Pop Capsules : Africa’s Blondy: A New Reggae Heir?

With a heady reputation as Africa’s leading reggae singer and even as a possible heir to the throne left vacant by the late Bob Marley, the Ivory Coast’s Alpha Blondy could have been crushed by the heavy expectations as he headlined the packed Variety Arts Center on Saturday.

Instead, he delivered a joyous and infectious 1 3/4-hour set, proving that his new-found star status on the reggae underground is indeed deserved. Backed by a 12-piece steamroller of a band dubbed the Solar System, Blondy offered a blend of righteous rhythms and world-beat politics that, on songs like “Bloodshed in Africa,” was powerful and irresistible.

But until Blondy develops a powerful stage presence, he won’t move into the top ranks with Marley, Jimmy Cliff or Mutabaruka. The singer appeared aloof, and only in the latter part of the show did he talk to the adoring crowd.

Blondy was further undercut by the fact that many of his songs are in French or his native tongue of Dioula. In America at least, that hampers the sense of shared community and uplift that the best reggae performances can provide. But there’s no denying Blondy’s potential to be reggae’s standard-bearer, and considering the music’s legacy, that’s certainly no small feat.

Los Angeles’ Babylon Warriors know how to get on the good side of a reggae crowd: Just haul out the Marley classic “Get Up, Stand Up.” Though the rest of the Warriors’ hourlong opening set could not compare to that, it was efficient, danceable and satisfying for the beat-crazy crowd.