HEADLINES

Ron Gabon Stays True To His Faith

Ron Gabon is a Connecticut based artist who has yet to make history, but making history isn't what drives him. Ron, in his own words: "There is a section in "The Weight of Glory" where C.S. Lewis speaks about proper reward and how it relates to the Christian life. For example, marriage is the proper reward for a lover and money isn't. I apply this same line of thinking to music and ask myself, what is the proper reward for me as an artist? And for me, the final product is my proper or natural reward. Now, don't get me wrong – I still want to be heard and that will bring its own reward, but that will occur as a result of me focusing on my craft." The events that have shaped his life are the inspiration for many of his songs. 

Music is a terrible thing to waste. It's indeed why from conception to completion he thinks of the spiritual and cultural impact of a song. “It’s amazing how a song can lead you to reflect on the past; help you seize the present; or move you towards the future in 4 minutes or less”, he says. His first single, “Change”, released in April 2019 expresses a pessimistic outlook of the political climate of his native Haiti. He asks, “Will there ever be change in my country?” And the answer is, “I don't know we got nothing to show?” He elaborates about the song, “This is a track born of struggle, love and pain. I still have hope, though, that things will change. I do see a future when both sons and daughters in and outside of Haiti can unite to lift her out of her misery.” In July 2019, he released his first EP “Bend" on all the major streaming platforms. And we get to peer into his mind. “We live in the 'bend' between the 'already' and 'not yet'”, as he explains it, “We know life isn't all it should be yet. As we wait on this side of heaven, we cry, suffer, pray, hope and love. 
The best is yet to come”. The EP introduces itself with, “Wake Up”, where he's called up to “Make fire”. It’s then followed by, “Bend”, the title track. “No pain, no shame could ever stand/against the power of the cross, so they must bend”, Ron raps with a resounding confidence to make you believe. We find Ron at his best on the 2nd verse, “Thus, the incentive to serve is no longer just/fuss, I think I hit a nerve be mad if you must/Toss, his directive to preserve at your own cost/cuss, you blink and hit a curb/be sad it's your lost.” On “Grace”, he raps of the grace he has found and the new person he is becoming. There's little question that the next track, “We Ain't”, is the crown jewel of the EP. It may appear to be out of place at first listen, but it fits well within the overall theme of the project. He laments the way a relationship is falling apart, “We let the foxes in/we started demanding, pretending/it's all about me, me/forgetting that selfishness kills and it kills quickly”. Then there is a call to action to “right this ship, before we go down”. 

The razor sharp “I Don't Fit” denounces conformity to the world in powerful fashion, “What the world offers, glitters, but it ain't gold/delve beneath the surface before hitting the road/my cultural formation runs deep/from entertainment to education, these attacks never sleep”. He then reflects on how he lost his way, “Man you gotta appreciate the subtleties/got me here chasing the American Dream/Accumulating things I don't even need/while I got a family here I gotta feed”. 

It's the kind of personal inventory you take when you contemplate your cultural formation vs your spiritual formation and are willing to accept the truth of your examination. “You're Worth It” ends the EP with assurance and though that life may not be what it should be, he chose to focus on the object of his affection rather than the circumstances of this life. “I'm already working on new songs and my next single is, “Remedy”, a song about school shooting to be released this year”, he says. He believes music is powerful and when it's used wisely it can lead to change. We'll be listening. As he continues to perfect his craft, will he succumb to the pressure of being heard or continue to make music just for the sake of music?
Though he was featured in recently released Lifoti's October/November 2019 issue 10, you can check it from below link's for your country:

No comments