Carlene Davis and Tommy Cowan (Photo: Joseph Wellington)
Howard Campbell May 6, 2023
Carlene delivers Highway to Heaven
During the tedious COVID-19 lockdowns, Carlene Davis reflected on her secular career that produced a number of hit singles, including Like Old Friends Do and It Must be Love. It was the first time in years that she listened to some of those songs.
“Tommy [Cowan] and I had a chance to really revisit and take stock of some of those material, having not listened to most of them in so long, and realised how much work had gone into those productions. It is a part of my legacy, it’s where I’m coming from, which has truly shaped me into who I am today,” she said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.
That legacy continues to grow with Highway to Heaven, her latest song, which is produced by Cowan, her husband of over 35 years. It is currently number one on the South Florida Reggae Chart.
Davis turned her back on music of the ‘world’ when she became a Christian in the early 1990s. Reggae, however, remains the backdrop for many of her inspirational songs.
Released by Cowan’s Glory Music label, Highway to Heaven is done to a ska/dancehall beat.
“I enjoy recording on diverse rhythms, because versatility and ability is a result of being able to express yourself in the arena of music,” said Davis, who was born in Clarendon, but raised in the United Kingdom and Canada.
She launched her recording career in the 1970s while living in Toronto.
Davis returned to Jamaica in the early 1980s and scored a series of radio-friendly hits like Stealing Love on The Side, Going Down to Paradise, and Dial My Number.
Carlene Davis has recorded 14 gospel albums, the first being Gospel Reggae in 1991. Her last album was The Assignment, which came out five years ago.
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