Karima Presents REDEEMER Song Review — Harmonious Uplift

Posted on by Breanna Henry

A cymbal is gently hit and reverberates at the beginning, before the dulcet sounds of the piano accompany it. They commune in sweet harmony, then the strings of the violin join in. The music raises louder as the song finishes its intro, creating a groovy tone. It gives off a 90s R&B kind of vibe at first, and then Karima’s voice smoothly joins in:

“Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?

And who told the ocean, you can only come this far?”

This definitely isn’t a regular R&B song. These are the rich tones of Gospel, where every note not only gives good vibrations to the ear but transports you to another place.

The words describe the character of God as she sings them delicately. Soon after the first verse, she sings the title of the song passionately in the chorus, with conviction:

“I know my redeemer lives.”

In REDEEMER, Karima Revamps An Old Hit But Keeps The Same Soul

She continues her melodic singing. The second time around when the chorus comes in proclaiming her redeemer lives, she doesn’t sing it alone. Choir voices join in with Karima, singing the words with her and vocalizing while she sings other lyrics.

The music vamps up and she belts at the end of the bridge with a long note:

“But now He’s alive, and

There’s an empty grave.”

At the end of this note, the chorus comes around for the third time, and this time, with a key change. Karima starts riffing it up. There’s an authentic moment here, where the choir takes control with singing the lyrics as Karima adlibs, adding lyrics from her heart that wasn’t originally written in the song.

The music stays high and resounding throughout, and by the end, it softens along with her voice. The violins hush, the drums, and cymbals fall back, and it’s just Karima and the piano keys. She sings tenderly as the piano fades out, leaving with the listener a gentle reminder:

“I know He lives.”

Redeemer is Karrima’s updated version of the original gospel song written and performed by Nicole C. Mullen. The variance is evident, with Karima’s rendition using piano and violin instead of the guitar strings that Mullen uses. This instrument change makes a big difference, but the message remains the same.

Redeemer has a catchy tune and will leave you humming long after the song is over, in this reviewer’s opinion.

Not only does her voice carry the song, but the culmination of the instruments and the choir voices resounds and captures the heart of whoever listens. If you like dynamic singing and choir vocals, you’ll enjoy this. However, if repetitive choruses don’t interest you, this may not be for you.

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Image courtesy of DARE Records

Breanna Henry

About the Author: Breanna Henry

Almost 10 years ago Breanna sat in her tiny room she shared with her younger sister in Houston, Texas writing songs, stories, and poems on the rough carpet. She mimicked songs she heard on the radio and imitated books she's read from the Scholastic Book Fair. By fifth grade, she knew creative writing would soon be her passion. Now a sophomore at Loyola University New Orleans, she has published works on her university's newspaper, literary journal, and on her own blog. When she's not writing and working towards her Mass Communication and English Writing degree, she's watching Criminal Minds re-runs, doing photoshoots with friends, and dancing wildly in her dorm room while music blasts through her speakers.

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