Reggae Arabesques (Diaspora Music, 2007)

*GUEST REVIEW*
I know I'm not the only one to hear a hard-to-define similarity between reggae and Middle Eastern music. The connection is there on Badawi's first couple of albums and in the work of such bands as Orchestre National de Barbes and Gnawa Diffusion. More subtle links exist as well, such as the fact that Ras Michael's nyabinghi drum of choice these days is an Arabic darbuka. Some of those similarities are spelled out in the brief liner notes of Reggae Arabesques, a CD by a UK-based outfit called Diaspora. But it's the music that really makes the point. The opening "Ya Salam (In the Name of God)" begins with a surge of sounds that might conjure up images of belly dancing- that is, until the reggae beat takes charge. Once that happens, the fusion remains, despite a few awkward moments, locked up solid for the rest of the album. Oud (Arabic lute) and violin are often the lead instruments, and they sweeten the reggae pulses in a pleasingly mystical way. It's
mostly roots that the grooves reference, though on "Ya Benti" and elsewhere there's a dash of dancehall. Moody and serious-sounding as some of this stuff is, the masterminds behind Diaspora (primarily
multi-instrumentalist/composer Stephane Rene and keyboardist/composer/programmer Luca Gatti) don't forget to add a jolt of fun to songs like "A Jamaican in Cairo" and "A Ride on the Orient Express." And they're committed to genuine Jamaican connections, even bringing in reggae veteran Bob Andy for some lead vocals on the dubby "Running for Cover." Apart from an occasional coldness brought about by programmed drum parts and the like, this melding of cultures and styles both delights and intrigues.

-Tom Orr