Just when we learned that Dutch reggae formation The Dubbeez were calling it a day, we stumbled upon 'Moengo', the long-playing debut of Surinamese-Dutch Samora Souprayen. Samora - hairbrush in hand - already dreamed of a singing career from a very young age. Barely ten years old, she joined gospel choir Redeemed, and after relocating to the Netherlands Samora finally started working on a real solo career. On the cover of 'Moengo' (the album title refers to the town of the same name in eastern Suriname where Samora's parents first met), perhaps at first sight Samora may look somewhat innocent, even cute, but on this album, for which she collaborated, among others, with producer Mr.Dutchflower and Swiss band Open Season, the singer proves she's certainly no kitten to tackle without gloves. 'Moengo' opens with the sturdy 'Writing's On The Wall', conscious roots with a solid dose of rock, 'Rise Up' sounds similar, and in 'Soldier' she adds an infectious dose of ska (see also 'Resign' in which the rock influences are replaced by solid metal). For 'Hearsay' she goes dancehall, and of a similar order are 'Run' and 'Push', the latter a duet with fellow Surinamese artist Kalibwoy. Samora concludes with the acoustic ballad 'Time Will Come'. Other recommendations are 'Stereotypes', 'The Fly And The Spida', a nod to Mark Howitt's famous poem from 1828, and the excellent love tune 'Over And Over', but our absolute favorite from the track list is 'Gunshots', an anti-weapon statement in which Samora mixes conscious roots with r&b. Extremely enjoyable cross-over debut effort by this young lioness!