Alpha Blondy Albums (12)
What The Critics Say
Six years old when it finally reached America, Elohim isn't the great lost Alpha Blondy album as much as it is an exciting collection of tunes with a crummy cover and so-so production. The original Elohim cover displayed Blondy as a righteous, cross-carrying warrior, but ignore the post-concert, shoved-in-the-corner singer here and you're in for an excellent -- sometimes chilling -- set of conscious lyrics with breezy music. Breezy to a fault, actually, since Blondy's Solar System band seems flattened by the thin production most of the time. Compare the version of "Black Samourai" on the live Paris Bercy album to the one included here for proof, or consider how the wicked lyric "We take no prisoners/And we eat the wounded" sits on mannered, sterile beats. The tougher Merci from 2002 displayed that Blondy would grow as an executive producer, but Elohim is filled with prime Blondy songs, ones good enough to forgive the musical stiffness. "The Devil's Tail" is up there with his best, "Take No Prisoner" is tougher than tough, and "Black Samourai" became the man's anthem. To Shanachie's credit, Elohim is 80 percent in French and the label does an excellent job of translating the lyrics for the booklet. Elohim is hardly the first reggae album to be brought down a peg by cheap, sterile production, but it makes you pine harder than usual for what could have been. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Alpha Blondy storms back with his best release since Apartheid Is Nazism. Nothing much has changed stylistically for Blondy, as he is still able to pound out throbbing, international reggae laced with sharp messages of peace, love, and universality. Perhaps in an attempt to avoid some of the experimental failures which plagued other albums, Yitzhak Rabin was recorded at the Tuff Gong studios in Kingston, Jamaica and accompanying vocals were provided by the I-Threes. "Saraka" is an immediate standout, complete with characteristically majestic horns, a feral flute hook, and, of course, Blondy and the I-Threes' mellifluous vocals. These same elements combine seamlessly throughout the entire album and leave great music in their wake. "Bakoroni" and "Les Imbeciles" are other great examples of Blondy at his best. Even the weak ballad "Les Armes de Therese" is saved by his gritty vocals. While Yitzhak Rabin can't be considered a step forward for Blondy, it is a graceful step back to what made him an international star. ~ Matthew Hilburn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Côte d'Ivoire-native Alpha Blondy has probably reached more fans internationally than any other reggae 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 roots 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 rebel-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 reggae-centric songs. Maybe not the heaviest of reggae artists, Alpha Blondy still has created some of the most appealing and righteous Rasta sounds in the last decade. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Alpha Blondy's 1983 first album, a smash hit featuring an all-local band the Natty Rebels, had all the accessibility and directness that made him an international star. Two cuts are agreeable reggae in English; the rest is Afro-reggae and a lot more interesting for that. In some ways Blondy's music is typical of the Ivory Coast: light, accomplished, and geared to a regional rather than local audience. Though the notes don't tell you so, Cocody Rock is a re-release of Blondy's 1984 second album, recorded in Paris and Kingston with a mix of African and Jamaican musicians (plus Kassav's Jocelyne Beroard on backup vocals). Pre-superstar Blondy, it has the freshness you'd expect from somebody pretty much just starting out. He sure believes in touching all the bases. Besides its so-so title song, Cocody Rock has something for both Muslims and Christians as well as a hilarious cut claiming Ivory Coast's ultra-conservative president as a Rasta. ~ John Storm Roberts, All Music Guide
'Apartheid Is Nazism'
Release Date 10/25/1990
Tracks 9
Label Shanachie
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
While it might be sacrilege in reggae circles to say that any artist could challenge Bob Marley's mastery of the genre, Alpha Blondy fires a dead-on shot literally heard around the world with Apartheid Is Nazism. Furthermore, this work proves that great reggae does not have to come from Jamaica. "Afriki" opens the album with a nod to Jamaica, but while the music is classic, offbeat reggae, there is a strong African feel here, especially in the backing vocals. On every track, the carefully arranged and smartly played music of Blondy's band, the Solar System, tickles the ears with muscular polyrhythms and a variety of stealthily intoxicating percussion. Maneuvering skillfully on top of all of this is Blondy's uniquely plaintive voice. Blondy, like many reggae stars before him, tackles political issues with a dagger wit and thundering basslines. The title track, one of only two songs sung predominantly in English, pleads for America to "break the neck of this apartheid." Like the patois in which Blondy makes his incantations, his religious message is more mixed than the standard reggae paeans to Jah Rastafari. With tracks like "Come Back Jesus" and "Jah Houphouet" on the same album, it's clear that Blondy is attempting to strike a universal theme in the same way Marley did. While Blondy's career can't measure up to Marley when taken as a whole, Apartheid Is Nazism can stand up to most Marley releases. ~ Matthew Hilburn, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Despite heated protests from his parents, Alpha Blondy abandoned his studies in education to establish himself as a singer, a move influenced by his discovery of the Rastafarian faith and the music of international reggae star Bob Marley. A longtime dream was fulfilled in 1986 when, five years after Marley's death, the singer's backing band, the Wailers, supplied the rhythms for Blondy's third album. Recorded in Jamaica, Jerusalem remains one of Blondy's most satisfying song collections. Lyrics alternate among English, French, and Blondy's own Dioula, a mix the singer attempts to unite through the rhythms of reggae music. Aiding him in his pursuits are some of the island's finest. Under Bob Marley, the seasoned rhythm team of brothers Aston and Carlton Barrett (bass and drums), Junior Murvin (guitar), and Earl Lindo (keyboards) refined reggae music to the slick, near-universal pulse Blondy was seeking. Though their former mentor's success distanced the Wailers somewhat from Jamaica's hard roots audience, they lost none of their exceptional musicianship in the process. The sound of Carlton Barrett's slick snare beats and Earl "Chinna" Smith's supple bluesy lines may have lacked the rough hues of the 1970s, but they did provide many music fans with a palatable introduction to reggae. Behind Blondy, they helped propel the singer to his own level of crossover success. Though the mix by engineers Anthony Kelly, Gary Sutherland, and Solgie Hamilton applies a certain amount of gloss to the music, sparse, competent rhythms ride below Blondy on tracks like "Boulevard de la Mort," "Travailler C'Est Trop Dur," and "Bloodshed in Africa." ~ Nathan Bush, All Music Guide
