Join the 27fm funk in celebrating Kiwi Classics. First up was Home Brew Crew's Last Week EP.

Music is largely judged on what you feel when you listen to a jam or an album. As I roll through these Kiwi Classics, there are many factors that put certain projects on a pedestal but I tend to always come back to how that collection of songs made me feel. Having got all up in some Bob Marley reggae a few years back and taking in the plethora of wisdom offered through reggae music, I hopped on the Jahtearoa train and dug a little deeper into Katchafire. 

Katchafire was on the come up roughly a decade ago and I hadn't quite discovered my current musical pallet at that time, so just as I embarked on a spiritual journey in acquainting myself with the vibes, ideas and values offered by Marley and the Wailers, I embarked on the same journey with Katchafire. Most kiwis know Katchafire and I grew up with Katchafire playing on the radio via mainstream hits like 'Get Away', 'Who You With' and 'Colour Me Life'. They were present throughout my childhood, although I never really went any further and going full-circle, back to their debut album Revival simply felt like the right thing to do.

"Reggae music in the morning, keeps your head right"

This resulted in me listening to Revival on repeat most mornings and unless I've got another project I'm trying to vibe with to review, Revival became a constant. Most of my writing over the past six months has been done with Revival jamming in the background and that's how I came to attack this little write up about it in different fashion to Home Brew Crew's 'Last Week' EP. Revival became a constant because of how it made me feel and it didn't feel right to attempt a detailed description about the structure of the album, the music, a deep analysis of the lyrics or even assessing the band member's various roles.

Instead, I'm here to tell you about how Revival made me feel and or the culmination of a few feelings. All of that results in my belief that Revival is undoubtedly a classic kiwi album, perhaps one of the best albums in Aotearoa's musical history - I'm yet to get knee deep in their 2010 album 'On The Road Again' which tickled my fancy and may be better or equal. 

Listening to Revival, it's impossible to feel down in the dumps about anything and you're instantly transported into a groove. You might get up in your feelings about a former lover with 'Colour Me Life' or 'Who You With' but you definitely won't be left stuck there as the infectious tunes move your body. This is why I've found listening to Revival to be important in my creative process as it gets me wiggling, vibing out to the instruments that come and go when you don't expect, let alone the fact that you are forced to sing along. 

Reggae has that ability and there's no negativity or disdain in reggae music, unless it's directed at those who suppress us. So, by nature Katchafire are going to portray that as reggae/roots is their niche, however Katchafire gloriously encapsulate this and forge their own unique identity from it. They've taken the core elements of reggae and translated it into a kiwi setting, which to my mind is as good an example as any around the world of a band or artist taking reggae down a different route. 

Consider what Damian Marley has done and that's what I'm alluding to. Marley has modernized reggae and added his own funk, while staying true to the vibe and message of reggae. Katchafire have also done exactly that and I can't think of any other way to describe this other than Jahtearoa. This is uniquely kiwi style of reggae and you could point to the treatment of Maori in Aotearoa as being a natural starting point for reggae in Aotearoa, as well as Maori's connection to the natural elements around them. 

Hamilton's 'Hood Street' makes an appearance on 'Who You With (and I'll be spinning out around Hood Street) and there are other minor kiwi gems spread through Revival like "excuse me sir, me car broke down, me Mrs left me with the baby now". The language used gives a specific genre of music that identifies closely with another country or another group of people, a sense of relatability. Of course, you expect Rastafari expressions to be used but they are inter-twined with kiwi language and kiwi vibes, allowing you to feel an authenticity to Katchafire's music.

The plight of the Rastafari could be viewed as restrictive and as a pakeha lad, there's a certain level of guilt that comes with hearing reggae. I view it as being self aware of my people's history and the role they've played in this world, that's quickly swept aside my the positivity of reggae and Katchafire encapsulate this duality, while also allowing for oodles of general wisdom via Jah to seep through. You can be from any background to appreciate "find time to slow down, 'cause time keeps ticking every day" (Reggae Revivial) or "if you want it, go get it, don't wait for no one, gotta take your own advice" and "you got to wake up, got to get out, got to get moving" (Done Did It). Even the vibe of Babylon of falling, or 'Lose Your Power' is (via my perspective) directed at corporations and commercialism, not exactly different skin colours and for me that sums up reggae. 

This is something we can all follow, a view that can be shared by young folk especially, hence I view Revival as being just as important now as it was back in 2003, perhaps even more so. That's the timeless box ticked that is a requirement for my Kiwi Classics as Revival holds relevance now and will continue to hold relevance in the future; Revival will be everlasting. You can use it vibe out to, while also gaining a perspective and wisdom that shapes your personality. Then you can continue to be guided by listening to it on repeat, without the music losing any of its groove.

Ultimately, the feeling I got deep within my South Auckland loins from listening to Revival on repeat was that in Katchafire, Aotearoa has a music group that is running with the reggae torch. They still very much are and it's important to note that Katchafire are simply one of, if not the premier group in reggae worldwide so appreciate that, but with Revival specifically, Katchafire announced their arrival to that stage. Revival not only encapsulates the themes, ideas and musicality of reggae, this album adds to it and for Katchafire to do so with their debut album is rather bonkers.

Revival is the starting point for Jahtearoa and the deep connection I feel between Aotearoa and Rastafari stems from Revival. That's a feeling I'll never lose, I'll never part ways with that belief and is why Revival is the most important kiwi album of my life. 

"Revival of jah music, stand strong and use it and shine..."