Day 311 of 365 Day Jamaican Music Challenge - Mother Liza - Joy To Your Soul

When people speak about female deejays you often hear the names Sister Nancy, Lady Ann, Sister Carol, Shelly Thunder and Lady Saw but one that usually slips beneath the radar is the great Liza AKA Mother Liza.  I had read that Liza, who was best known for her work inna combination style with deejay Floyd "Nigger Kojak" Perch, was actually two different women Beverley Brown and Jacqueline Bolan, so there is no definitive way in telling which is which.  That's not saying that she didn't have a chance to cut her own tracks when she worked with Kojak because she did.  Take for instance today's track "Joy To Your Soul" produced by Bunny Lee, mixed by Prince Jammy and taken from the album Chant Down Babylon on the Gorgon label... none of the call and response you know and love from such hits as "Sky Juice" and "Hole In The Bucket," just a badass riddim and Mother Liza chatting on the mic!  Mother Liza went on to record a "clash" album for Striker Lee with Papa Tullo appropriately titled Mother Liza Meets Papa Tullo that remains one of my favorite deejay albums from the early dancehall era.  Unfortunately, Mother Liza's short 4-5 year recording career probably explains why her name is often overlooked by casual reggae fans, but I personally respect the hell out of her and her work!  She was one of the first female voices in dancehall when the scene  could best be described as a "boys club" and her records show that she could more than hold her own.  Respect due Liza!