Author: Clyde Macfarlane
View album and artist detailsArtist/band: |
VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Label: |
Soul Jazz Records |
Magazine Review Date: |
November/2015 |
A dreadlocked mane, popularised eternally by Bob Marley, is an iconic image for Jamaican music. But would Rastafari have become a household word without the rhythmic pulse of its music? This compilation follows the growth of Rastafarian music from its chanting, explosive hand-drumming origins to its post-Marley fame. The regular appearances of master nyabinghi drummer Count Ossie demonstrate Soul Jazz's commitment to authenticity; all Ossie's tracks are outstanding, and sound as if they could have been recorded in his back yard. The raw breaths of a wooden flute accompany the drums on ‘Tales of Mozambique’, while his prophetic recitals on ‘Narration’ outline the Rastafari vision. A comprehensive booklet gives further guidance on key historical events, notably the 1966 visit of Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie (whose birth name was Ras Tafari) to Jamaica. ‘Hail the Words of Jah’ is another rare gem, and features the peerless falsetto of Congo Ashanti Roy. This is the kind of untamed, Afrocentric awakening that jazz legends Sun Ra and John Coltrane embodied, but stripped down even sparser.
Start your journey and discover the very best music from around the world.
Subscribe