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Apartheid Is Nazism (Shanachie, 1988 [orig. released 1985])

Alpha Blondy's first album on an American label, Apartheid Is Nazism is at once both scorching and peaceful, brutal and beautiful.  Blondy has tapped into that rare soothing righteousness that few artists -- Ijahman and The Abyssinians, to name a couple -- have been able to harness.  This balance between fiery, political, cultural lyrics and icy cool, atmospheric music and vocals carries Apartheid to great heights, bolstered even further by the unique African element that Blondy adds.  Listeners like me who aren't big fans of African music shouldn't fear that this album has African influences; it is first and foremost reggae, but with an African twist -- with African drums and a mix of languages, from English to French to Arabic to Hebrew, that typifies African nations.  Since Jamaican reggae has adopted African elements, African reggae makes sense.  Indeed, many times the freshest examples of a genre come from outside its traditional circle, where experimentation isn't stifled by tradition.  Apartheid contains strong yet accessible roots throughout, featuring a great live-band sound that is more and more rare these days.  "Jah Houphouet," for example, showcases a jazzy guitar over its slow, funky rhythm, while the dubbish "Kiti" has a funky electric guitar, and on "Sahel," you can feel the horns, sax, guitar, and African drums.  Also nice are "Afriki," "Come Back Jesus," "Sebe Allah Y'e," and the title track.


Tracklist:

01. Afriki
02. Jah Houphouet
03. Apartheid Is Nazism
04. Idjidja
05. Sahel
06. Sebe Allah Y'e
07. Kiti
08. Come Back Jesus
09. Djinamory

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