Maybe in the musical proposal of Steffen Morrison His Surinamese origin does not emerge in sound evidence, but it does in the spiritual force of his art. Suriname is a small republic, former Dutch colony, located in northern South America, next to Guyana and French Guiana, between Brazil and Venezuela.
The spirit of Morrison’s childhood in Paramaribo, the state capital, is reflected in the aura of this “Legacy”, a decisive soul album influenced by a handful of classics but with a conscious and personal search.
Morrison said in an interview with yours truly that his approach to music was totally familiar, cultural and celebratory. All characteristics that he knew how to take with him to the cold Amsterdam and that emerge without fear in this work of measured minutes in favor of ensuring impact.
The path of the songs is coherent and addresses topics inherent to any person; the music becomes one hundred percent relatable when Morrison’s booming voice leads the way by saying “Get up!” like a loving cry in the first song “Stand Up”. Morrison knows that life hurts, but in his music he offers a mantra of tangible positivity definitely capable of lifting spirits. With a list of songs without fillers and well-distributed prominence, Legacy offers moments of perfect groovology, such as that of “Respect Yourself”, James Brown’s playful school theme, with lyrics inspired by Beyoncé and Jay Z’s hit and also “Self Made Man” in which the soulman brings out his devotion to his hip hop idols, especially Wu-Tang Clan. The halfway point of the album presents a series of songs that lower the revolutions and raise the sophistication: “Crazy” stands out with an exquisite arrangement by Rhodes and an interesting air of Seal, “Days Of Confusion” It brings the soul of Marvin Gaye to the game and with it comes the power of seduction and perfectly placed psychedelic percussion. “Temptation” opens the most emotional chapter of the album in which gospel takes over the stylistic nomenclature and gives rise to an ending full of debauchery with “The Lean On In”.
Although a second album by such a vital artist is clearly too early to talk about a “legacy”, Morrison ensures with this impeccable work the fact of leaving his seed, at the very least, in the records of the best soul released in Europe.