Here's something for anyone who still believes that South African reggae begins and ends with Lucky Dube. Since 1991, O'Yaba have produced four albums ('Tomorrow Nation', 'Caught Up', 'One Foundation' and 'Paradise') that were also released in all the major overseas markets. A compilation album, 'The Game Is Not Over', featuring the tracks from 'Tomorrow Nation' and 'Caught Up', was also released in the USA. The group followed up the success of these albums with performances in the USA, Japan, France and Australasia. Then rumours of a split started circulating and O'Yaba disappeared for a year or so. But now they have "regrouped" and 'Crazy Love', their new album, is the happy result.

The album was recorded during the latter part of 1997 at the Downtown Studios and was produced by West Nkosi, who achieved a solid reputation from his work on most of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens albums. The O'Yaba lineup is still the same as before the break. Alexis Tshidiso Faku is the principal songwriter and vocalist. Michael Koetle is on bass and Freddy Letsie on drums. There are also two lead guitarists and two keyboard players in this nine-person ensemble and the sound is big, phat and phunky.

The first track, 'Love War', is the ideal opener with its solid reggae groove and trumpet and keyboard-driven backing. It unfortunately runs a little too close to the Womack's 'Love Wars' single from a few years back. The title track, however, is not the Paul Simon 'Graceland' track but does have a keyboard melody line that is lifted intact off Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds'. The rest of the 12 tracks on the album are mostly strong, sweet and catchy. 'I Can't Stand It' packs a powerful reggae punch while 'Try Me' and 'Revolution' are slower but as intense. There is one (acknowledged) cover on 'Crazy Love', a languid and emotive version of Chicago's 'Hard To Say I'm Sorry' that is as out of place on this album as Lucky Dube's version of Foreigner's 'I Want To Know What Love Is' was on his recent 'Taxman' album. Overall, though, O'Yaba have crafted a good enough comeback album that should please their many fans who never thought there would be another.

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman

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