Africa Unite, the Afrobeats remix album by Bob Marley & The Wailers is currently No. 1 in Zimbabwe on iTunes and Apple Music.
The album which features several afrobeats artist lending their voices to Marley classics is currently charting in several countries.
A release from the Marley Estate, describes the project as a continuation of Bob Marley’s immortality.
Africa Unite, which got its name from a single from Marley’s rebellious Survival album pays homage to the Reggae icon’s greatest hits, beautifully reimagined and infused with the infectious rhythms of Afrobeats.
The ten-track project is released by Island Records.
The official tracklist includes:
1. So Much Trouble – Nutty O & Winky O
2. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) – Rema & Skip Marley
3. Redemption Song – Ami Faku
4. Waiting in Vain – Tiwa Savage
5. Turn Your Lights Down Low – Afro B
6. Three Little Birds – Teni and Oxlade
7. Buffalo Soldier – Stonebwoy
8. Stir It Up – Sarkodie
9. Jamming – Ayra Starr
10. One Love – Patoranking
Reflecting on the significance of this album, Bob Marley’s daughter Cedella Marley stated, “Africa Unite is an album that showcases the importance of Bob Marley in modern day Africa. The artists that feature on this album have reimagined Bob Marley’s classics in a way we know he would have loved and been proud of.”
“The three words I’d use to describe this ‘Africa Unite’ project are: pivotal, moving and ancestral” says Skip Marley.
Just 24 hours before the debut of Africa Unite, the fourth official single from the album was released: “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)” featuring Rema and Skip Marley. This is a mid-tempo track, produced by GA , is laced with soothing sax, capturing cadence and punchy parables. Addressing inequality, Bob Marley, Rema and Skip Marley encourage us to escape with music. The original track features on Bob Marley’s widely acclaimed 1974 album Natty Dread.
U.K. Music journalist Gracie Mae who is the A&R for the project told WMV in that, “In January he (Bob Marley) dropped a song with Sarkodie which is a remake to Stir It Up, two weeks ago he dropped another remake with Tiwa Savage for Waiting In Vain and over the next couple of weeks and months you will see some more African collaborations with the view of dropping a project in the summer. I have heard the project, its amazing and its got all the Afrobeats artist you can imagine and tis a great way to merge the diaspora with the Caribbean meeting Africa, in a beautiful harmony, synergy, its a really great project so I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”
“There is a single by Bob Marley called African Unite and it speaks to us being one people and the family had a keen interest to make this a reality, and the songs we are gonna hear over the next couple of months have bene five years in the making,” Mae told WMV.
“Its a beautiful time and African music is going global, its really a nod to how far we have come with the Estate and the family specifically saying we want to get in on the action and revive some of the classics we have come to know and love,” The noted publicist continued.
Although Bob Marley is currently the number one reggae artists globally, Afro-fusion music is currently miles ahead of reggae and dancehall sales.
Statista projected that Nigeria’s music market grew from 26 million U.S. dollars in 2014 to 34 million U.S. dollars in 2018, and that by 2023 the revenue is expected to reach 44 million U.S. dollars.
