Sound Travels stays in the summer sound for another week with more reggae in the mix, and in particular, some great artists and songs from Africa. It's safe to say that reggae is the single biggest style of music in Africa, being the sound that is really made all over the continent (as opposed to more regional sounds.) Though this may come as a surprise to some, it is no doubt due in large part to Bob Marley whose pan-African themes championed the causes of many pre and post independence movements all over the continent.
In fact, reggae was THE voice of diasporic pan-Africanism, and when it came back to the continent, revolutionized the sound of Africa and gave inspiration to generations of individuals who would crusade for greater African unity...and in turn forge a scene that native Africans have furthered to the degree that reggae in Africa is now in the creative conversations that drive the genre as a whole.
Really great music is ultimately the end result and Tuesday's Sound Travels bore that point out with many unheralded, but excellent artists. Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars anchored the end of the set, and though their music is largely afropop, their new album Radio Salone has a few high quality reggae tunes highlighting their expanded range. Really, Radio Salone is one of the best world music albums of the young year and a ST recommendation from me. Rounding out the set, Guinean's Takana Zion and Alpha Wess on his biggest hit "Le Choc Des Cultures," Congolese artist Pablo U-Wa and from the tiny island of Mauritius, the late Kaya whose sound artfully blended the sounds of a style called sega and reggae or "seggae," and also started the set. Speaking of...
Sound Travels - 06-12-12 Reggae In Zion MiniMix
Tracklisting:
Kaya "Allelujah"
Alpha Wess "Le Choc Des Cultures"
Takana Zion "Nasalife"
Pablo U-Wa "Zouyoaleo"
Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars "Reggae Sounds The Message"