By Suelika N. Creque
Editor-SKNVibes.com

KINGSTON, Jamaica – IT was July 28, 2007, and the news rang throughout the Caribbean that finally ‘babylon’ had released The Cure.

He was in great demand as countries and promoters lined up for the opportunity to have the artiste perform at their event.

They knew that everyone was eager to receive Jah Cure’s message of love, peace and healing, through his music, and he did that by performing at numerous shows in the Caribbean and also on an European tour.

The name Jah Cure is fitting for this amazing artiste. His music is healing, he sings with passion and everyone can relate to his message.

In fact, his first album ‘Free Jah’s Cure’, which was released one year after he was incarcerated, was lyrically compared to the late great Bob Marley’s ‘Exodus’ album.

Jah Cure, whose real name is Siccaturie Alcock, recently released his fifth album which he called ‘The Universal Cure’.

SKNVibes recently spoke to Jah Cure who spoke of his feelings towards his latest album and his hit new single ‘Call On Me’.

The Universal Cure was released on April 7 and is uniquely special to the artiste, as although it was his fifth album it is his first produced after being released from prison.

“I feel very good about everything on the album. From the launch, the production, the promotions and arrangement of the album, the list of songs…I feel good about everything.

“I can do a five-album launch in one, that’s the extra-ordinary thing about it; it’s my first album in the free world,” he said.

The album features 16 tracks including ‘Reflections’, which was originally recorded on his fourth album (True Reflections…A New Beginning) that was released one week after he came out of prison.

The new album features a number of loved songs including ‘Sticky’, ‘U believe in me’, ‘Journey’ and ‘Hot long time’ which was a collaboration with Junior Reid and Mavado.

The artiste said the album touches on a number of topics.

“We talk about separation, the universal cure, behind prison walls, Mr. Jailer. It also has some nice love songs and about true history, love; there’s so much things to say in this world that this one album can explain,” he said.

“The song, U believe in me, goes…‘U believe in me, I believe in you, built together as a team, conquer everything’. And we know it’s a worldwide thing, we know unity is strength, united we stand, divided we fall, that explains the struggles.”

He mentioned that people usually go through the same experiences in life, noting ‘Journey’ spoke about that.

“And we talk about Journey, which is the journey of our lives, my life and everybody’s life; because my life is many other lives and our lives is my life, as our lives are lives supported by other lives,” he said.

Two of the tracks on the album feature new American artiste and SoBe Entertainment labelmate Phyllisia.

She collaborated with Jah Cure on ‘Call on Me’ and ‘Mr. Jailer’.

“She is a wonderful female,” he said. “She and I have wonderful chemistry, so we just work it out. She’s new and you’re gonna hear much more about her. She’s one of the promising young talents from the States.”

While people are still familiarising themselves with ‘Mr. Jailer’, ‘Call On Me’ has been on constant rotation on the radio stations, and Jah Cure declared that the video would be released shortly.

Many may have wondered if it was a true life story.

“I have a sister name Makeda. From me grow and she had a friend that I had known since she was a lickle girl and I met with her recently,” he said. “She looked nice and we still keep in touch. It was just an inspiration from a true life story, so the song is really from a real life connection.”

How people are able to relate to his music by just ‘one drop’ is what Jah Cure says is the music touching their soul.

“They can sing along with these songs because these songs are from the depths of my heart. Same way musically it is what the people show me; it’s their soul the music touches,” he said.

His name, which was bestowed upon him by Capleton and the David House Crew, was symbolism for the way the singer looked young and healthy and “well preserved,” as in “well cured”.

“This was from using the plants of the land or ‘sacrament’ and the herb which is our culture; and though me dealing with that and smoke and get red they say wow I look cured,” he said.

His divine faith shined through when he said that he believes his incarceration was Jah’s way of teaching him humility, kindness, forgiveness and love for his fellow man, and he has forgiven all those who have done him wrong and all those who have judged him unjustly and unfairly.

Cure said that he wants to continue spreading the positive vibes as much as he could, reaching as many hemispheres and region as they would allow.

And with pasts hits like ‘Longing For’, ‘Love is’, ‘What would it take’ and ‘Reflections’, his music has become enduring and unforgettable fitting for anytime and anyplace. Like the original Tuff Gong - Jah Cure is undeniably the new High Priest of Reggae.

The Universal Cure is out in stores now.