Ivory Coast music reviews

alpha to me is the prince of reggae and marley is the king.
i love the music he makes true music no dancehall wanabees here.
the best by blondey are as foloows:1 apparatheid is nazism
2. live au zenith 3. cocody rock 4.jerusalem.
i dont like the new albums that much.cocody rock which was recorded in paris in 1984 features aston barret of the wailers on bass .and about 20 other musicians.the album is short and great a true classic!!

alpha to me is the prince of reggae and marley is the king.
i love the music he makes true music no dancehall wanabees here.
the best by blondey are as foloows:1 apparatheid is nazism
2. live au zenith 3. cocody rock 4.jerusalem.
i dont like the new albums that much.cocody rock which was recorded in paris in 1984 features aston barret of the wailers on bass .and about 20 other musicians.the album is short and great a true classic!!

CE COMPACT DISC et VRAIEMENT OTIMO, IL APPORTE ALPHA BLONDY EN CHANTANT DANS FRAN�AISE, ANGLAIS et DANS SON DIALECTE.
ALBUN CELLE-ci OTIMAMENTE BIEN ARRANG� AVEC des �CHOS MERVEILLEUX et TAZ une ALPHA TR�S RELIGIEUSE, J'AI AIM� la VERSION FRAN�AISE de la MUSICA DE BOB MARLEY.
Le COMPACT DISC BIEN QUE QUELQUES MOMENTS IL FUIRA de la NORME des REGGAE APPORTE QUELQUE MUSICA ACCEPTABLES et de BONNE SONORIT�.
PLUS SI EN TRAITANT d'ALPHA BLONDY TOUT et ACEITAV�L ATTACHENT CE COMPACT DISC QUI QUELQUES MOMENTS N'A PAS RIEN DE ROOTS - REGGAE. ALPHA BLONDY et un G�NIE TANT Dans AFRICA, QU'ICI Dans BRAZIL et � TOUTE EUROPE.

I'm a huge reggae fan with ALOT of reggae albums and through the years this album has always stayed in heavy rotation. Although most of the lyrics are in French the music really speaks for itself. There are few reggae albums I would consider in the category of this album (Right up there with Babylon by Bus). The sound mix is amazing. I wish all live albums could sound this good. The bass player alone makes this album worth purchasing but there is also great percussion, organ and brass instrumentation that make this album great. If you like good reggae music, played and jammed to perfection then you NEED this album in your headphones.

PS. This is the album above all albums to have if you like to listen to reggae while you ski. Hands Down!

This is one of my favorite reggae albums, one of my favorite live albums, and just one of my favorite albums. The album opens with an intro, a man pumping up the Parisian audience for Blondy's appearance on stage; this is followed by a musical intro and then Blondy himself. The tracks blend together well, and the overall flow of the album really makes me feel as if I was there or had seen the show. The music is amazing, full of spirit and energy, sometimes fast, at times more subdued, perhaps imparting a feeling of reverence. The bass is strong, as well as the horns--sax, trumpet, and great trombone. Blondy's lyrics are equally captivating and inspiring; he sings here in several languages, primarily French and English. The theme is predominantly spiritual, and has influences from Christianity (as in Come Back Jesus), as well as Islam, Judaism, and others. I really admire his message of transcending "religious" differences to unite in spirituality. Check it out. There are also several songs of a more political vein, such as Politiki and Multipartisme. If you're into Alpha Blondy, or are even interested, check out this album!

The first song, Me Bowa Ya by Mekongo from Cameroun, is a mid-tempo number with a bubbly beat and an enchanting mix of African and French vocals. The main lyric is in the African language and the chorus is in French, and it works so well.

Massoua Mo by Eba Aka Jerome from Ivory Coast is next, and this one has a long instrumental intro before the male vocal enters the mix. This single vocal is boosted by a chorus of many voices in certain parts while the string instruments become ever more engaging. Quite a stunner!

The next country is Upper Volta: the song Dounougnan by Kambou Clement has a lilting texture, intricate instrumental interplay and a soulful vocal with a spiritual undertone. Bo Mbanda by Pablo from Zaire is a beautiful melodious ballad full of yearning with absolutely breathtaking guitar parts and interesting vocal twists and turns.

The style changes drastically with Jalo by Etoile de Dakar from Senegal. This is a slow, mournful dirge with a Middle Eastern feel, soulful vocals and instrumentation dominated by what sounds like an organ. It sounds like a prayer set to music and is most compelling and memorable. The album concludes with Moboma, an uplifting slice of vocal pop by Menga Mokombi from Congo.

These unforgettable songs are all tuneful, catchy and rhythmically gripping. They demonstrate the opulent richness and variety of the African pop music of the early 1980s. I also strongly recommend Sounds d'Afrique vol. 2 for more of these wonderful African sounds from the early 1980s.

Bought this in 1981 when it first came out and still haven't found an afro compilation that tops it. With a mainly soukous focus and to my mind better than Sound D'Afrique 2 this was THE album that introduced African sounds to the english speaking world. I'm looking to get this on cd if at all possible as my vinyl version is all but worn out.

If you find a copy buy it!

I've been listening to African roots music for about 7 years now and thought that I'd heard it all - until I chanced upon a couple of Le Zagazougou tracks in a Madison coffee shop. It blows away every preconceived notion you hold about West African music. This ain't your usual kora, n'goni, balafon combo...what it is is knock-your-socks-off polymetric percussion fused with some of the sweetest accordion ever to emerge from the African continent. The singing ranks with some of the best djelis I've heard. Buy this album!

There is not a note, lyric or rhythm I'd change on this album. It is old school reggae at its zenith. The hypnotic rhythm and heart felt lyrics are mostly of a by-gone era when the reggae meant more than the dance beat. Alpha Blondy may not hail from the islands, but who said that was a requirement? This is good reggae you can listen to over and over and still enjoy.

For the seasoned Reggae ears, you are in for a huge treat with this CD. This is Alpha Blondy's best album hands down. If you are looking for an awesome Reggae CD that you've never heard before, this is it. Forget the Best Of album, it's not even close. I was introduced to this album back in 1991 living in Hawaii. A full blooded Hawaiian friend of mine turned me on to it, need I say what we were doing at the time? Reggae is all the Hawaiians listen to. Go to the music store on the islands and see how the Reggae section takes up the whole store. This guy was a SEASONED Reggae man. This was what he listened to 95% of the time. I fell in love at first taste. Stoney, Stoney, Stoney......

That the best reggae does not only come from Jamaica has been clearly pointed out by British bands such as Aswad. But a later wave of excellent reggae comes from Africa where it is blended with more traditional African rhythms and lyrics.

Who, like me, loves reggae but grows weary of the Rastafarian song texts after some time this albums is a must have.
The album is in the great tradition of Bob Marley: politically conscious lyrics with 'pure' reggae.
The music is in the tradition of Bob Marley clearly, and not only because the (remaining) Wailers accompany Ivorian Alpha Blondy.

The album is the best Alpha Blondy made (another great one is 'Apartheid is Nazism) and it is one of the best Reggae albums I am aware of.

There is not a note, lyric or rhythm I'd change on this album. It is old school reggae at its zenith. The hypnotic rhythm and heart felt lyrics are mostly of a by-gone era when the reggae meant more than the dance beat. Alpha Blondy may not hail from the islands, but who said that was a requirement? This is good reggae you can listen to over and over and still enjoy.

For the seasoned Reggae ears, you are in for a huge treat with this CD. This is Alpha Blondy's best album hands down. If you are looking for an awesome Reggae CD that you've never heard before, this is it. Forget the Best Of album, it's not even close. I was introduced to this album back in 1991 living in Hawaii. A full blooded Hawaiian friend of mine turned me on to it, need I say what we were doing at the time? Reggae is all the Hawaiians listen to. Go to the music store on the islands and see how the Reggae section takes up the whole store. This guy was a SEASONED Reggae man. This was what he listened to 95% of the time. I fell in love at first taste. Stoney, Stoney, Stoney......

That the best reggae does not only come from Jamaica has been clearly pointed out by British bands such as Aswad. But a later wave of excellent reggae comes from Africa where it is blended with more traditional African rhythms and lyrics.

Who, like me, loves reggae but grows weary of the Rastafarian song texts after some time this albums is a must have.
The album is in the great tradition of Bob Marley: politically conscious lyrics with 'pure' reggae.
The music is in the tradition of Bob Marley clearly, and not only because the (remaining) Wailers accompany Ivorian Alpha Blondy.

The album is the best Alpha Blondy made (another great one is 'Apartheid is Nazism) and it is one of the best Reggae albums I am aware of.

Okay.. I have wanted this cd for about a year, and now that I have finally gotten it for Christmas I can say, it was definitely worth the wait. I had heard a few parts from some of the songs on it and was intrigued with just 30 seconds samples so you can imagine the overwhelming excitement of finally hearing entire songs. All of the tracks on this cd are captivating and pure indie goodness wrapped up in a little bit of pop and emo. You can't deny that all the upbeat punk-ish songs on this album are contagious. But my personal favorites are the slower more melodic songs like "Five little Graves" or the beginning of "Sixty-five percent". Not to mention "Traveler" which is one of the songs on this album I continue to play on repeat. All of their catchy melodies and creative lyrics just pull everything together in a great indie/emo package. Although some parts are kind of cliche, this album is one to put on your list for sure. Yay ivory coast!

Expertly played lush music, which ranges from border-line pop-punk to indie-pop is played by this Boston band. Boston influences are heard quite a bit here, too, with garage sensibilities inherited from Boston garage greats SORRY, and rich textures endowed by MISSION OF BURMA. "Sixty-five Percent", the track at the half-way point of the disc is a perfect example of the intensity and thick sound that I love best from this band. Another stand-out tracks is number seven, "My Brilliant Wigmaker," which has a driving beat, bouncy vocals and melody, and intense wall of guitar sound. This is one hell of a fun listen, the way rock music should be.

While "Apartheid Is Nazism" is the supreme Alpha Blondy recording, "Masada" finds out hero in good form, giving us his message in 3 languages, thus showing the universality of the music he makes.

For me, this is a great improvement over his prior 2 efforts, "Jerusalem," and the very disappointing "Jah Jah Seh." Blondy is known for his very eccentric nature, and I think it reared its ugly head on those recordings.

This album is more back to basics for him, and the results, including the gorgeous "God Is One," "Peace in Liberia," and the touching "Mystic Night Moves," show that Alpha is making his way back, and the music from his band the Solar System (the modern day Sun Ra and his Arkestra?) is excellent.

This lp is a return to form for Alpha Blondy, and is recommended.

Blondie's 8th album sparkles with fluid melodies, luscious riffs and his wistful, plaintive voice singing in Dioula, French nd English. Particularly gripping tracks include Rendez-vous, desert Storm, Peace In Liberia and the incredibly beautiful Sciences sans Conscience and Ca Me Fait Si Mal with their singalong melodies and hypnotic rhythms. Alpha Blondie is assured in his artistry and he's got the tunes to back it up with. Masada is a winning album where every track is a hit.

Alpha Blondy What is there to say Go buy Alpha today and you shall find cmplete happiness. Music for the mid, for the spirit. From Africa, for the World. Blondy... If I could I would buy it right now. Listened to it all Summer while travelling l'Afrique de Ouest