Growing up in a Jamaican household in her native Brooklyn, New York, Kaedi Philo listened to the music of her parents’ homeland. Songs like Judy Mowatt’s Black Woman resonated with her.

Recently, she covered the classic 1980 track, a tribute to women of colour. Released in February, the Kaedi Philo version is co-produced by Richard “Bello” Bell and Lynford “Fatta” Marshall for 29 West Productions.

It was Bell who suggested she put a fresh spin on Black Woman. For Kaedi Philo, doing the original justice was important; hence, there is little difference between the two songs.

“Other than making the solos my own in little ways. I think there was an initial train of thought to add a verse of my own to shed light on modern-day struggles, but ultimately I wanted to make sure that we paid our respect to the original,” she said. “I sang and stacked the background vocals with Sherida Sharpe to give the arrangement a little more body, but those arrangements don’t stray from the original.”

One difference is guitarist Lamont “Monty” Savory’s bluesy riffs, while saxophonist Dean Fraser leads a horn section that matches the memorable intro of the original.

Mowatt recorded Black Woman and the album of the same name at what was then Federal Records (now Tuff Gong International) in Kingston. The inspiration to write the song came during an emotional visit to an exhibition on slavery in the American South.

Kaedi Philo, who started recording music 10 years ago, has diverse influences. They include Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Anita Baker, Tracy Chapman and Beres Hammond.

Hammond was one of the artistes who helped put Bell’s Startrail Records on the map in the 1990s. Bell produced the singer’s hit single Come Back Home, as well as Lift up Your Head by Everton Blender and Fire pon Rome by Anthony B.

After an extended break from music production, Bell has made a gradual return. Working with engineer Lynford “Fatta” Marshall, he re-crafted the Black Woman rhythm on which Behold I Come by Kumar Fyah is also recorded.

— Howard Campbell