Last week AfroMuzik
had the great pleasure of watching reggae icon Seydou Kone -aka Alpha Blondy- live
at BB King. As fans began to fill the dance floor, it became more and more apparent that it was going to be an energetic show.
Opening for Africa’s king of reggae was the talented Ras Droppa and The Eazy
Skankin Band who did a great job warming up the crowd. Slightly behind
schedule, Alpha Blondy had the eager fans crowding the stage with anticipation. As he prepared to hit the stage a quick mix of songs from various
albums teased the crowd and heightened the excitement in the room. The lights
in the audience grew dimmer leaving the retro, velvet adorned, stage illuminated for the
superstar. Like true fans, the crowd instantly glowed with cell phones ready
and equipped to record it all. Two lovely backup singers stood on stage
alongside The Solar System Band, and the second
Blondy started to sing, like most people in the room, I felt my body move
with no sense of awareness or hesitation. Looking around at the dancing crowd,
it seemed as though there was no other place in the world that anyone in that
room would have rather been, than at BB King’s watching the living legend
perform.
The
international recording artist kicked off the show with the ultimate classics
Jerusalem and Masada, sending the crowd wild with energy before singing the
song “Hope” from his new album Mystic Power. Whether he was singing in English,
French, or Dioula, the equally diverse crowd sang along without skipping a
beat. The reggae veteran may have aged, but throughout the show he was able to
match the crowd’s enthusiasm, covering the entire stage and stopping to
high-five the lucky fans in the front. From his album Masada, he continued with
“Les Chiens” and “Multipartisme” before briefly sharing a message that
led up to “Crime Spirituel” from his new album. The socially conscious artist summed
up his passionate message with a statement saying “Do not use God as an alibi
to justify your crimes”. Blondy continued to entertain the joyous crowd with “Cocody
Rock”, followed by “Politiqui” and another one of his new tracks “My American
Dream”. As he danced from corner to corner the engaging musician showed love to overjoyed fans, getting so close to the crowd at one point that a stern looking bodyguard quickly made his onto the stage. However in the spirit of a true reggae concert, it was
all peace & love and of course, the uninterrupted and fairly subtle clouds
of smoke that had risen within the crowd and were lingering around the lights.
After performing “Peace in Liberia” from the album No Child Soldiers, Blondy introduced his truly phenomenal band who showcased their individual skills before he left the stage. The crowd simply had not
had enough, they stood still anticipating an encore from the beloved musician. All eyes
watched the stage intently waiting for what turned out to be a very generous encore! A tireless Blondy got back on stage
with absolute crowd-pleasers like “I Wish You Were Here”, “Brigadier”, and
“Sweet Fanta Diallo”. Thanking the
content crowd Blondy and his band left the stage, marking the end of a spectacular
show. There is no greater joy than being able to sing-along at a concert, being
the musical veteran that he is Blondy allowed fans to do just that by performing the perfect mix of songs from his various albums. Alpha Blondy and the Solar System were nothing
short of musical bliss, if you happen to be in France now or over the summer,
be sure to catch him on his national tour!
