African Reggae Meets Jamaican Classics: Blakk Rasta’s Salaga Soljah Competes for Grammy, Featuring Anthony B

As the Recording Academy prepares for another captivating awards season, notable artists such as Vybz Kartel, The Wailers with Evolution, UB40, Spice, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Gyptian & Chambah, Mutabaruka, and Etana have all presented their projects for review. Despite the stiff competition, reggae experts see Salaga Soljah as a dark horse, an underdog that could shake up the Grammy landscape when the nominees are revealed on November 8.

Released on February 20, this 20-track collection stands out as the only African project vying for the prestigious award. The album pays homage to traditional reggae roots while infusing a unique African influence, with tracks sampling iconic Jamaican songs. Put Down the Arms draws inspiration from Bob Marley’s Chant Down Babylon, delivering a fervent call for peace. Blakk Rasta also reinvents Tenement Yard by Jacob Miller on the track Barber Shop, where Anthony B collaborates, and transforms Eric Donaldson’s well-known Cherry Oh Baby into Adisa, sung in his native Dagbani.

Explaining the album’s theme, Blakk Rasta shared, “This album is a dedication to those warriors who fought against slavery in a small town near my hometown in Ghana called Salaga. The Salaga soldiers resisted, saying no person brought here as a slave should be sold. They were spiritually fortified, with amulets believed to protect them from bullets, much like Queen Nanny could repel gunfire.”

The allegorical track Bua adds depth to the album’s narrative, cautioning against repeating the errors of the past. In it, Blakk Rasta uses the tale of a goat warned to be vigilant of the wolf, whose ancestors had fallen prey due to their carelessness.

Although Blakk Rasta is not yet widely recognized in Jamaica or across the Western Hemisphere, his 12th studio album demonstrates an artistic depth that is likely to resonate with devoted reggae enthusiasts. His vocals, rhythmic patterns, harmonies, and instrumental arrangements harken back to the roots of traditional reggae, providing a refreshing alternative to much of today’s music.

Salaga Soljah transcends linguistic boundaries, featuring songs in ten different languages, including Jamaican Patois, English, French, Dagomba, Dioula (common in Ivory Coast), Hausa, Akan, and Amharic, the language associated with Emperor Haile Selassie I. The album’s cultural diversity and commitment to authentic reggae make it a standout contender in this year’s Grammy race.