The Soul of Jamaica

There is a danger that reggae has become too widespread. It's rhythm and aesthetics have been co-opted into too many other styles, travelling so far from the source that the essence of it is lost. The Soul of Jamaica attempts to reverse this trend by gathering together a group of musicians from Kingston – who regularly get together for jams in their back-porch (or ‘inna de yard’ to use the patois) each week – for a compilation of stripped-down roots reggae, and the results are sublime. Aided by the warmth and simplicity of the production, featuring muted trumpets, soulful backing vocals and booming hand-drums, legendary names such as Ken Boothe and Cedric Myton (of the Congos), as well as singers from a new generation in Jamaica all rise to the occasion. Hearing Myton's falsetto on ‘Youth Man’ and the joie de vivre of The Viceroys with opening track ‘Love is the Key’ are both special moments, though it's the newcomer Kush McAnuff, son of Winston McAnuff, with ‘Black to I Roots’ that steals the show. This is back-to-the-roots stuff, showing that reggae's soul is well and truly intact.