****NASIO FONTAINE - REGGAE POWER REMASTERED CD****

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****NASIO FONTAINE - REGGAE POWER REMASTERED CD****

TRACKLIST


1. Armed & Dangerous
2. Under Attack
3. Africa We Love
4. Jah Won't Forsake I
5. Justice
6. Unite
7. Racial Pride
8. Jah Jah See
9. No Babylon
10. Wanna Go Home
11. Vain Thoughts
12. Babylon You Doom






Nasio's landmark 1st album.


BACKING VOCALS: Leba Hibbert, Sharon Tucker, Milva 'Nzingha' Lisca, Tynsi, Melanie Hibbert, Carl Ayton
BASS: Hopeton Earl Hibbert, Daniel Thompson
DRUMS: Carl Ayton
LEAD GUITAR: Gibby Morrison, Dwight Pinkney
RHYTHM GUITAR: Bonitto, Nasio Fontaine
KEYBOARDS: Keith Sterling, Robbie Lyn
PERCUSSION: Harry T Powell
HARMONICA: Bonitto


RECORDED AT: Mixing Lab
MIXED BY: Bulby York, Fatta Marshall
MIXED AT: Mixing Lab
ENGINEERED BY: Karl Toppin, Bulby York, Kevin 'Congo' Thompson, Fatta Marshall


Dominica-born Nasio Fontaine is sort of the poster child for underground, grassroots reggae. Without much fanfare, he released this debut album in 1994, only to witness a groundswell of critical acclaim as he drew favorable comparisons to Bob Marley. It's easy to see why he would be compared to Marley; his singing voice, his delivery, his upbeat yet poignant tone, his female background singers, and his straightforward roots style are all eerily similar. Still, I can't help but think that when someone like Fontaine emerges who carries a sound so close to Marley's, and he doesn't stink (and Fontaine certainly does not), people seem to praise him a bit more than they should, more than they would if he didn't pacify their overwhelming craving for more Marley music. Fontaine certainly has a formidable task ahead of him proving that he's not riding Marley's decades-long coattails. Reggae Power is a solid start in the right direction. The quality here is consistently good, though not dazzling, throughout. Tracks 3 and 4 , "Africa We Love" and "Jah Won't Forsake I," are the standouts; they hold their own even when compared to Marley. The rest is decent, but certainly not up to Marley's standards, which unfortunately is whom Fontaine will likely be compared to in many listeners' eyes.