Richie Spice Launches New Album in Kingston, Jamaica

[Photo by Niketa Thomas/NickFotoWorks]

Conscious reggae star Richie Spice officially debuted his new album Soothing Sounds: Acoustic to media and fans in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 30, 2012, a week after the launch was postponed due to Hurricane Sandy. The 15-track acoustic opus of socially-conscious roots anthems bowed worldwide on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 from Tad's Record.

"We had high expectations for the launch and we superseded them," states Tad Dawkins, President of Tad's Record. "Soothing Sounds: Acoustic was introduced with a bang and there are only greater things to come. The artist performed exceptional well and the crowd grooved and sang along with every song. This only proves once more that Richie Spice is a solid artist and Tad's Record is just proud to be affiliated with an artist of such great caliber."

The launch was hosted by Usain Bolt's Tracks & Records, Kingston's newest hot spot for intimate, live concerts, and saw Richie Spice backed by a four-piece band and flanked by three back-up singers. He performed several songs from the album in acoustic format, including "Free," "My Heart," and "Crying." Spice then segued into regular renditions of massive hits from his extensive catalog, much to the crowd's delight, as they sang along, word for word.  

"I'm overjoyed by the support for my album," reveals Richie Spice. "I aimed to bring my locals fans a good taste of the acoustic album at the launch and it was well-received." The launch was attended by dancehall superstar Shaggy, famed cricketer Chris Gayle, and a slew of media that included Billboard Magazine, which will be covering the Richie Spice album and its Kingston launch in the upcoming week. "The Soothing Sounds: Acoustic launch was a wonderful opportunity to experience Richie Spice performing the best of his catalog in a small setting," says Billboard's journalist Patricia Meschino, one of the few mainstream journalists who continues to regularly journey to the Caribbean to and bring its music to the global audience. 

"The acoustic interpretations of his well known hits such as 'Grooving My Girl' and 'Youth Dem Cold' gave those songs a renewed vitality and brought Richie's positive lyrics and spectacular vocals into sharper focus." Soothing Sounds: Acoustic is a masterpiece collection that is testament to the evolution of Richie Spice, showcasing an eclectic mix of musical elements that fuse classic reggae vibes with modern day acoustic rock, Spanish guitar, jazz and African drum beats. 

The first single, an uplifting call for unity titled "Free,"remains in heavy rotation in Jamaica and across reggae specialty formats, worldwide. The video for "Free" debuted on television channels in Jamaica in September, and continues to garner traction for the growing classic. The second single "Crying" also remains in rotation across reggae radio, and its video was just released, adding steam to the sounds of Richie Spice across all airwaves.