Almost 30 years ago, Marva G began production on what was to be her debut album. The songs she recorded were for producer Kenneth Gordon, but they were never released.

On June 10, New Life, one of the songs from those ‘lost’ sessions, was released by Osujah Records, a label owned by Donna “Lady Donna” Burnett. It is a relief for the veteran roots artiste.

“It’s a great song with a timeless message dat need to be heard. Give thanks for Lady Donna for putting it out,” said Marva G.

Impressed by New Life’s call for repatriation, the United States-based Burnett agreed to re-record, promote and release the single. The Osujah version is driven by the music of Everybody’s Talkin’ by singer Harry Nilsson, best known as the theme song for Midnight Cowboy, the 1969 hit movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.

Marva G (given name: Marva Gillespie) was raised in Waterhouse, St Andrew. It was there that she became familiar with Rastafari and roots-reggae and became interested in making music a career.

Her association with Gordon and Johnny Golding (of Swing Magazine fame) saw her cutting a number of tracks intended for an album, but that never materialised. Marva G took a break from the business but subsequently recorded songs like Prophet Gather Israel, Dig up The Farm, and Sensimenia, a collaboration with Soul Indi, Micah Shemaiah, Selah and Kabaka Pyramid.

— Howard Campbell