HOLD STRONG
Written By Sista Irie
February 18, 2022:
“Mama don’t you cry, Big man dry your eyes…. Hold Strong… Hold Strong… Jah Jah City be clear, this is no time to fear. The righteous ones will be near the gates of Zion and be covered” KRISTINE ALICIA
In this ever changing world of chaos, where normalcy is replaced with life threatening anxieties, music soothes the savage beast. Mental stability is frail having weathered two years of the unknown. This is a time when spiritual guidance can strengthen confidence and ones well being. Musical healing fueled with passion and heart can mediate fear into strength.
Kristine Alicia is the angel in the choir reaching out to calm our worried minds. The strength of her lyrics are delivered in a powerful commanding voice that not only soothes the soul but assures a light at the end of the road. Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica she proudly comes from the support and encouragement of a well versed musical family including her brothers and sister. Her father is a pastor and musician who taught her classical piano. It is no wonder Kristine rises above the crowd with spiritual energy; divine, powerful and healing.
Kristine moved to the U.S. at age 13 and later received a Master’s degree in Music Business. She began performing as a back up singer in the gospel arena. In 2007, she launched her first album “Get Ready” produced by Nigel Lewis. This album pushed her into the forefront of the Gospel community where she received Artist of the Year and Female Reggae Vocal Performance at the Marlin Awards. It was Kristine’s growing interest in love and social justice that linked her in 2017 with Rory “Stone Love” Gilligan, producer of her second album “Songs from Zion.” The album charted on iTunes Top 10 and Billboard’s Top 15 and received multiple accolades by a cross section of reggae media. Kristine has shared the stage at live events featuring Third World, Tarrus Riley, Papa San, Etana, Nadine Sutherland, Warrior King and Freddie McGregor. She crossed the globe performing from West to East including the Groove Party in Nairobi, Kenya in 2015.
Kristine has been through ups and downs. It was the passing of her husband in 2020 that resulted in a dramatic single entitled “Black Diamond,” a call to action for survivors, victims and those suffering in silence. The message is personal, yet reflects the trauma of a post pandemic world. In November 2021, Kristine released a plea for ‘people to find their voice and sing again’ with a single entitled “Gold” on the Raging Storm Riddim produced by Christopher Hurst.
Her new release “HOLD STRONG” remains true to her intuitive understanding of psychological stress experienced by those in fear and disillusionment. Her outstanding lyrics and delivery are tied together by the psychosocial impact of life’s never ending struggles. “HOLD STRONG” releases February 18, 2022 to be followed by an EP later this year. Get ready to experience musical medicine that will guide us to feel whole again.
“My hope is that ‘Hold Strong’ becomes a melody that lifts up the ‘strong one’ we sometimes forget, who needs our strength and reminds our people of the innate resilience that pushes us through trying times.” Kristine Alicia
