ALBUM DESCRIPTION

On his solo debut "Keep On", Kenneth Appiah takes us on a wonderful musical journey to West Africa with a fusion of Ghanaian rhythms, Reggae and Afro-pop. The first of it's kind in the gospel arena; he has been compared to the likes of Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, Alpha Blonde and even Lucky Dube. Over dense percussion, melodic guitars and vibrant horns, he sings captivating songs of praise and worship.

"This is Lion of Zion's first endeavor back into African or World music since our groundbreaking 2002 compilation 'Africa Anointed', said Lion of Zion and GospelReggae.com president Mark Mohr. " To be honest with you, so much of the gospel music that has been coming out of Africa lately has been sterile or synthetic so when I received Kenneth Appiah's demos I was blown away. Not only were his lyrics profound and his heart for God evident, I loved the energy of his tracks and the organic sounds that define his music such as live drums, melodic guitars, vibrant horns, dense vocals and hypnotic percussion. After just one listen, my wife (Avion Blackman) and I knew that we had to sign Kenneth to our label and give his incredible music a platform, for it is unlike anything that we had ever heard before--it is musician's music!"

If his name sounds familiar, there's a reason; we first heard Kenneth's reggae sound on GospelReggae.com's "Boomshots!" compilation. On his first full-length US release, Ken gives us more reggae and a heavy dose of West African sounds. This 16-track masterpiece kicks off with galloping percussion on the upbeat "Temple." When I asked Kenneth about the song, he said with his signature raspy voice and a childlike smile, "As King Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord, so I want to dedicate my body to the Holy Spirit."

Whether he is singing in English or in Twi (a language of Ghana), the spirit of Kenneth's lyrics still permeate each track. This is particularly evident on songs like "Golgota." full of driving percussion and call and response vocals, it is obvious to my American ears that Ken is singing about the brutal crucifixion of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This song is distinctly Afrobeat, a fusion of Funk and Jazz reminiscent of the sounds of Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musical pioneer.

On the title track Ken's voice blends harmoniously with the melodic reggae rhythm urging us to "Keep On." On this song he quotes Ecclesiastes, stating "There is nothing new under the sun." Through his inspirational lyrics Ken relays that the only true solution to life's toughest problems is to keep on placing your trust in the Lord. "Aboloo" is another beautifully composed song with an infectiously hypnotic funk groove that will hook you from your first listen. On this song Kenneth sings about the food that God miraculously provided to the Israelites while they were wandering in the wilderness.

"Menyame Ye" is unquestionably the most meditative song of the bunch. On this Bob Marleyeque niyabinghi styled track Ken leads us into the highest heights of worship. Sounding just like Peter Tosh or Luck Dube, Kenneth sings in various languages that; "My Lord is good, he's so good to me!" What's great about Kenneth Appiah's music is that while it inspires the spirit, it also spurs on the feet. In fact the rhythms are so contagious on songs like "Heaven," "Kotutu", "A B C of Salvation" and "Owenfo" that you just have to get up dance!

Kenneth Appiah's unique sonic fusion is so different from anything else out there that any gospel reggae enthusiast would be amiss to ignore it. No other artist in the gospel arena has recorded music with the level of complexity involved in "Keep On." It is truly musician's music. The percussive polyrhythms alone will have you spinning around in circles. Spiritually speaking, this album is undeniably Christian as every song directs you toward God. With five roots cuts there is plenty reggae to satisfy even the staunchest roots aficionado and the remaining African tracks will literally knock your socks off. But don't just take my word for it--see for yourself. Order your copy today.

Review Mark Mohr and Norah Endebe