A man of faith, Cario Young dabbles with various genres to spread the word of God. But whether the beats are roots-reggae, dancehall or Rhythm and Blues, the most important thing for the Toronto-based singer is to stay grounded.
There are diverse sounds on ‘New Day’, the singer’s first album, which was released on June 19. He co-produced the 14-song set with Canute Ellis, who shares his willingness to experiment with non-traditional gospel rhythms.
Young said the approach to recording ‘New Day’ was simple.
“We were just creating what was laid on our hearts. This album evolved into a predominantly reggae album after we released ‘Easy’,” he disclosed. “The release of ‘Easy’ derailed our plans to release a contemporary R&B project. We felt the shift and we just obeyed the call.”
‘Easy’ is driven by an old school roots-reggae beat. It is one of five songs from ‘New Day’ that were released prior to June 19. The others are ‘Cool & Deep’, ‘Expectations’, ‘Truly’ and ‘If It Wasn’t’.
The eclectic nature of ‘New Day’ is consistent with Young’s mantra to redefine gospel music. He says that was accomplished with the assistance of Ellis and Craig MCDonald, who also contributed to its production.
“I believe as a team we did. I believe the conversations embedded in the messaging of these songs will evoke thought processes and affect how we approach sharing the gospel through song,” said Young. “Every touch point that is of concern is touched on this album and addressed in a unique way that we believe will bless and change the hearts of many.”
Cario Young’s life was shaped by the Christian way in Hector’s River, a district in Portland parish, eastern Jamaica. But while he admired traditional gospel music, the sounds of contemporary acts like Jermaine Edwards and DJ Nicholas also appealed to him. He collaborates with the latter on ‘One Way’, one of the songs from ‘New Day’.
