COURTNEY John officially debuted his Rootstronic sound two weeks ago with the cover of a reggae classic. The singer’s fusion of electronica and roots-reggae puts an entirely different spin on Black Cinderella, a song originally done by Errol Dunkley.

COURTNEY JOHN… it’s one of my favourite all-time songs

Black Cinderella is the first release from Future, John’s 10-track album which is scheduled to be released April 30. All songs are produced by Nastasia ‘The Wizard’ Hammond.

Courtney John says Black Cinderella is a longtime favourite of his, so it seems fitting that it introduces a sound he hopes will make some noise in Jamaica and overseas.

“It’s been about five years since I’ve been playing around with the Errol Dunkley version. It’s one of my favourite all-time songs, but I didn’t want to do it the same way,”

he told Splash.

Known for lovers’ rock songs like Lucky Man and I Go Crazy, Courtney John says he conceived the Rootstronica concept last year during think sessions with Hammond and keyboardist Steven ‘Lenky’ Marsden, creator of the world-famous Diwali beat.

According to Courtney John, it is time for a different sound to emerge from Jamaica after nearly three decades of dancehall dominance.

“Dancehall is great, but I also think that we’re too creative a people to think that’s where the buck stops,” he said last December in an interview with the Observer.

Dunkley recorded Black Cinderella in 1972 for west Kingston producer James ‘One Foot Jimmy’ Radway. The song was released during the early stages of roots-reggae and became a forerunner for the lovers’ rock genre.

Future, which also includes the songs Soul of a Man and Very Special, is John’s fourth album. His previous albums include Made In Jamaica and From Letters To Words.

— Howard Campbell