggae Albums chart.