Black System is Ismael Isaac’s seventh album and it is to date the strongest of his efforts. His career has been somewhat overshadowed by the success of Alpha Blondy, another reggae artist from Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast. However, he is a true talent in his own right and has produced an album of bouncy reggae that has moments of inspired skanking. When Bob Marley died, Isaac was inspired to become a reggae artist, and with little more than faith in his talent, he managed to get on Ivorian radio and television. He sings in the local Abidjan dialect with a lot of soul. African reggae, in many instances, does not differ from Jamaican reggae. However, most African reggae seems to have more energy and drive that traditional reggae from Jamaica lacks. He is backed up here by a full complement of horns peppered with occasional tasty solos. The backup singers also provide tight call and response vocals. It makes for a more interesting brand of reggae, rather than the purely synthesized sounds common in most reggae. A good introduction to this artist’s work and African reggae in general. – Mark Romano