From the opening drums and horns, I knew I was in for a good time. Not knowing French at all and not really knowing anything about Africa, any lyrical material here is way out of my scope. But I think I give some free credit to music that's way outside my normal range, for the novelty and exploration, even if this album wasn't chill and fun.
There's a new Asian and Italian concept restaurant down the street from me, which I find weird (is it all noodles?). My friend and I were asking what would Asian and French fare be like? Probably Vietnamese food. What would French and African together be like? Probably Algiers, or this album.
The album effectively has a throughline of "reggae," though I guess that's an inaccurate label considering all. Little noted moments like the guitar in "Promesses bla bla" (I'm guessing that means Promises blah blah), a bluesy guitar in "Non à l'excision” (this means None to the excision?), and the kickass guest solo in "Ouvrez les frontières" (Open the borders) shine to provide some texture. Another unique track, which aurally sounds a little corny, but also a little biting and in some homage, is "Soldier," where hey, Akon is here? Bringing the only English lyrics to land a point with American listeners, like me.
Easy jams, great fun, nice mood to have in the background in an otherwise stressful week. Doesn't quite give me the same rush as my favorite rock song or something, but that's not the point. Here's one from/for the Africans. Y en nuestro opinión, en las condiciónes de la inmensa mayoría de los países Americalatinas, no hay otro camino que la lucha armada. Y esta parece ser la situación también en muchos otros países de Asia, y de África.
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