V. A. - Rastafari (The Dreads Enter Babylon 1953 - 1983) (2015)
Label: Soul Jazz Records | MP3 320 kbps CBR | Artworks | 74:22 min | 220 mb
Reggae, Roots, Afro Jazz, World
It is nyabinghi drumming that provides the foundation for reggae, and Soul Jazz makes this argument explicit by kicking off the compilation with Count Ossie and the Rasta Family's "Africa We Want Fe Go", taking the traditional Rastafari nyabinghi chant and drumming and adding electrified reggae bass. This sets the tone for all selections: to demonstrate that link between the spirituality of Rastafari and the development of the unique sound of Jamaican music. Reggae may have developed into genres other than Rastafari music, as any listener to dancehall or lovers' rock reggae can attest, but none of these types of music would exist if it weren't for those origins in Rastafari. And although the tracklisting jumps around a little between decades, making it difficult to get a sense of chronology, it's clear that Rastafari consciousness has found its way into just about every type of Jamaican music, from drum compositions to calypso, mento, ska, reggae, and beyond. As the title says, "the dreads enter Babylon" and they leave no stone (or style) unturned.