Leon Robinson, actor best known for his role as the late singer David Ruffin, from the TV Movie series titled the Temptations, releases a new album, as the forefront of the reggae group The Peoples titled “Love is a Beautiful Thing.” Robinson is also critically acclaimed for his depiction in singing roles such as; Little Richard, David Ruffin, and JT in Robert Townsend’s film The Five Heartbeats. The movie star is well credited in Hollywood, and movies like Waiting to Exhale has given Leon a sensual appeal to his audience. A persona that has carried over into his music. Being introduced to music at a young age, Leon says that he found comfort in the Reggae genre, “I was always more comfortable with that style because of the sultriness of the style — incorporates soul, gospel, dance … everything which I love… it made me want to sing.” So, although Leon releasing an album may come as a surprise to some, his interest and passion for music I’m sure does not.
The reggae-soul band, Leon & The Peoples consists of a group of highly talented musicians and is led by the actor himself. Leon and the Peoples expresses a clear love and desire for their music. The album Love is a Beautiful Thing stimulates this aspiration of what it feels like to be in love. Every song on the album creates warm emotions, that leads you to the next song. Released on July 20, 2018, reggae soul is the perfect description of Leon & The Peoples sound, with songs like “Happy & Sad” that provides a classic Motown sound, while others such as “Sometimes I Wish I was Single,” is designed for reggae. Throughout the album you can hear the old school influences. This album has a message to the world, in hopes of impacting it with positive sounds, almost as if the album was created in thought of healing the current state of our society. The music speaks about love from all angles, and how we as humans grasp the different concepts of what love is or could be for us. Somehow managing to comprehend the meaning behind love, even when it hurts you. The album describes a beautiful love story incorporating the good, the bad, and ugly.
In 2015, Leon and the Peoples released the single entitled ‘Love is a Beautiful Thing’ which charted on the Billboard charts multiple times peaking as high as number 3 through the Spectra Music Group. The band has been featured on BET’s 106 & Park, and have headlined several music festivals and concerts, including AIDS WALK NEW YORK Concerts (2014 – 2016), New Orleans International Music & Arts Festival, Atlanta’s National Blacks Arts Festival, and many more. In 2017 the follow up single titled “Beautiful” hit number 12 on Billboard’s Hot Singles sales chart for two consecutive weeks. The members of the band come from various backgrounds, whom all relate to one another by their passion for music. Their individuality creates an in-sync performances, providing an unbelievable experience. Leon and the Peoples are driven to capturing a world-wide audience with their unique Reggae soul sound that cannot be duplicated.
4/5 Stars
