Frank Bessem's Musiques d'Afrique: Alpha Blondy

Frank Bessem's
Musiques d'Afrique:

Alpha Blondy
(Côte d'Ivoire)

Musiques d'Afrique
Musiques de Côte d'Ivoire

Alpha Blondy is one of the most successful reggae stars and one of the most prominent African musicians at the same time. Already at young age, he was making music, and he has been a follower of the Rastafari belief. Musically, he has been strongly influenced by Bob Marley. After return from a stay of two years in the United States, his parents had put him in a mental hospital because of his strong rastafari beliefs.
In the early 1980s he was able to record a single Brigadier Sabari, which is a popular song until today, followed by the album Jah Glory. Soon, a record deal with EMI-Pathé-Marconi enabled him to record and tour throughout two decades. He sings mainly in Dioula, French, English, about injustice, political issues, and religion. He strongly advocates reconciliation between the world religions.

Through the popularity of reggae in the whole of Africa, where Bob Marley is still highly respected, Alpha Blondy has a super star status. In Côte d'Ivoire, reggae is still one of the main music styles made in the country. Other artists in this genre are Ismael Isaac, Les Frères Keita, Waby Spider and Tiken Jah Fakoly.

Born: 1 January 1953, as Seydou Koné, in Dimbokoro
Style: Reggae.

Discography:

Title	Year	Label	Remarks
Jah Victory	2007	Jober Entertainment/IODA
Akwaba - The Very Best Of	2005	Virgin
Radical Roots From The Emperor Of African Reggae	2004	Manteca MANTCD050	A best of compilation
Merci	2002	EMI 538 341-2
The Best of... / Black Samurai	2002	EMI 537 754-2
L'Essentiel Alpha Blondy	2002	EMI 537 165-2
Paris Bercy (Live)	2001	EMI 532 411-2
Elohim	2000	Une Music U 1027-2	Also on Alpha Blondy ABCD 99083 (2001)
The Best of Alpha Blondy	1999	Shanachie SHCD43075
Yitzhak Rabin	1998	Tuff Gong 54282-2	Also on Stern's STCD 1087 (1998)
Grand Bassam Zion Rock	1996	EMI 852 470-2
The Best of Alpha Blondy	1996	EMI 837 041-2
Dieu	1994	EMI 829 847-2
S.O.S. guerre tribale	1993	EMI 789 019-2
Masada	1992	EMI 798 620-2
Live au Zénith	199?	EMI 789 470-2
The Prophets	1989	Pathé-Marconi 791 793-1
Revolution	1987	Pathé-Marconi 748 655-1
Jerusalem	1986	Pathé-Marconi	Also on Stern's STCD 1019 (1987)
Apartheid is nazism	1985	Pathé-Marconi	Also on Stern's STCD 1017 (1986)
Cocody Rock	1984	Pathé-Marconi 240 233-1
Rasta Poué	1984	Syllart 38726-1
Jah Glory	1983	Syllart 38710-1