Josie Mel

Josie Mel's Rasta Still De 'Bout is an excellent cd from start to finish. The initial (and title) cut is a one drop dance inducer with the help of Lutan Fyah. The duo definitely begins the cd with a strong cut. The infectious "Consecrate Yourself" and "Let's Party" help to make this a perfect cd to get your reasoning session off to a positive and upbeat start. One of my personal favorites is "All Over Your Face", which is a nice narrative of moving on from past relationships but having compassion for a troubled ex. Mel's voice has a nice push to it, but this only works when you have strong lyrical content as he does throughout the album. Another head-nodder is "Hail HIM", a testament to the strength of his rasta convictions. Rasta Still De 'Bout is a highly recommended album for those enjoying this renaissance of conscious reggae.

Ziggy Marley-Love is My Religion

I just picked up Ziggy's new album and have to say it is very good. From the very first song, "Into the Groove", you can definitely hear (and feel) the African influence. Being a huge fan of Fela (who Ziggy cites as an influence in the liner notes) and Afrobeat, the influence struck a deep resonance in me. The upbeat horns and guitar drive the song through its infectious "groove". "Love is My Religion" provides a very nice message of tolerance and acceptance for different beliefs while maintaining a strong stance on the validity of individual personal beliefs. There is definitely a strong reggae vibe throughout the album with one song ("Black Cat") that is primarily a ska riddim. The acoustic version of "Love is My Religion" is another good version of a very good song. His calls of "I don't convert, I don't condemn" translates very nicely to the acoustic version. "Make Some Music" is more strictly a reggae chune, but what would one expect from a Marley. One of the things that I enjoy the most about Ziggy's solo albums is that they are much in line with what I believe his father would be doing if still on this earth physically. Rather than being content with simply staying in the comfort zone of roots reggae, Ziggy continues his musical evolution with this new album. I also applaud him for the extremely reasonable price (9.99 at Target), which allows fans with tight wallets and budgets to afford it. Not very many artists do something like this to benefit their fans (or friends as he calls us in the liner notes).