In a month when the Rastafari Community is celebrating the 45th anniversary of the three-day state visit of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, as well as commemorating the 48th anniversary of the 1963 attack on Rastafari by the state at Coral Gardens in Montego Bay, reggae artiste Orthodox Issachar could not have chosen a more appropriate time to launch his latest album, Rasta Man.

As it was when he launched the CD, He Created Everything in 2005, it was a family gathering at the Flava Nite Club on Mannings Hill Road, St Andrew on Tuesday night when he unveiled the 14-track set.

The occasion was a lively affair with strong performances and endorsement from his peers and the president of the Jamaica Federation of Musicians (JFM) Desmond Young.

“I am about to launch my third album. My first album titled Great and Marvellous which was done on the Orthodox Music Label for producer Sangie Davis and my second CD, He Created Everything, and this is my third album titled Rasta Man and is on my label which is called Kidane Music. So we are working in conjunction with the Orthodox Music Label at the same time,” Issachar explained.

The Montreal-based singer born Patrick Spence, who described himself as a sojourner who spends time Ethiopia, said this latest project is another milestone. “Our emphasis is on the message. Promoting positive music that can inspire and uplift the people who listen to them. And that is the main goal, is to really publish this great world. For God gave the word and great is the company of those who published it. I am happy to be a part of this great company. For as you know reggae music is the music of the King. And the King music is the music of consciousness and message,” the Rastafari artiste from The Twelve Tribes of Israel Organisation whose best know song is The Prophet Gad, told the Observer.

The president of the JFM Desi Young, challenged the media to give The Rasta Man, the exposure and promotion that is deserving and worth. “We hope that the album earns from our media the attention that the works that artiste like Issachar puts, deserves. I would like to commend the producers, Sangie Davis, Dean Fraser, the musicians that have participated and hope everybody plays a part in promoting this album, thank you very much,” Young said.

Unlike most album launches, it was not a time for speech making, it was more a celebration with performances beginning with Dominican soprano marie-claire, whose operatic/ Nyahbinghi flavour of Rastaman Chant got things off to a soothing inspirational start. Then after which the temperature rose with the appearance of Fire Juice, followed by Sam, Jevouri, Sangie Davis before the man of the moment Orthodox Issachar put the lid on the well attended introduction of the Rasta Man featuring musicians such as Earl “Chinna” Smith, Ozoune among others.