Malakiyah excited about Niney's backing

Reggae artiste Malakiyah is excited about his latest record 'Burning', since the effort has been produced by the legendary Winston Holness, more popularly known as Niney The Observer.

Niney is known for his work with Dennis Brown, Delroy Wilson, Jacob Miller, Max Romeo, and more recently Jimmy Cliff, and was one of Jamaica's most sought-after producers in the 1970s.

Malakiyah told THE STAR that he is focused on delivering authenticity.

"To get the real sound of reggae music you have to work with the best, and when I say the best I mean the people who set the standard. Niney is one of the best producers out of Jamaica and it is a pleasure for me to work with a legend," he said.

Burning is a social commentary record which pays attention to issues affecting the world. The artiste believes that reggae lacks substance and the level of dedication needed to bring the genre to its former glory.

POWERFUL MESSAGES

"The man dem a sing too much love songs inna reggae now and are not paying attention to real issues. Bob Marley was powerful because of the messages. Sure, him do a few love songs but his catalogue was more than just love songs," he said. "The man dem must dig deeper and read more and come up with some real content. Working with a man like Niney, you have to come correct, the content has to be right and the production has to be right."

Malakiyah said he is not worried about Burning as it relates to quality.

"I more so want the support of radio behind this record because reggae music is not getting a fair play on local radio," he said.

Burning may be purchased on iTunes and is streamed on Spotify.