Alpha Blondy
b.Seydou Kone
1953
Dimbokoro, Ivory Coast
During the mid-80s, reggae vocalist Blondy, whose name translates as First Bandit, became one of West Africa's most successful bandleaders, his songs widely covered by other local reggae artists. Adopting not only the rhythms and instrumental arrangements of Jamaican reggae, Blondy also followed its tradition of militant protest lyrics. After releasing his searing Apartheid Is Nazism album, he took the logical next step of flying to Jamaica to record the follow-up, Jerusalem, with the Wailers. Alpha Blondy's embracing of reggae and rasta was not without its problems; after he returned in 1981 from two years" study at Columbia University in the USA, his parents committed him to a psychiatric hospital for eighteen months because of his Rasta beliefs. There is certainly some evidence to support their view: although he dresses as a Rasta, Blondy travels everywhere with the Star of David, a copy of the bible, and one of the Koran. Alpha Blondy also speaks Arabic in Israel, and Hebrew in the Arab world. |
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