Fly African Eagle: The Best of African Reggae (Shanachie, 1997)

Since the mid-'80s, when roots reggae began to die down in popularity (in relation to the surge of digital dancehall), one of the major forces in keeping quality roots alive has been the African reggae scene.  To generalize, African reggae is distinguished musically by its live-instrument (non-digital) sound, which incorporates influences from not only Jamaican music, but also African, along with jazz, blues, and rock 'n roll.   Vocally, African reggae often seems to provide emotional, airy melodies, often sung in one or more of the hundreds of languages/dialects spoken on the continent -- the diverse inflections inherent in these tongues enriching the sweetness of the vocals.  Fly African Eagle collects the best-known African acts -- Lucky Dube, Alpha Blondy, Majek Fashek, O'Yaba, The Mandators (These are the few whose albums are readily available in the U.S.) -- along with some lesser known outside of their countries.  Dube and Blondy appropriately lead off the album, since they are the two African reggae best-sellers.  The styles of "Cocody Rock" and "Prisoner" contrast wonderfully, the former being a bouncy, fun jam and the latter a haunting lament.  O'Yaba provides perhaps the strongest track here, however, with "Fly Away," the evocative Lucky Dube-ish (who is, in turn, Peter Tosh-ish) vocals and jazzy guitar and keyboards producing an escapist gem.  Also nice are the catchy "Baribou" by Abraha Mussa, Sonny Okosuns' "Fire in Soweto," Harley & The Rasta Family's "Sweet Reggae Music," and Adioa's rock-tinged "Toubab Bile."  Though solid, as a showcase of African talent, Fly African Eagle falls well short of EMI's Reggae Africa.