Takana Zion - Good Life (Soulbeats Records) (copy 1)

Takana rejoined forces with producer Sam Clayton Jr., with whom he already collaborated for 'Rasta Government' (Soulbeats Records, 2011). For 'Good Life' Takana this time did not opt for the Harry J Studio, but took to Tuff Gong where he could count on the services of a dream team consisting of Leroy 'Horsemouth' Wallace, Errol 'Flabba Holt' Carter, Lloyd 'Obeah' Denton, Dalton Browne and Dean Fraser. On 'Good Life' Zion radically opts for English, a language he's become more and more fluent in as the years went by. Opener 'Africa Unite' sounds like an anthem for the African Union. We get a nyahbinghi rhythm for 'Congo Dreadlocks', and then Dalton Browne lets his guitar weep for title track 'Good Life', in which Dean Fraser's sax was also given a large supporting role. 'Mariama', was originally already released back in 2013 and is dedicated to Mariama Bentoura, Takana's wife, and their newborn son. Then Zion goes ska for the infectious 'Real Black Man', and the subsequent 'Mosiah Marcus' is also one of the highlights on 'Good Life'. For closing track 'When Jah Speaks', Takana managed to entice none other than Bunny Wailer to join him in the studio; the perfect ending to an excellent album.