Sael is an exciting young singer from the island of Martinique whose debut Sael & Friends has burst onto the international reggae scene with a splash that has sent out ripples like few other French-language reggae releases have done (Alpha Blondy not withstanding). It's not hard to see why Sael's popularity has spread outside of his homeland (although admittedly you'd be hard-pressed to find it in the US): his music is catchy enough to be accepted by the mainstream but edgy enough to satisfy reggae purists. Vocally, he reminds me somewhat of the soothing style of Jahmali, although Sael tends to mix a bit more dancehall in with his roots. That dancehall edge comes largely courtesy of the "friends" referred to in the album title, who perform on 8 of the 15 tracks on this Collector's Edition of Sael & Friends (the original edition has only the first 11 songs). Frankly, I think Sael could do with fewer friends, because they tend to distract the listener from enjoying the talented star, particularly on the lackluster tracks performed by his friends alone -- "Les Galeriens," "Le Plan," "Red," and "A Pa G." Although he performs on solid dancehall cuts like "C'est Party," "Je T'emmene," and "Un Peu D'espoir," Sael really shines on his roots numbers. His silky vocals float over the rich, swaying roots rhythms of "Le Prod," "Tchimbre Raid Pa Moli" (which reminds me a bit of Lucky Dube), "Vivre Est Une Chanson," "Criminels," and "Marie-Jose," the lovers-inclined tribute to the eccentric French Olympian runner Marie-Jose Perec. The Collector's Edition isn't much of an upgrade, as only the light roots of "Une Adolescente" adds anything positive to the original 11 songs; the other 3 tracks are nondescript dancehall tunes. I wish I could tell you how to get this album if you're in the US beyond befriending someone in Martinique, France, or some other country where it is popular, but Sael & Friends is worth the search, more so Sael than his friends.
Track Listing
1. C'est Party -- Sael, Valley & Kulu G
2. Le Prod -- Sael
3. Je T'emmene -- Sael & Thorn
4. Tchimbre Raid Pa Moli -- Sael
5. Un Peu D'espoir -- Sael, Jacky & Pit Baccardi
6. Les Galeriens -- Pleen (Pyroman)
7. Vivre Est Une Chanson -- Sael
8. Hello Mama -- Sael
9. Le Plan -- Valley & Lieutenant
10. Criminels -- Sael
11. Marie-Jose -- Sael
12. Une Adolescente -- Sael
13. Red -- Pleen Pyromane
14. Everybody -- Sael, Lieutenant & Valley
15. A Pa G -- Lieutenant
