Omolara Adesigbin, better known to most as Molara, the original lead vocalist of Zion Train, had been off our radar for quite some time. But the German label Echo Beach is now bringing her back into the spotlight with the release of this 'Ore Mi' EP.
By Jah Rebel
No new material in the track list, but rather songs from a long-lost solo album she recorded nearly thirty years ago for the Skunk Records label. For that album, Molara teamed up with her close Zion Train companions: Colin ‘Cod’ Consterdine, David ‘Tench’ Longmoor, and Neil ‘Perch’ Henfry, whose musical fingerprints are clearly felt throughout the recordings.
The EP opens with ‘Ore Mi’ (“my friend”), in which Molara revisits a traditional Yoruba song. The upbeat ‘Rise & Shine’ evokes strong memories of up-tempo Zion Train tracks from the same era, such as ‘Dance Of Life’ or ‘Fly’, while longtime Zion Train fans might instantly recognize the nearly ten-minute-long ‘Space’, previously featured on ‘Grow Together’ (China Records, 1996).
‘Conscious Living’ was perhaps less compelling to our ears, but the dub version that closes out the EP makes up for it entirely.
And then there’s ‘Dub Suite’, a fourteen-minute dub excursion incorporating both ‘Ore Mi’ and ‘Space’, which undoubtedly stands as the EP’s magnum opus.
While we’re immersed in the Zion Train universe, Neil Perch has also returned to the Alte Ziegelei studio. There, joined by a stellar cast including Paolo Baldini, Trinny Fingers, Blacka Wilson, Dreada One and Professor Skank, he worked on the tracks that make up ‘Dubs Of Perception’, an all-analogue dub project built on Perch’s vintage TAC Scorpion mixing desk.
The nearly seven-minute opener ‘Corridor Of Breath’ immediately brought to mind the sound of African Head Charge. Follow-up ‘Travelling’, is a solid dub reworking of the Burning Spear classic of the same name. Elsewhere, sharp-eared listeners will also catch familiar references. In ‘Rwandan Holiday’, for example, there’s a surprise sample: “Inglan is a bitch…”, lifted straight from Linton Kwesi Johnson’s iconic dub poetry track. Closing track ‘Nepantla (The Inbetween Space)’, features elements of the riddim from Marcia Griffiths’ ‘Stepping Out Of Babylon’.
On vocals, Cara Jane Murphy has now taken over the role once held by Molara. She appears on ‘Move To Love’, which is immediately followed by ‘Love To Dub’, a strong dub version spotlighting Zion Train’s brass section, featuring trombonist Eddie Rieband and trumpeter Dave Fulwood.
Finally, dub poet Roger Robinson, known for his work with Jahtari and as part of King Midas Sound, contributes to ‘Recession Dub’, delivering a fitting soundtrack to today’s economic reality.
Excellent addition to the Zion Train discography!
Founder alongside Jah Shakespear who transitioned to this role in late 2014. Previously worked as critic and reporter, balancing passions for music and Haile Selassie spirituality.
April 30, 2025