Various Artists - African Reggae (Putumayo)

At their very best, genre-based thematic compilations capture the essence of a local, national or international musical movement at its creative apogee and – depending on the timing of the release – fuel, sustain, or revive an interest in a particular musical moment.  At their worst (think Muchmusic Dance Mix) compilations are a crowd pleasing path of least resistance that simply serve up the hits.  Putumayo World Music compilations, of which African Reggae is emblematic, occupy a solid middle ground.  I can’t think of a Putumayo disc that has achieves the highest possibilities of the thematic compilation; on the other hand I can’t think of a single example that panders.  If you are curious about artists who have as a common denominator both roots reggae and African nationality, then these ten tracks, predominantly from sub-Saharan West Africa, are worth a listen.  However, if you are looking for a rationale that is a little less coincidental, you might find this sampling a little disappointing.