Ifrica vaults with ‘Climb’

QUEEN IFRICA’S new album is called Climb, but its move into the Billboard Reggae Albums Chart for the week of March 25 is closer to a pole vault. The 17-track set has debuted at number one, making Ifrica the only solo female artiste on the chart and the only Jamaican performer in the top five.

There is a Jamaican presence at either end of the chart, as Raging Fyah’s Everlasting is at number 15, down from number 11 in its 10th week on the listing. It is hanging on at the end of a long list of albums which have lost ground on the latest Billboard Reggae Albums hierarchy, as places nine to 14 have also all fallen. And they are all former chart-toppers.

The number nine album, A Dollar Short and A Minute Late (London McNamara), fell from number seven the previous week. Bob Marley and The Wailers’ The Legend Live: Santa Barbara County Bowl, November 25, 1979, is number 10 on the current listing, falling a spot from last week.

Fortunate Youth’s self-titled set is in the 11th spot, also falling a place from the previous listing in only its fourth week on the chart. Live at Red Rocks (Rebelution) has fallen the furthest this week, as it is at number 12 after holding the number six spot last week. Stephen Marley’s Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life has fallen just a place to be at number 13 in its 33rd week on the chart, while the number 14 set, Wash House Ting (J Boog), was eighth last week.

Back at upper part of the Billboard ranking Lost in Paradise, which Climb displaced from the top spot, is second. Another new set, Break The World (Fay-Ann Lyons), has debuted at number three. In fourth is an album that has been around a long time, Set In Stone (Stick Figure), which is enjoying its 69th week on the chart.

Falling Into Place (Rebelution) is at number five, down two places from the week before, Get Soca 2017 (Various Artistes) is sixth and Brett Wilson’s Get Ready: Live in Columbus has re-entered the chart to hold the seventh slot.

There is another new set, the Inna Vision EP Highest Grade, at number eight.