Raymond and Nehilet bring Good Vibez

FED up of the rum lyrics that have dominated the chutney/soca arena for some time, and the decline of the entertainment industry caused by the pandemic, crossover artiste Raymond Ramnarine wanted to bring some positive vibes to the genre and to 2021.

So he's brought out Good Vibez, the name of his latest release, in collaboration with lead singer of the Love Circle, Nehilet Blackman, the daughter of late soca and jamoo inventor Ras Shorty I.

Already gaining popularity, Good Vibez, which has more of a soca than chutney sound, was released on Monday, along with a video by Yan The Man. The video was filmed at the Blackman Ranch at Piparo. Columbus Bay, Icacos, Las Lapas, and in Ramnarine’s home town, Gasparillo.

The song had 22,000 views over its first two days on YouTube and is on rotation on local radio stations.

Good Vibez was produced by Raymond's brother Richard Ramnarine and Akshay Bissoon of Bakyard Studios and written by Isaac Blackman, with Ramnarine admitting, “I penned a few lyrics too.”

Speaking about the genesis of this song, he recalled that on a family break at a beach house in Mayaro, Richard insisted that Ramnarine “listen to the good vibes he was hearing.”

“I told Richard to put away the music and let the waves just make its own music, but he insisted and I fell in love with it.

“Richard just started building the rhythms and putting the chords together, putting down the music at our Bakyard Studio at home, and then sent it to Isaac at Jamoo Studios.

“Richard really went all out for this. He took it to this mastering company out in LA called Blue Oak Mastering. These people usually master for artistes like Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Katy Perry.”

Nehilet recalled that Isaac was blown away by the beat, and his plans to add to the music just faded.

Reflecting on the negative impact of the pandemic on the entertainment industry, Ramnarine said his focus was on new music and virtual shows.

He envisioned someone who represented love and positivity to share the new music with.

Reflecting on the six-decade musical history the Blackmans and Ramnarines share, starting with his uncle Bisram Moonilal, who played the mandolin for Shorty’s song Indrani, he turned to the Love Circle with a vision of rekindling the relationship and bringing the present generation full circle.

“Nehilet was the perfect fit. I’ve always admired their family, and just like the Ramnarines, they have always been an inspiration to others.”

Nehilet, who like her father and other family members, often fused the two dominant musical cultures in TT – Indo and Afro – has done quite a few covers of Bollywood songs. She said she loved Bollywood music and when Richard reached out to her to do this collaboration, everything just fell into place.

“This is such a family connection. The relationship between us and Isaac and Richard, the concept of this song, the relationship between the Indian and the African cultures coming together to show that love, that unity and the really, really important role we (artistes) have to play.”

Saying she has always been intrigued by Ramnarine and Dil-E-Nadan, she recalled when Richard first contacted her, she gushed about what a big fan she was, that she loved Ramnarine’s voice, his music, his vibes most of all, and followed him on Instagram. She said this was an opportunity to launch off in an area that is still novel to her.

Usually around this time, Ramnarine and his family band would have been preparing for their annual mega-concert, Everybody Loves Raymond.

When the first covid19 wave struck and the country went into lockdown, he and the band took a big hit, as his concert was scheduled for that very weekend. Artistes were booked, foreign guests and artistes from India had already arrived, but he had to cancel.

For the second year running, the concert will not be happening.

“The safety of my fans comes first.”

In the last year, his brother Rennie has been battling health challenges, but Ramnarine wanted “to let our fans know that my brother Rennie continues to have hope and we all appreciate the prayers sent to him. It’s been so challenging but we continue to have faith. Rennie is a fighter."And he wanted to end by saying: "My goal is to make us remember the good days when we use to play by Grandma and Grandpa. When we use to call out to our neighbours and greet each other. When we all lived with love, living like brothers and sisters.

“As the song says – Leh we love each other with ah Good Vibez.”

You know I love you my brother

You know I love you my sister

You know I love you my brother

No, no, no I love you my sister

The chemistry of chutney and soca aha ha

Is evident that we love one another

And this ah loving undeniable

And this ah kinda loving irreplaceable

So leh we love each other with a good vibe

With a good vibe

Together is a good vibe

Bless with a good vibe

Because this is who we are

Our friendship is Soca

This is who we are

Destiny brings us together

So leh we celebrate life

In this paradise

All Trinidad nice

Music home is a paradise

So come on people leh we keep it so so

We have the plenty room to grow grow

We want a brighter tomorrow

So leh me see your hands in the air

Put some love in the atmosphere

Soca music in the air

In this beautiful isle