Papa Africa (Opulence Sound, 2004)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Haile Maskel has been around the reggae world for quite a while, playing bass, performing, and associating with highly regarded artists. He has been releasing his own recordings since the mid-'80s and was once in a group called The Rastafarians. Starting out in Jamaica, he made his way through the reggae scene, and last I checked, he was in Valencia, CA. His most recent album is Papa Africa, a self-produced 12-track outing in which he plays an unpretentious, unique style. The opening title track starts the album off with an indication of Maskel's style; it is intensely bass/rhythm heavy yet also very active in the higher frequencies. The style is consistent throughout the entire record, which is indicative of the sophistication of Maskel's talent. The second song, my personal favorite, "Life is Drifting Away," is a catchy ditty, with a sing-along chorus marked by light harmonies and a bass line that carries a spiritually lifted-up feel that compliments the sad subject matter. The third and fourth tracks are both very hypnotic. The rest of the album is less poppy material, but it is all very consistent. The final track is a new version of his song "Roll Call," which was popularized by the Rastafarians. Many artists have a hard time scraping together the cost to record their albums. Reggae particularly suffers from having a small market, since it is a niche genre. This is reflected in the sound of the record, though rich from the low-end to the high-end, it still has the thinness of low-production cost. Nevertheless, he fits a good bit of instruments in the mix, lifting up the irie feeling of the album. Though most of the songs are great, there are a few less impressive cuts, notably the campy "Puh Doung Yuh Burden." Otherwise, it's a great album. 

- Trammell Scruggs