Reggae Muntu

The Roots Reggae Library brings to you Reggae music in unique collections. This edition features Reggae Muntu. The collection is unique because Reggae Muntu is fairly unknown and the recording of his only album is rare.

The sound of the music of Reggae Muntu can only be described as one thing; South African. Even though he only recorded a total of six tracks, it is possible to become a big Reggae Muntu fan. Another reason for including him in the Roots Reggae Library is to preserve South African Reggae. Together with other artists such as Sipho Johnson, Joe Silo and Joe Gad, there is some beautiful but unknown music about in the country. As for Reggae Muntu, all to be found is his name on the Afrosynth website and a mention of him in the Namibian Newspaper of 16 November 1990, a few days after the country celebrated its independence from South Africa. In there the following is written: "Bland and deja vu reggae from another of the new breed South African rastas".

As with some other South African recordings, a huge round of applause for the South African who made it possible for Reggae Muntu to be included on the Roots Reggae Library. Dave Durbach, who is known in South Africa as DJ Okapi of Afrosynth. He sold me a copy of the rare Equalize record. The vinyl record has been digitally recorded to insert it into the Roots Reggae Library. 

Reggae Muntu - Equalize

01. Equalize

02. Traffic Lights

03. Christian Man

04. Soldier Man

05. Who Do You Want

06. Save The Planet

The album Equalize is a happy coming together of six tracks sung with passion. But Reggae Muntu is quite serious when he sings about 'Equalize'. "Equalize education, equalize remuneration, criticize discrimination, normalize the situation". How much clearer do you want the message to be? "Let man cry and his child cries too". Muntu tells us as it is. "How long have we been suffering, how long have we been slavering, how long have we been waiting". Rastaman Muntu tells us that driving at night and stopping for a 'Traffic Light' is no longer a good idea because there are too many "happy trigger people". "No more driving at night, no more walking in the dark". Both the 'Christian Man' and Reggae Muntu say that "thou shall not kill". The Preacher Man says "though shall not lie", Muntu continues with "though shall not steal". Believer Man says "an eye for an eye". This is all to come to the question what the European, Indian, black and brown man say and what values they hold. "Love thy neighbour and love thyself". He also asks his Brotherman and the Ganjaman,, who replies "even if you smoke thy shall not kill". Jesus Christ is on his way to drive away everlasting sorrow and bring eternal love and everlasting piece. But the Anti-Christ is also on his way and "he's going to lead some of us astray" and cause destruction. Now 'Who Do You Want', "make the right choice", "you've got to choose now". "Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, get out of bad 'Soldier Man'!" A typical South African sounding track. There is a slight skip on my vinyl version of this track at 2:31 but I have fixed it on the digital version. The last message Reggae Muntu wanted to give away was for us all to 'Save The Planet', we are all children of the soil. "You can drill the oil from the ground, "you can mine the gold from the ground, as long as you save the planet". "Stop dumping nuclear waste in the rivers of the world", singing about the rivers of Africa, America, Japan, China and Nigeria. We can do without polution! On the back of the record Reggae Muntu says: "I am dedicating this album to all my friends and colleagues who have been waiting to hear my voice on record for years. This is yours, feel it and enjoy it please."

Studio Albums

««««« (1990) Equalize

Original Date Of Publishing: July 2016