Mythical Reggae

I know I am extremely late to the party on this one but can I just take a moment to acknowledge the works of this man right here. I can't believe that I have not heard of this man until recently. He is simply enchanting to listen to whether its to his lyrics or in interviews speaking on what faith means to him. The man has become a legend in my book in less than a weeks time and that really doesn't happen often.

For those who are as unfamiliar as I was with this artist, I am centering this article around the one and only Alpha Blondy, an Ivorian reggae artist and humanitarian who's songs typically center around topics of a political nature but mainly, they are socially charged, infused with massive amounts of his own faith and the faiths of others he has brought himself to become familiar with. He expresses this through the promotion of what I like to call "oneness", being one with all things to understand and thrive in the world, to make change, and to better others so that they can also become catalysts of change for the better which he has also displayed for decades through his humanitarian work in his home continent of Africa.

He was born in 1953 in Ivory Coast to a Muslim father and Christian mother who's combined faith taught him the concept of being one with all things regardless of faith, that people of all faiths should unify and rejoice and bask in the glory that the higher power has bestowed upon them. He conveys this message very clearly in one of his most well known songs entitled "Jerusalem" where he notably speaks verses in Hebrew, Arabic, French as well as the occasional English which is something I've frankly never seen done before in a single song. He also has other titles where this is done, such as "Sebe Allah Y'e" and "Yitzhak Rabin". This alone promoted this mythical being of a man to legendary status in my book being that I also have family background that involve the intersection of Christianity, Islam and even Judaism, so this man's story and his work hit home with me on multiple levels.

It is not common that one tries to promote the idea of being unified in faith by speaking a message of unity and peace in both Hebrew AND Arabic. It's no wonder that in 2005 he was given the title of UN Ambassador of Peace for the Ivory Coast, the man just exudes peaceful energy with each breath he takes and with each word he speaks.

Why isn't he spoken about in mainstream music media? I dare to say that his messages and the vibes he gives off in his music are just as ethereal and mythical as the late great Bob Marley himself. Yes this is a controversial statement to make but I mean, the level of power and soul he puts behind his words command great faith and they touch the heart in many ways parallel to when I listen to Bob in any form or fashion. So don't mistake my comparison of the two as me trying to put one on a higher pedestal than the other, rather I want Alpha to receive the same recognition and reverence that Bob held and believe me, I do not take the prestige of Tuff Gong lightly, I just analyze and call things as I see them. For reggae to be good reggae, I believe it should always promote oneness, wholesomeness, and of course peace from the inside and out but I firmly believe that if it is to be great-no, mythical reggae, it has to promote oneness with faith as well as to promote clarity within one's consciousness and Alpha Blondy does all of those things and some more in my opinion.