A former middle-distance athlete, Binghi Blaze knows how important timing is to victory. He has taken a similar approach for Rastalution, his first album.

The 15-song set had a soft launch in October at The Garden in South Florida, but the Rastafarian artiste says the real donkey work starts in early 2023.

“Wi going on a promotional tour with di album. Wi want to do some shows, some videos too,” he said.

Binghi Blaze co-produced most of Rastalution with veteran musician Dennis “Jah D” Fearon. It contains ‘One True Friend’, a song released four years ago; ‘Pressuring The Poor’ and ‘Rastamance’, other previously released singles, are also on the album.

The Manchester-born singer performed several of the songs at The Garden, as well as at the Black I Am Awards in Atlanta, Georgia last month. Rastalution’s songs, Binghi Blaze noted, are rooted in reality.

“All words are geared at improving knowledge of self. There is a song for everyone,” he said.

Born Gary Williams, Binghi Blaze grew up in a devout Christian home and began playing music in church. But at Knox College in Manchester, it was track and field that got his attention most, and he competed for that school at Boys Champs over 800 metres.

While still involved in athletics as a student at G C Foster College in Spanish Town, he began writing songs. ‘Jah is in Full Control’, Binghi Blaze’s debut single, was released in 2013.

Four years ago, he met Fearon, who has worked with roots acts such as Culture and Edi Fitzroy. They agreed to collaborate on an album, co-producing 12 of the songs on Rastalution on which Fearon played keyboards, Prince Manning on drums with Phillip Jones and Barry Porter on guitars.