Jah9

With a thick and rootsy sound, but an edge that suggests she's a Burning Spear or Mutabaruka for the 21st century, Jamaican singer and songwriter Jah9 was born Janine Cunningham in the Western rural town of Falmouth. College brought her into town, the campus introduced her to Rastafarians, and the Rastas introduced her to dub, roots reggae, and artists like dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. Taking her childhood nickname of Jah9, she became a staple of Jamaica's progressive poetry scene, while recording demos with producer Sheldon Bernard led her to the legendary Beres Hammond. Th...