The name may ring a bell, as Cas Haley was featured on the 2007 installment of the hit NBC series “America’s Got Talent,” but don’t hold that against him. He took home runner-up honors and if his debut album is any indication, America did a pretty good job of gauging his talent. With a sound that is one part Brett Dennen and two parts Bob Marley, Haley and his band Woodbelly use well placed horn lines and fine guitar work to accentuate the island beats that these Texas natives have mastered.

Le festival Africa est le plus grand festival de musique et de culture africaines en Europe. Depuis sa fondation, le festival a attiré à Würzburg plus de 1 400 000 visiteurs d'Allemagne et de l'étranger, venus prendre part à la richesse culturelle et la joie de vivre du continent noir. Au programme cette année: Youssou N'Dour, Alpha Blondy, Angélique Kidjo et bien d'autres. Le festival etait inauguré par le ministre des Affaires étrangères M. Steinmeier.

A favorite King Tubby compilations (although you could credit it to King Tubby or Scientist, who each mixed the tracks, or Jah Thomas, who produced the tracks, or even Roots Radics, who played the music on the tracks); it avoids the monotone, mundane sound that dub can sometimes mire its way into. Instead, it blasts into your eardrums with a dynamic drum and bass-saturated early '80s dancehall sound, often with echoes of DJ originators rumbling in the background. The best cut in my opinion is the ominous "King Tubby's Badness Dub," although classic rhythms abound, from "My Conversation" ("King Tubby's Conversation Dub") to "Shank I Shenk" ("Scientist Tribute to the Reggae King Dub") to "African Beat" ("Scientist Ganga Dub") to "Rougher Yet" ("King Tubby's Going Home in Dub") -- the dubs generally being not of the original songs, but of DJ updates of the rhythms. Only in the last 3 or so tracks does this album falter, as a generic digital sound seeps in and taints an otherwise classic collection.

Reggae Reviews

First there was Hollywood, then Bollywood and now Halalwood ... featuring: Damon Albarn, Natacha Atlas, Rachid Taha, Mirror System (Steve Hillage & Miquette Giraudy), UK Apache, Amina Annabi, Justin Adams and rap duo Dar Gnawa.