Òai e Libertat cover

Òai e Libertat

Released

For over 40 years now, Massilia Sound System has been making a most unlikely fusion: dancehall reggae music that explicitly celebrates the Occitan-speaking culture of Marseille and its region. Singing and chatting in both French and Occitan, the band delivers songs that are sometimes militant and sometimes whimsical, and sometimes both. For example, the opening track on this 2007 album, you hear a joyful declaration of victory on “De longue” (“On met lo Òai depuis millions d’années”), a declaration of defiance set to multicultural percussion (“Laissa nos passer”), and something that sounds like a declaration intent to keep doing it forever (“Toujours et toujours”). Speed-rap, dub, and general digital reggae niceness are on offer throughout the whole program; it’s a complete delight.

Rick Anderson

Recommended by

Suggestions
Infinity cover

Infinity

Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa
Big Up! cover

Big Up!

Dr. Ring Ding, Dr. Ring-Ding & the Senior Allstars
The Reggae Power 2 cover

The Reggae Power 2

Sly & Robbie, Spicy Chocolate
Pure Badness cover

Pure Badness

Gappy Ranks
Open the Gate cover

Open the Gate

Lee "Scratch" Perry
Catch a Fire cover

Catch a Fire

Bob Marley, The Wailers
Too Big to Fail cover

Too Big to Fail

Dub Spencer & Trance Hill, Umberto Echo
Time Boom X De Devil Dead cover

Time Boom X De Devil Dead

Lee "Scratch" Perry, Dub Syndicate
Hy Man cover

Hy Man

Puppa Nadem