Italian-American singer releasing reggae gospel album

Gospel singer JoZee grew up in Chicago with Sicily in her blood, but reggae has been beating in her heart since childhood.

Now she’s finally turning that lifelong love affair with Jamaican music into the album she always wanted to make. The Italian-American gospel singer is releasing Who God Says I Am, her first reggae gospel album. Produced by veteran Jamaican producer Danny Brownie for Main Street Records, the 15-track project tackles faith and purpose. For JoZee, reggae isn’t some late-career experiment.

“I have loved reggae music since I was a little girl,” she said, naming Third World’s classic 96 Degrees In The Shade as one of the first reggae songs to grab her attention. That record opened the floodgates. She immersed herself in Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Jacob Miller and Marcia Griffiths before digging deeper into Eek-A-Mouse, Barrington Levy, Yellowman, Super Cat and Shabba Ranks.

“It’s been my favourite genre of music and I’ve always dreamt about recording reggae music,” JoZee said. Her musical résumé stretches back almost as far. She began performing at age nine, later studied music at DePaul University and eventually landed a recording deal with Quincy Jones’ Qwest Records. But her musical education wasn’t confined to the classroom. Growing up around her parents’ Sicilian restaurant, JoZee soaked up everything from Frank Sinatra and Pavarotti to Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin and Barbra Streisand. And she sees more connections between Sicily and Jamaica than people might expect.

“Sicilians are very proud and passionate people just like Jamaicans,” she said, pointing to both cultures’ deep attachment to food, family, respect, discipline and hard work.

Still, there was one thing missing from her reggae dream: the right Jamaican producer. Enter super-producer Brownie, a former mainstay of 1990s dancehall who converted to Christianity more than two decades ago.

During a Christmas trip to Jamaica in 2023, Brownie, a longtime friend of JoZee’s husband, invited her into the studio while the couple was staying at his home. What began as a casual creative moment quickly became the foundation for something much bigger.

“Before we knew it, we had written and recorded the very first song for my album,” she recalled. Brownie became instrumental in shaping her reggae sound, drilling two simple rules into her approach: “stick to the melody” and “ride the rhythms”.

“Danny always knows what to do to get a heartfelt performance out of you,” JoZee said. “He’s a perfectionist, and his ear is impeccable.” That chemistry eventually blossomed into Who God Says I Am.