Love, gratitude and conscious living form the bedrock of Jah Decko’s Love Who Loves You Back, a roots reggae album whose themes are very much geared towards the present day. It’s not a collection of surface level stuff. The album is very much about the values of togetherness, equality, respect and positive energy. The title itself is a great place to start, it’s a reminder that we should be aware of who loves us and we should be in a position to love back. That’s the essence of the album really, it’s all about human relationships and the principles that underpin them.
Rastafari is a major part of the project’s identity and underpins the whole concept of awareness, gratitude and personal responsibility. Jah Decko brings his Surinamese background into the reggae tradition which he’s been involved with for over 20 years. That cultural perspective adds another layer to the album, particularly in the way it looks at roots reggae as an expression of identity rather than just a genre. The core messages are about how we relate to each other and to the world in general, all of it in a very positive way.
Another big thing about Love Who Loves You Back is its emphasis on actual musicianship. It’s very much about live performance at a time when so much music is produced digitally. That approach underlines the album’s roots in traditional roots reggae and is a clear statement of respect for the musicianship that is required to realise the music. The themes of consciousness and of genuine human connection are perfectly supported by an artistic stance which is all about authenticity and real expression.
Love Who Loves You Back is essentially a record that’s very much in the same place in terms of its outlook on life. It’s all about love, gratitude, equality, oneness and the duty to treat people with respect. It doesn’t just throw out the word ‘positive’ as a catch cry. It links that positivity to the way we live our lives, to the way we actually behave. The message is simple and very much worth having: if you’re going to love someone then you should be in a position to love them back and you should be in a position to give them the same energy that they’ve given you.
