Despite all the craziness going on in the world, this time of year – the period leading up to December 25th – usually conjures up feelings of warmth and a desire to be with loved ones. This is true regardless if you celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas or National Pumpkin Pie Day (yes, such a day does exist).
That end of year, happy holiday vibe, can be heard and felt on Nyabinghi Christmas, a sixteen-track album produced by Dean Fraser and Tad A. Dawkins Jnr. The project was initially shared a couple years ago, but because of its theme, it is appropriately re-shared annually weeks before yuletide.
Nyabinghi is a subsect of the Rastafarian movement. That said, Nyabinghi Christmas is an instrumental album that features a collection of traditional Christmas carols, redone by saxophonist extraordinaire Dean Fraser, exclusively for Tad’s Record Inc. Fraser, who is a multi-award winning Jamaican music legend, offers his interpretation of songs like Felice Navidad, Deck The Halls, Long Time Ago, Do You Hear What I Hear, and many more noels that we’re all accustomed to.
Persons who have not yet heard the record may assume that because both Fraser and Dawkins are top-tier reggae creators, Nyabinghi Christmas is a reggae album; but that is not the case. Although some songs are obviously influenced by reggae, the more dominant sounds on the LP – apart from the obvious woodwind instruments – are the African drums (nyabinghi drums).
Nyabinghi Christmas is soothing, refreshing and enjoyable; it is the perfect gift for Christmas. Executive Producers are Tad A. Dawkins and Tad A. Dawkins Jr.
