The first song (and hopefully single) is "Happiness (is a state of mind)", a lilting techno-reggae piece that is so infectious I kept replaying it until I was forced by my colleagues to listen to the rest of the album. With all the new styles of music available in SA these days, it is difficult to find a single defining term to categorise SA albums that contain music such as this. The only comparable album I've heard recently was a pre-release tape of the second 'Unofficial Language' album which should be out soon. These albums have so many diverse influences mixed in such as Hip Hop, Reggae, Kwaito and Kwela that it seems as if a new singular SA hybrid is slowly emerging.

Tracks like "Peace Train", "Soul Brother" and "Amabulu" (with it's 'Nkosi Sikelele' sample) move from one end of the current musical spectrum to the other without losing their core identity. The vocals are in all the official languages and yet sound like one universal tongue.There is so much happening on this CD that I'm just going to highly recommend that you grab this and play it until you look like the dude on the cover who looks completely happy and satisfied, if it's because he's been listening to this album then I know how he feels.

Stephen Segerman (sugar@cd.co.za)

others in the REVIEWS

Allison Simkiss / Fetish management fetish@iafrica.com Or phone Allison at 021-618 120 The CD costs R79.99 plus R12.00 postage.