"Sister
Carol projects more vibrancy and power in the flex of
an eyebrow than most performers do in an entire set."
-- Billboard
Lyrically
Potent:
One of the best female reggae releases of the '90s from
the self-styled "Culture Queen." Full of great
melodies, smart ideas, and empowering songs, Lyrically
Potent is a perfect antidote to the lowbrow slackness
of female sing-jays. 
".
. . unquestionably the best album she's ever done. Full
of great melodies and smart ideas, it is the perfect antidote
to the lowbrow slackness of female 'sing-jays' from Lady
Saw to Lady Patra. For quality in production values and
subject matter, no other woman in dancehall measures up
to this. And in live performance, no other woman in dancehall
can touch Sister Carol." -- Cooper, Village Voice
"Sister
Carol is quite a woman. Lyrically Potent is her sixth
recording, and it's much more realized and commercial
than her previous efforts. Her style has evolved to socio-politically
conscious stance, which incorporates elements of rap,
urban, and hip-hop into the reggae mix." --Album
Network
".
. . it's hard to imagine how she'll top this one. Stylistically,
she's an innovator (note the dancehall/rocksteady hybrid
riddim in effect on 'Dread Natty Congo'), but is also
comfortable working in a classic dancehall DJ tradition
on cuts like 'Red Eye' and 'Strong and Fit.' Sugar Minott
stops in to pay his respects, and there's even a touch
of dub. Is it a perfect reggae album? Maybe so."
--Rick Anderson, Rhythm Music
"Carol
East crackles with energy on this disc of Rasta rhythms
and rapping. Her powerful voice stays in your face, speaking
frankly and singing to easy techno-reggae backing. It's
reassuring to hear reggae that keeps the drum machines
at bay, and the down-home righteous Rasta talk is straight
and true." --Dan Maryon, Option
"It's
definitely a reggae dancing album." -- Denver
Advocate
".
. . [takes] her talents . . . to a new level." --
Reggae Report
Black Cinderella
The classic album from the original, conscious, "Roots
Daughter," reissued for the first time on CD. Twelve
classic tracks (two previously unissued), overflowing
with conscious, educational lyrics honed in the dancehalls,
where Sister Carol began her career. 
"While
much of the contemporary reggae scene has long since
gone on to hit-hopping retreads, here's a reminder of
what putting the 'roots' in roots rocker could mean."
--Cliff Furnald, CMJ
".
. . a solid introduction to her educational songs about
empowerment . . . her signature sound is presented most
effectively on Black Cinderella." --Michael Point,
Austin-American Statesman
".
. . an album that could be a good introduction to reggae
for younger children and is infectious enough to melt
the black heart of jaded cynics." --Robert Nelson,
Dub Missive
".
. . one of her best ever. It's slammin' with original
DJ-style lyrics, as in 'Natty Live Up' which has no
freaks, just pure consciousness: `Gonna be a dread until
the day Jah set me free.'" --Gavin Report
Isis
Sister Carol Isis (Tuff Gong) "In a genre so often
awash in a tidal wave of testosterone, it's always refreshing
to hear from a woman, and no female reggae artist has
more to say or the ability to say it more convincingly
than Sister Carol. Also known as Mother Culture, the Brooklyn-based
DJ/singer is back with another thoroughly conscious set
of roots music that sparkles with  witty
verbosity and an acute sense of social reality. She addresses
topics as wide-ranging as feminism, spirituality, herbalism,
HIV, drugs, unresponsive government, police brutality,
and her intense love of reggae music. Her tales ride a
variety of solid roots riddems, the most crucial of which
have been associated with the likes of Bob Marley, Burning
Spear, and Sir Coxsone's Studio One. Carol has a delightful
penchant for borrowing snippets of melodies and phrases
from pop tunes, reworking and incorporating them into
her own songs, but what Isis does best of all is showcase
Sister Carol as a highly original voice within the music,
a woman's voice coming from America that addresses female
concerns both universal and community-specific. She is
the Earth Mother of reggae music, and her return is long
overdue. "
Record
Reviews
October 15, 1999:
BY JAY TRACHTENBERG
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