The Bloodline Series Volume 1 is one of five CDs that Cape Town-based New World Music has released, featuring top Khayelitsha musical talent.
The Bloodline Series features three reggae acts, Bloodlines, Urban Mystics and The Future, making this a 14-track roots reggae compilation originally recorded live in the townships and subsequently remastered at New World Studios. This is music from the place of the heart. With budgets running so low, it was recorded in the Community Dance Hall at Freedom Farm, close to the end of the runway at Cape Town International Airport. With little to no facilities available, electricity was provided by a small generator hidden behind a tree and the recording made between aircraft landings.
The recordings were remixed in the New World music Studios in Observatory. The result is a well-crafted album. The sound is pure roots reggae, all the way from the Caribbean, but the sentiment and the vocal delivery have South Africa stamped all over them.
The album’s lyrical content focuses tightly on South African issues – such as the way ahead. Combined with some tight dub and roots grooves, the overall impression is of a quality reggae record that could have been recorded anywhere in the world.
The Bloodline Series will appeal to reggae purists and new converts alike. There is enough roots to keep the stalwarts happy, and some dub to keep the less traditional interested. Since Africa is the spiritual home of reggae and the Rastafarian movement, it seems peculiar that there is such a dearth of real reggae talent here. That aside, The Bloodline Series is a promising start to what will hopefully be an ongoing release schedule of some great African reggae.
Soundbites
Amore per Rossini (Teldec) In this captivating recital American mezzo sensation Jennifer Larmore concentrates on lesser-known Rossini opera seria arias. In repertoire perfectly suited to her dramatic voice Larmore uses the fullest range of emotional expression, although she is perhaps better suited to the extrovert arias rather than the contemplative ones. Listening to this selection one may well remember with surprise her deft coloratura as the comic Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Teldec). Highly recommended. – Coenraad Visser
Hole: Celebrity Skin (BMG)”Don’t make me over,” sings Courtney Love on Hole’s new CD. In other words, she’s managing to make herself over all on her own. Her transformation from grunge princess to glamour puss continues – see the slenderised body and the sharper, poppier numbers on this album. – Shaun de Waal
Metallica: Garage Inc (Vertigo) This is two CDs’ worth of cover versions by the Californian thrash merchants, some fresh, some dating back to 1987. They predominantly cover other metal types, and obscure ones at that. Hence, there’s little to say about their versions of tunes by Mercyful Fate, Diamond Head and Blitzkrieg. They do a good, pub-rockin’ job on Thin Lizzy’s Whisky in the Jar, however, and if you’ve ever wondered how Nick Cave’s Loverman would sound sung by a werewolf … – Caroline Sullivan