Lt Stitchie Says His Upcoming Album Creation Being Treated Like “Gold Purified By Fire”
Dancehall Governor Lieutenant Stitchie says he is being very fastidious in the creation of his 23rd album, and is treating the process akin to how a goldsmith smelts gold ore to perfection.
“Like Gold must be purified by fire, that’s a mandatory process, similarly this New Album must go through the meticulous process of creation for excellence at Supa Mixe Studio. Lt.Stitchie & Raheem!” Stitchie posted in one of his several updates on the album, for which he domiciled himself in Jamaica to undertake.
The Dress To Impress artiste showed off several other posts chronicling his progress, in which he praised the producers and musicians at various studios in Kingston and St Catherine, among them Tuff Gong, and Mixing Lab, who were painstakingly going through the sessions with him.
Stitchie also displayed images of pianist Otty, Reggae Grammy Award winning Engineer, Nigel Burrell and himself “putting in the work diligently on my next project a little at a time”, and, unlike recent rumblings about the state of Jamaica’s youngest musical genres, Stitchie said all was hunky-dory with the music he loves.
“Reggae & Dancehall Music is alive and well. Working on NEW PROJECT with Father & Son, Engineer Nigel Burrell at Supa Mixe Studio. Best Reggae Album GRAMMY 2021 alongside his super gifted son Raheem, from Generation to Generation,” he stated.
Over at Tuff Gong, the Masterclass artiste showed drummer Jabari, in a photo in he described as “clinically laying down the Congos on one track of the New Project” and another with Engineer Roland McDermott “creatively working”.
“NEW ALBUM WORK IN PROGRESS: Jahbari & Lt. Stitchie in Tuff Gong Studio -The power of divine connection being expressed in my music through the Spirit of The Christ, YESHUA HA MASHIACH!” he said in another.
He also showed off Tuff Gong Studio musicians Okiel and Oshane collaborating on the Brass Instruments, while at the Mixing Lab Studio he highlighted studio engineer Fatman and his full band.
Stitchie returned to Jamaica in September last year to go full-fledged into the creation of the album, which he had announced in May, and which from all indications will feature stringed instruments used in orchestras, such as cellos and violins.
For the rest of last year, he had engaged in copious amounts of studio work at studios in his original base Spanish Town, and also did the media rounds.
The award-winning deejay had also enlisted the expertise of singer and Grammy-nominated musician, Benjy Myaz to serve as composer, arranger and producer, on the album.
Myaz, who plays seven musical instruments, hails from Montego Bay, and has an extensive track record in production and arrangement. He was among the experts who worked with the late producer Bobby Digital on Sizzla’s internationally acclaimed album, Da Real Thing, and Capleton’s Reign of Fire.
Stitchie’s upcoming album, will follow on the heels of his award-winning Masterclass album, which was co-produced by Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage and for which the former PE teacher received the Caribbean Afro Music Award’s Best Reggae Album of the year Award.
Masterclass was released in October 2019 and was described by Stitchie as his “best work ever”. The album comprised 17 tracks and featured collaborations with Agent Sasco, Lukie D, Ricky Stereo, Million Stylez and Fantan Mojah.
Stitchie’s first Gospel Reggae album was titled To God Be the Glory which was released in 1999. In 2002, he won the ‘Outstanding Male Reggae Vocal Performance of the Year’ award at Caribbean Gospel Music Marlin Awards.
The Tivoli Gardens High School old boy has had an illustrious Dancehall career, recording his first album Wear Yuh Size for King Jammys in 1987, which was also named Great Ambition by the producer, for the overseas market.
He was also signed to Atlantic Records, where he recorded a total of three albums, namely The Governor in 1989, Wild Jamaican Romances in 1991 and Rude Boy in 1993, all of which copped the Album Of The Year award in Jamaica. At the time he was also was featured on LL Cool J’s 1993 Gold Album 14 Shots to the Dome on a track titled Straight From Queens.
Stitchie recorded Bun It Down for producer Patrick Roberts of Shocking Vibes in 1993, after his stint at Atlantic ended. The single which topped the local music charts and was later followed by a slew of number one songs. In one calendar year Stitchie even ended up with 14 number one songs.
Although Stitchie’s discography is very extensive, his most memorable track is the hit Wear Yuh Size, about a fictional love interest who forced her feet into a tiny pair of shoes and ended up embarrassing herself in public.
Romance, Natty Dread, Hot Like the Sun, Broad Hips, and Woman Fe Get Lyrics, are among his other big hits.
In his secular years, he worked with a wide range of Jamaica’s best producers among them Bobby Digital, Danny Browne, Donovan Germaine, riddim twins Sly and Robbie, and Steelie and Cleevie.
In 2012, Stitchie, whose given name is Cleve Laing, was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Cornerstone Christian University in Orlando, Florida, in recognition of his contribution to Gospel Reggae. He published his autobiography, The Power of Determination in 2014 and was subsequently inducted into the Gospel Hall Of Fame in January 2016, in Kingston.