Alton Ellis - Slummin'

Record date : 197X-8X

Reason In The Sky

Black Man's Pride

Darling It's True

Day Dreaming

Earth Needs Love

Sinners Gonna Weep

Changes

Stronger Than Before

Producer : Lascelles James

While it might be sacrilege in reggae circles to say that any artist could challenge Bob Marley's mastery of the genre, Alpha Blondy fires a dead-on shot literally heard around the world with Apartheid Is Nazism. Furthermore, this work proves that great reggae does not have to come from Jamaica. "Afriki" opens the album with a nod to Jamaica, but while the music is classic, offbeat reggae, there is a strong African feel here, especially in the backing vocals. On every track, the carefully arranged and smartly played music of Blondy's band, the Solar System, tickles the ears with muscular polyrhythms and a variety of stealthily intoxicating percussion. Maneuvering skillfully on top of all of this is Blondy's uniquely plaintive voice. Blondy, like many reggae stars before him, tackles political issues with a dagger wit and thundering basslines. The title track, one of only two songs sung predominantly in English, pleads for America to "break the neck of this apartheid." Like the patois in which Blondy makes his incantations, his religious message is more mixed than the standard reggae paeans to Jah Rastafari. With tracks like "Come Back Jesus" and "Jah Houphouet" on the same album, it's clear that Blondy is attempting to strike a universal theme in the same way Marley did. While Blondy's career can't measure up to Marley when taken as a whole, Apartheid Is Nazism can stand up to most Marley releases.

Artist Credit

Michel Abishira Drums

Patrick Artero Horn

Alpha Blondy Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals

Anne-Marie Constant Vocals (Background)

Nyaha Yodan Emmanuel Horn

Georges Kouakou Keyboards

Yao Mao Guitar

Paula Moore Vocals (Background)

Julie Mourillon Guitar (Rhythm)

Christian Polloni Guitar

Kamassa Seth Bass

FUENTE DEL REVIEW: WWW.ALLMUSIC.COM

University of Gnawa es el primer álbum de Aziz Sahmaoui, fundador, líder y compositor de esa entrañable Orchestre National de Barbès y ex acompañante de Joe Zawinul, reconocido como uno de los máximos impulsores de la música de jazz fusión. Un increible viaje a través de la música marroquí y senegalesa a través del prisma gnawa. Indudablemente, con los adelantos técnicos de hoy pero sin renunciar por ello a la autenticidad tradicional del famoso diálogo en canto-respuesta que contribuía a mantener vivos y con esperanza a los viejos esclavos nómadas de las caravanas.

Personal:

Aziz Sahmaoui: lead voice, ngoni, guimbri, mandole

Hervé Samb: guitar, vocal

Alioune Wade: bass, vocal

Cheikh Diallo: kora, keyboard, vocal

Amar Chaoui: percussions

Guillaume Pihet: percussions

Tracks list:

01. Salabati

02. Maktoube (short version)

03. Ana Hayou

04. Kahina

05. Foufou Danba

06. Alf Hilat

07. Black Market

08. Miskina

09. Sawayé

10. Rofrane

11. Mimouna

12. Tamtamaki

13. Maktoube (long version)