The UK’s foremost female Reggae artist – Askala Selassie – has teamed up for the first time, with leading producer Joe Ariwa the Apprentice to the legendary Mad Professor, to launch Survivor, a new song dedicated to the late great drummer-singer Drummie Zeb.
Crafted at the renowned Ariwa Studios in South London, the new track features lyrics and vocals by Askala Selassie, which have been combined with an iconic Aswad instrumental – Warrior Charge. The instrumental first appeared in the soundtrack of the cult classic film Babylon, which broke new ground in 1980 for featuring only reggae and dub.
“The chance to collaborate with Joe Ariwa on such an iconic instrumental has been a true honour”. comments Askala. “Aswad’s music and the soundtrack in the Babylon movie mean so much to so many people, so we didn’t take this project lightly. We wanted to be respectful to Drummie’s legacy. That instrumental is not just part of a classic film, it is also the soundtrack to the lived experience of many black Caribbeans during the 1980s.”
The instrumental is attributed to Angus Gaye aka Drummie Zeb, the Aswad drummer and singer who sadly passed away in September 2022.
Survivor and an accompanying music video will be released from 14th July 2023 onwards on all music and video streaming platforms.
