Tiken Jah Fakoly (Wrasse, 2005)

*GUEST REVIEW*
Africa is the Motherland celebrated so often in reggae, so African reggae artists have a lot to live up to. Among those who make the grade is Tiken Jah Fakoly, who hails from Ivory Coast, sings mostly in French, keeps his sound rootical and conscious and is here represented by a collection of songs compiled from two previous albums recorded in Jamaica with Tyrone Downie producing and given further studio tweaking in Paris and Abidjan. While not multilingual and as "international" sounding as Alpha Blondy (the gold standard in African reggae as far as I'm concerned), Fakoly has a pleading, slightly groaning vocal style that fits well with specifically African touches such as the use of talking drum and n'goni lute. He also blends cleverly with guest vocalists (U Roy, Anthony B, Saramba Kouyate, Didier Awadi) who reflect the dual African and Jamaican sensibilities at work. The players on this album (Sly and Robbie, Chinna Smith, Downie, Robbie Lyn and Sticky Thompson among them) are unbeatable, the riddims are locked up tight and the arrangements are intricate and expertly cranked out. Simply put, this is a very solid slab of African reggae; one of the best examples of the genre.

 - Tom Orr