Masada

AMG Review of Masada

Stephen Cook
All Music Guide

Côte d'Ivoire-native Alpha Blondy has probably reached more fans internationally than any other eggae artist. That his Jamaican-based style is also heavily infused with African elements certainly helps with mass appreciation worldwide, especially on his own continent and in Europe. Further bolstering his wide appeal, Blondy sings in French, English, and his native tongue. Masada, his eighth release since debuting in 1982, bears the sunny oots sound heard on most of his albums. Ranging from the pop of "Masada" and "Rendezvous" (all chipper horns and electronic percussion) to the Burning Spear-inspired weight of "Houphouet Yako," the album makes clear Blondy's debt to Bob Marley by way of ebel-roots tracks such as "Peace in Liberia" and a "Redemption Song"-like "Papa Bakoye" (Blondy memorializes Marley directly on "Mystic Night Move"). The most impressive thing here, though, is how Blondy creates very original backdrops by seamlessly incorporating West African touches into the eggae-centric songs. Maybe not the heaviest of eggae artists, Alpha Blondy still has created some of the most appealing and righteous Rasta sounds in the last decade.