 |
|
|
AFRICAN REGGAE REVIEWS
VARIOUS ARTISTS "REGGAE AFRICA" (HEMISPHERE) GRAB THIS RELEASE AS SOON AS YOU CAN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN INTRO INTO SOME EXCEPTIONAL REGGAE FROM FRANCOPHONE AFRICA. THE MOST CRUCIAL INCLUSION IS TANGARA SPEED GHODA, 2 SONGS OF WHICH ARE THE ULTIMATE IN FUSION. FOR MORE INFORMATION CHECK OUT HEMISPHERE's WEBSITE AT: http://www.hemisphere-records.com/
ASKIA MODIBO "WASS REGGAE" (STERNS MUSIC) MALI STERNS ISSUES A COMPILATION OF SEVERAL ALBUMS WHICH HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS IN AFRICAN REGGAE. ASKIA MODIBO TAKES HIS APPROACH TO REGGAE - WASS REGGAE - WHICH IS INFUSED WITH MANY ELEMENTS OF MALIAN MUSIC. PENTATONIC SCALES AND SOARING VOCALS ARE ADDED TO A TIGHT BAND, COMPLETE WITH HORNS. AN EDITORS PICK DUE TO THE SHEER ORIGINALITY OF MODIBO'S WORK. SEE THE FEATURE ARTICLE ON THIS WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: "CIRCULATION DE BAMAKO" AND "LES AIGLES DE MALI" FOOTBALL ANTHEM.
REGGAE ON THE ROCKS "VOODOO, SACRAMENTS, ODDITIES & OTHER HOLY ANTHEMS" LIVE AT RED ROCKS THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING MOMENTS ON THIS VARIED LIVE COMPILATION CD. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT RED ROCKS FOR THE ENTIRE SHOW. THERE IS LITTLE CONTINUINY BETWEEN THE SONGS PRESENTED, AND THE OVERALL RESULT IS A JUMPY LIVE SHOW. BUT THE PERFORMANCES ARE NICE. MAJEK FASHEK IS PRESENTED WITH TWO OF HIS HITS, ONE OLD AND ONE NEW. "MAJEK BEWARE" FROM THE SPIRIT OF LOVE SESSIONS IS AN ALL-TIME CLASSIC TRACK. LIVE IN THE 1990'S, IT APPEARS SURPRISINGLY SPARSE, THOUGH. ON THESE CUTS, THE TALKING DRUMS ARE MISSING AND THE BAND IS AT A BARE MINIMUM. THE BASS IS VERY POWERFUL AND LUCKILY CARRIES THE MUSIC. "AFRICAN UNITY" SOUNDS BETTER IN THIS BAND FORMATION, NEEDING LESS INSTRUMENTS TO MAKE ITS POINT. GONE ARE THE PALM WINE GUITAR SOUNDS FROM THE INITIAL RECORDINGS. BOUKMAN EXPERYANS OFFERS SEVERAL POWERFUL NUMBERS THAT ADD TO THE ALBUMS INTENSITY. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HERE FROM BOUKMAN BE SURE TO PICK UP THE LATEST COMPLETE LIVE ALBUM THAT JUST SURFACED FROM TUFF GONG RECORDS.
KOKO DEMBELE "AMAGNI" (STERNS MUSIC BRASIL) MALI ANOTHER WINNER FROM STERNS, I FIRST ENCOUNTERED KOKO DEMBELE ON THE SUPERB HEMISPHERE "REGGAE AFRICA" COMPILATION AND WAS BLOWN AWAY BY HIS WORK AS WELL AS THAT OF TANGARA SPEED GHODA. THE TITLE SONG "AMANGI" IS THE ESSENTIAL TRACK ON THIS ALBUM. ONCE AGAIN, A FUSION OF MALIAN, REGGAE AND LATIN FORMS. KOKO DEMBELE HAD SUCH SUCCESS IN BRASIL WITH THIS ALBUM THAT SEVERAL COVERS OF "AMAGNI" HAVE SURFACED.
MAJEK FASHEK "RAINMAKER" (TUFF GONG RECORDS) NIGERIA LAST YEAR TUFF GONG RECORDS ADDED MAJEK FASHEK TO THEIR GROWING AFRICAN REGGAE ARTIST ROSTER AND THE RESULT WAS THIS FUSION OF PANGOLO MUSIC. MAJEK TAKES IDEAS HE HAS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY IN AMERICA, AND FUSES THEM WITH THE BEST OF NIGERIAN REGGAE. INCLUDING (FINALLY) HIS STELLAR "PROMISSED LAND", WHICH UNTIL NOW FASHEK FANS GOT TO HEAR ONLY IN CONCERT. A VERY INTERESTING COVER OF "HOTEL CALIFORNIA," AND THE TRADEMARK HENDRIX COVER, "HEY JOE" FILL OUT AN ALBUM ALREADY BURSTING WITH ORIGINAL MATERIAL. A VERY GOOD RECORD, ALTHOUGH NOT UP TO THE LEGENDARY STATUS OF THE NOW OUT OF PRINT SPIRIT OF LOVE SESSIONS MADE WITH LITTLE STEVEN OF THE E STREET BAND. "AFRICAN UNITY" AND "PANGOLO" SHOWCASE FASHEK'S UNCANNY ABILITY TO MIX THE BEST OF PALM WINE GUITAR, TALKING DRUMS, AND JAMAICAN DRUM N' BASS INTO A HEAVY COCTAIL FUSION.
ALPHA BLONDY "SOS GUERRE TRIBALE" (JIMMY'S PRODUCTION) COTE D'IVOIRE CONTAINING SOME SINGLES RECORDED FOR THE HOME MARKET. PRODUCTION QUALITY SOMEWHAT INFERIOR AND A VERY KEYBOARD HEAVY RELEASE. HOWEVER, BLONDY' IMPORTANT COMMENTARIES ON CACAO AND SIDA MAKE THIS A WORTHWHILE MESSAGE ORIENTED ALBUM.
ALPHA BLONDY "RASTA POUE" (EMI FRANCE) COTE D'IVOIRE THE ORIGINAL RELEASED TRACKS ALONG WITH SOME DEEP DUBS, THIS IS A CRUCIAL PICK FOR BLONDY FANS.
ALPHA BLONDY "GRAND BASSAM ZION ROCK" (EMI FRANCE) COTE D'IVOIRE NOT THE ALBUM EVERYONE HOPED FOR, FUSED WITH A LOT OF ROCK AND ROLL AND QUITE A DIVERSE MUSICAL LINE UP. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL EXCELLENT CUTS INCLUDING MARLEY'S "NATURAL MISTIC" IN FRENCH.
VARIOUS ARTISTS BLACK STAR LINER (ROUNDER) WEST AFRICA
ISMAEL ISAAC "TREICH FEELING" COTE D'IVOIRE
KALORI SORY "RASTA DONSO" (SYLLA PRODUCTIONS)
MAJEK FASHEK "PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE" (MANGO) NIGERIA THIS ALBUM, FROM THE YOUTH OF FASHEK'S CAREER, SHOWCASES HIS EXCEPTIONAL VOCAL ABILITIES AND SOME VERY GOOD SONG COMPOSITION. THIS IS THE ALBUM THAT ANNOUNCED FASHEK'S ABILITY AS A RAINMAKER TO THE WORLD. WITH THE INDISPENSIBLE "SEND DOWN THE RAIN," FASHEK ENDED A DROUGHT IN NIGERIA AND SECURED A NAME FOR HIMSELF - HENCE THIS MANGO INTERNATIONAL RELEASE. SOMEWHAT KEYBOARD HEAVY, THIS RECORDING SESSION HAS FASHEK'S VOICE BRINGING TOGETHER THE DIVERSE ELEMENTS IN A SOARING, SPIRITUAL QUALITY. A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHERE FASHEK WAS JUST PRIOR TO HIS LEGENDARY ALBUM, "SPIRIT OF LOVE."
MAJEK FASHEK "SPIRIT OF LOVE" INTERSCOPE NIGERIA THIS WAS THE ALBUM THAT DEFINED JUST WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH AFRICAN REGGAE. FANTASTIC STUFF. GRAB THIS RELEASE IF YOU SEE IT BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF PRINT.
|
EDITOR'S PICK
"5 STAR RELEASE"