Since his beginnings in the 1980s with the pan-African hit “Opération Coup De Poing (Brigadier Sabari),” Alpha Blondy has made a habit of delivering quality reggae to his fans. The bond of trust that ties him to his audience is once again brilliantly fulfilled: Positive Energy immediately stands out as a great record. “This really is the album of features!” exclaims Alpha when talking about these twelve new songs. And indeed, there are some big names: two Jamaican heavyweights (Ijahman on “Rainbow In The Sky” and Tarrus Riley on “Freedom”), zouk boss Jacob Desvarieux on “N'Teritche,” and a promising young Congolese singer, Pierrette Adams, on “Séchez Vos Larmes.” Plus a powerhouse trio on “Allah Tano”: Tunisian Nawfel, Moroccan Issam, and Ivorian Ismaël Isaac. For Positive Energy, he appears on the cover with his late grandmother in the background, like a guardian angel. “She gave me the love of my fellow man. And my fellow man is God, no need to look too far. My fellow man with his qualities and his flaws is God, she taught me that. I wanted to pay tribute to her.” “This album is in no way like the others,” says Alpha Blondy in conclusion. We can prove him wrong on at least one detail: it is just as passionate, melodic, and sincere as its predecessors. With that extra dose of positive energy that characterizes great records.