Over the past two years, award-winning producer and recording artist Gemini Major has successfully showcased his versatile musicality. The “Ragga Ragga” hit-maker has always been perceived as a hip-hop producer due to his affiliations with the likes of Nasty C and Cassper Nyovest. However, the release of his genre-bending EP, Island Water, has changed the perspectives of many music enthusiasts.
Island Water is a mesmerising blend of distinctly African sounds, namely Afrobeats, Highlife, and Amapiano. Gemini embraces his African heritage and showcases prolific genres that are taking over the African music scene in different parts of the diaspora.
Record-opener and the EP’s title song “Island Water” ushers us into the tropical expedition with a lightly compressed guitar. The euphonious song features all-round musician Manu WorldStar and is a dreamy tune that is sure to take anyone on an imaginative trip to Kauai. Manu WorldStar’s melodious vocals coupled with the tune’s groovy beat are a recipe for tropical nostalgia.
The Caribbean ambience of this tropic-inspired masterpiece is further explored in “Easy”, featuring NS3. Repetitive lyrics and a steady Highlife beat are accompanied by the occasional sound of a jazzy trumpet echoing in the background on this equable track. The song’s chorus adopts the titular theme, with Gemini Major singing, “just take it easy, this is the season” in a dulcet tone.
Nigerian Pidgin – widely recognised as the lingua franca of Dancehall and Afrobeats – is put to good use in Island. Gemini describes his love interest as a “fine gal” on the laid-back track “Slow Down Rewind”. He also uses popular Naija terms such as “dunno” and “everyting” – which are religiously used in the country’s street lingo.
The EP’s chart-topping lead single “Ooh Lala” features Nigerian breakout star Aya Starr and tells an erotic tale about a passionate love affair. Aya declares her undying love and longing for her lover’s presence, singing: “If only you took your time to hold me.” Despite its smooth and soft tone, the song doubles up as a club banger. Its complex rhythm and percussion drums tempt one to break out in a Shaku dance.
Gemini Major brings the music back to Mzansi through subtle log drums, a signature of Amapiano. Amapiano is further acknowledged when Focalistic says his famous code phrase—”Ase trap tse ke pina tsa ko kasi”—on “Ewele,” which also features songstress Dunnie. The mesmeric blend of various genres in Island amplifies one core principle – Africanacity.
