Former Mighty Diamonds member releases new album
Throughout his 50-plus years in the music business, singer Joseph Benaiah has worked with some of reggae’s greats, as a musician and an artiste.
He called on some of them when he began working on Vision With Faith, his sixth album, which was released in February. Benaiah, a key figure in the South Florida reggae scene for more than 35 years, worked with elite musicians such as Sly and Robbie, former Wailers keyboardist Tyrone Downie, and trombonist Nambo Robinson.
Saxophonist Dean Fraser, who produced the 15-song Vision With Faith set, also played on the album. Most of the recording sessions took place in Kingston.
“When I’m doing an album, I like going to Jamaica and working with the right musicians to get that feel. You can get some of that in South Florida but not all the time,” said Benaiah, who also plays guitar on the album.
Vision With Faith contains the covers Things in Life and How Can I Love Someone, which were made popular in Jamaica by Dennis Brown and Delroy Wilson, respectively. Sweet Talking Lady, Children of Israel and Stay With Me are some of the original tracks.
The project is Benaiah’s biggest since leaving The Mighty Diamonds in 2022. He was a member of the legendary roots trio since 2015 when he replaced the incapacitated Bunny Diamond.
Born Joseph Williamson in Kingston, Benaiah has lived in the US since the late 1960s. He started his career in the early 1970s playing guitar in bands throughout the tri-state area and by the time he moved to South Florida in the mid-1980s, he was an established artiste and musician.