Alpha Blondy embodies reggae, heir to Bob Marley. The Ivorian singer of roots anthems, a herald of reggae in Ivory Coast and Jamaica, has imposed his own sound for 25 years.
For his latest album “Jah Victory,” everything starts in Ivory Coast, then in France for programming. Then, it’s in Jamaica that the album takes shape, at the Tuff Gong studio, with the gang of Kingston musicians that Alpha calls “the Jamaican brotherhood.”
The result? A flamboyant 19-track album that is both roots and innovative, between emotion and revolt, sung in French, English, and Dioula. Pure Alpha Blondy. Because who else but the prophet of one drop could cover Pink Floyd’s iconic song “Wish You Were Here” and turn it into a reggae jam with bagpipes on the chorus? www.alphablondy.info
Groundation is an American band from California, heralding a new musical style: Spiritual Roots Reggae, a subtle blend between the most authentic roots reggae and a jazz that is both cool and hallucinating, highlighted by enchanting dubs.
From Bob Marley to Miles Davis, passing through Burning Spear and John Coltrane, Groundation’s influences are as varied as they are decisive for the group’s musical evolution.
More than a phenomenon, a reggae legend is born. www.groundation.fr
The young MAXXO has everything of the “reggae revelation” of the coming years. New World Design, his first album, presents 13 accomplished tracks, the result of 2 years of personal work. Indeed, as an enthusiast of self-production, Maxxo chose to direct and control every step of creation and production (writing, composing, interpreting, arrangements, recording, all the way to mastering!).
In the end, this 24-year-old young man today presents an album surprisingly mature and rich, which should appeal to both reggae purists and a neophyte audience and even surprise ears resistant to Jamaican rhythms.
