ROMAIN VIRGO'S OFFICIAL RELEASE PARTY – MISS LILY'S NYC – MAY 14th, 2012

By: Namisata tRIBa

Brooklyn, NY May 15th, 2012

You enter this intimate, vintage-like old record store feel room.  You have studio one reggae playing in the background, and to your great surprise, behind the turntables stands the artist himself: Romain Virgo spinning his favorite tunes.  You would think he is way too young to know about what he is playing... Anyway.

That sets the ambiance for the next couple of hours.  Accessible.  Humble.  You can basically come up to him and ask him a few questions about himself, and how he got into music in the first place. He would answer that he grew up into music,  his mother was a singer herself, and that he was encouraged to join the church choir after somebody overheard him sing Sanchez's "Amazing Grace" version.  Christian background basically: "Mi cyan never write anything that would disappoint mi madda.  Mi Christian background is definitely an influence on my music."

Selah!

Romain Virgo starts his performance by a brief speech about how he came about the first song on his album: The System, a song depicting the different hardships one can face in today's society.  With this song - & album -, 22 year old singer/songwriter Virgo wants to leave his mark, something he could recollect 20-30 years from now as a contribution in Reggae Music Heritage.

He even goes as far as to ask the audience to sing the chorus along with him!  No thank you!  The acoustic guitar and his voice are doing the job more than fine!  I shall pass on spoiling the performance.

He then performs Mama's Song, an inspiring ballad to chant his deep love and respect for his mother followed by Not Today that could easily remind us of a Gospel song, in which he defies death.  The songwriter is named Kenya...

With the sound of acoustic guitars, he poured his soul on the mic
Closed eyes, he sang.

He then goes on & sings a couple of songs on tracks this time: Rich In Love from his sophmore album, Live My Life (Boops Riddim), Mi Cyaan Sleep (Feel Good Riddim) and goes back to an acapella of I Know Betta (The System) which he qualifies as an uplifting song for the youngsters that could inspire them to choose right from wrong.

Had I not done my homework and listened to the album before coming to Miss Lily's I would have probably converted on the spot hearing young - but yet so mature in his performance - Virgo.  This release party was just a taste of what The System holds.  You will probably listen through the whole record, without noticing that you didn't skip any track, especially when Virgo is smooth enough to sing  2 songs on the same riddim, without you realizing that you went from Food Fi Mi Plate to Dem A Coward without any transition.

A solid album, that only requires 1 featuring with his favorite artist: Busy Signal on Broken Heart.

The system proves once again that Romain Virgo is no "accident" in the Reggae music landscape.  It's the type of album you wont only listen to as a background noise while you're working, cleaning, or attending to your everyday tasks.  It's actually the type of album you will still gladly listen to a few years from now... There goes your dream Virgo.