Beijing had best ready itself for some serious riddims. Reggae elder statesmen Alpha Blondy has announced a four city China tour that includes a September 16 stop in Beijing, according to his website. The promoter tells TBJ that venues have yet to be confirmed for each of the Middle Kingdom stops, but such details will soon be forthcoming.
Born in 1953 in the Ivory Coast city of Dimbokro, Seydou Koné went on to study in English at New York City's Hunter College, before enrolling in the Columbia University American Language Program. During his time in the Big Apple, he befriended several Rastafarians, and even went on to travel to Jamaica to see reggae perform first hand.
Back in his homeland, he took up the stage name Alpha Blondy and released his first album, Jah Glory!, in 1982. The LP's title track became an anthem for the disenfranchised, thanks to its refrain about not wanting to "die in poverty." But its most impactful cut is arguably "Brigadier Sabari," a scathing lyrical satire of police brutality.
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