Nyahbinghi

ナイヤビンギ永遠の名作が廉価復刻。このアルバムはタイトルずばり純粋なアフリカン・ドラムによる、一切の装飾のない、原初的なナイヤビンギの姿を表現した、まさに“ナイヤビンギ”という 音楽を象徴する一枚だ。ラスタ・コミューンの生粋のラスタマンであったRASMICHAELによる崇高なメッセージのチャントと土着的なアフリカン・ドラム、パーカッションによるアンサンブル。遠いアフリカへの思いがルーツ・レゲエの根底にあることは言うまでもないが、本作はアフリカそのものをジャマイカへ呼び戻したかのような力強さがある。

Nyahbinghi was Ras Michael's second album, following the four extended tracks that made up Dadawah-Peace & Love. Michael (his real name is George Michael Henry) specializes in the traditional Jamaican rasta drumming style known as nyahbinghi, and is the obvious commercial heir apparent to Count Ossie, whose groundbreaking Grounation set with tenor saxophonist Cedric Brooks put this odd and moving genre on the musical map. Michael sticks pretty close to the traditional on this set, although on other releases he has grafted mainstream reggae, funk, rock and even electronica into the mix. There isn't a whole lot of stylistic variation here, but the overall effect of the slow, pronounced drum patterns is definitely soothing and trance inducing, but hardly conducive to the dancehall. The most striking track is "Rise Jah Jah Children," which builds around the refrain to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," a big international hit for the Tokens. Trojan released Nyahbinghi packaged with the slightly more experimental Dadawah on a single disc in 1998. ~ Steve Leggett|