Alpha Blondy - Rise (AlphAlliance/Baco Records)

Kicking things off with wailing guitars and fierce energy, Alpha teams up with Capleton on the explosive opener ‘Cold Fire’. Another guest on the album is Congolese soukous veteran Koffi Olomide, who features on ‘Je Ne Suis Pas Fâché’, a track that gradually melts into pure soukous towards the end.

To celebrate the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, Alpha joined forces with fellow Ivorians like rapper Didi B, zouglou/reggae artist Soum Bill (who previously wrote ‘Gneze’, Côte d’Ivoire’s official anthem for the 2006 FIFA World Cup), and zouglou singer Roseline Layo on the football anthem ‘Ayoka’ (Bété for “hello”). The intro also features the voice of Ivorian-French football icon Didier Drogba.

‘Djigui’, a slow-burning track rich in vintage synth textures, delivers a message of hope to Alpha’s son, while ‘Le Prince Bleu’ makes an appearance on ‘Révolte-toi Africa’, a fiery anti-colonial call for Africans to rise up against injustice, corruption and exploitation. The track cleverly plays on the Latin proverb “Si vis pacem, para bellum” (“If you want peace, prepare for war”).

In a similar militant spirit, ‘Corruption’ stands out with its use of a talk box, an effect unit that shapes instrumental sound into speech-like tones. Lyrically, it’s a scathing indictment of kleptocracy masquerading as democracy: “C’est une cleptocratie, déguisée en démocratie, avec la complicité de nos élites vendues et corrompues…”; lines that strike uncomfortably close to home even in the Western world.

As on previous albums, Alpha delivers his own reggae twist on a pop classic, this time ‘N’importe Quoi’, made famous by Florent Pagny in 1988. Alpha first heard the track thanks to his close friend, journalist and TV presenter Roger Fulgence Kassy, who gifted him the 7-inch single. Since Kassy’s death in 1989, Alpha admits he hadn’t managed to sing the song in full without breaking down in tears, until now.

The album closes on a tender note with ‘Le Cri Du Silence’, a non-reggae ballad penned by Alpha’s wife Aelyssa as a heartfelt tribute to his late mother Diaka Aminata, known lovingly as Bata, who passed away in 2022.

The clear standout for us is ‘Ayé Taga’ (Dioula for “the world has changed”), quintessential Alpha Blondy, packed with blaring horns, crying guitars, and a sing-along chorus that begs to be roared by festival crowds.

Alpha Blondy rarely disappoints, and ‘Rise’ is no exception!

Catch Alpha Blondy performing ‘Rise’ live at Reggae Geel!