One of the more significant reggae artists of the contemporary period, Miguel Orlando Collins, better known by his stage name Sizzla Kalonji, has an album called Black Woman & Child that many consider to be his best work in a career that was exceptionally productive and lasted over 30 years. This album was hailed as a “masterpiece” by Rolling Stone magazine, no less of a music authority.
Produced in 1997 by Bobby “Digital B” Dixon, a graduate of King Jammy’s hit-making studio, this album was launched during a pivotal moment in reggae music, when “slackness” and digital sounds had fully taken over. Dixon and other producers, like Phillip “Fatis” Burrell, spearheaded the effort to create riddims that integrated contemporary sounds with authentic instruments, demonstrating the need for a new method.
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Black Woman & Child was recorded by Sizzla at the young age of 21, yet his songwriting and lyrical abilities shown such depth and maturity that it ignited a conscious dancehall revolution throughout Jamaica and the world. His Bobo Ashanti faith’s primary doctrines, as well as those of Prince Emmanuel Charles Edwards, Haile Selassie, Marcus Garvey, and others, are examined, along with repatriation, pan-Africanism, and Black nationalism.
Dixon carried on the long-standing custom of re-versioning riddims from Sir Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One label, which served as the basis for Jamaican music, throughout this time.One Away is a suitable lyric to maybe the greatest roots riddim of all time, The Abyssinians’ Satta Masa Gana, More Guidance offers a new interpretation of Wailing Soul’s Mr. Fire Coal Man, and Make it Secure revives The Soul Vendor’s Drum Song. The heartfelt classic by The Eternals, Queen of the Minstrels, is used in a sophisticated way in Soul Agent’s The Lecture, which rides again on Give Them a Ride, and Guide Over Us.
A limited-edition green vinyl version of Black Woman & Child featuring the original Greensleeves sleeve artwork is now back in stock. Additional unpublished additional tracks can be found on streaming and digital platforms.
Born to pious Rastafarian parents in St. Mary, Sizzla grew up in August Town, attending Dunoon Technical High School to study mechanical engineering. He started to hone his own style while working as a musical apprentice with the Caveman Hi-Fi sound system. He has since utilized his music to spread his message, launching his recording career in 1995 with a release via the Zagalou label.
Buju Banton was coached by Homer Harris, who also introduced Sizzla to saxophonist Dean Fraser, who was Burrell’s Xterminator Family’s musical director at the time. The start of Sizzla’s collaboration with Burrell in 1995 was a significant turning point in his career. Sizzla’s debut album, Burning Up, and a string of hit songs were the results of this combination.
Over 45 solo albums and at least 15 combo albums have been recorded by Sizzla Kalonji. He and other artists like Capleton, Anthony B, Buju Banton, Turbulence, and Norris Man are recognized for spearheading a trend in modern reggae music to re-embrace Rastafarian principles.
Sizzla was named the Rastafari head of development for repatriation to Ghana by Ghana’s Culture Ambassador, King Nana Anim Obiri, during a historic visit to Jamaica last month. In this esteemed position, Sizzla will support initiatives to attract Jamaicans and Rastafarians to Ghana, fostering both cultural and economic development.
