Putumayo have always made unlikely and unorthodox choices when it comes to compilations; that's a big part of what makes their releases so much fun. Not everyone on African Reggae is a full-time reggae artist, but all of the selections--from straight-ahead roots reggae to reggae-influenced African pop--at least employ some type of reggae beat. Putumayo focuses exclusively on Sub-Saharan Africa/Black Africa, spotlighting artists from Nigeria, South Africa, Cape Verde, Ghana, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), Guinea-Bissau, and the Ivory Coast--and the fact that there is such an impressive diversity of artists south of the Sahara allows Putumayo to assemble a compilation that is unpredictable yet remains true to its basic theme. One wishes that this 41-minute CD contained another 30 or 35 minutes worth of recordings; even so, African Reggae is yet another enjoyable compilation from Putumayo. (Allmusic)
